Tag Archives: IT recruiter

Sending Paper Resumes To IT Recruiters

As an IT recruiter working for one of the fastest growing IT staffing companies Boston, we periodically receive paper resumes blindly sent from candidates in the information technology industry.  Here are 3 reasons why prospective candidates should not send paper resumes to technical recruiters:

1)  They get thrown away:  IT recruiters Boston typically look at paper resumes as a sign that the candidates are not technically saavy enough to utilize email.  Therefore, paper resumes are more of a red flag than a summary of one’s life technical work.

2)  It “ages” you:  Mailing your resume a decade+ ago was your only option of getting your informatioin to IT recruiting companies.  Therefore, this is typically associated with a technique someone from an older generation would do.  While you cannot IT job descriminate, this certainly does not help your chances of landing one of the technical jobs that the IT recruiting company has posted on their website.

3)  They will not be added to the database:  Because it’s paper, technical recruiters will have to scan the resume in order add it to their IT job database.  When you’re looking at hundreds of technical resumes every day, and cal easily parse them with a click or two of a button, then human nature is going to win over and you’re not going to take the extra steps involved in scanning a resume into your IT staffing database (especially knowing #1 and #2 above).

Therefore, if you’re a prospective IT job candidate, save your forty-five cents and email your resume to as many IT recruiters CA and IT staffing firms as you can.  Most will be added to their respective resume databases.

The Importance of Customer Service in IT Staffing

IT recruiting companies need to separate themselves from the competition.  Outside of having the best IT recruiters and IT jobs, the best way for technical recruiting firms to do so it by providing excellent customer service.  This means treating candidates they way they would want to be treated in return.  IT staffing companies can treach their technical recruiters to go above and beyond by communicating, even overcommunicating, to candidates.  If a high-tech candidate interviews for an IT job, their respective IT recruiter should keep them as updated as they are with the feedback.  If a week passes and they don’t hear from the client, a simple call to the candidate saying they didn’t fall through the cracks or were forgotten.  The IT staffing agency is still trying to reach the hiring manager for feedback.

Additionally, IT recruiters Boston should return every call as well as every email from prospective IT job candidates (unless of course they receive an excessive amount of communication from one individual).

Lastly, after a placement is made, the relationship should not end.  Staying in touch with the information technology contractor and even going to their work facility to grab coffee or lunch are additional ways technical staffing companies can separate themselves from other IT recruiting firms.

IT Recruiters Work Late

The IT staffing industry is certainly not a 9-5pm.  IT recruiters typically get into the office at 8am, then work until 6-7pm at night.  The most successful technical recruiters then check their Blackberry or iPhone throughout the night and respond back to any strong/interested candidates for their IT jobs.  The very best IT recruiters Boston also jump back online to conduct additional IT job searches from the comfort of their own home.

Due to the fact most all job boards, such as Monster, Dice, Careerbuilder and now Linkedin, and now many IT recruiting companies also have web-based databases such as Bullhorn, technical recruiters Boston can do much of their work from home and see the same user interface as they would in the office of their respective IT recruiting firm.

Therefore, if you’re entertaining becoming an IT recruiter, be sure you know what you’re getting into and the hours you’ll need to commit to in order to be successful.  The harder technical recruiters MA work, the more commissions they ultimately make.

IT Recruiters Are Like Sports Agents

Ok, it’s a bit of a stretch, but you can draw a parallel between IT recruiters and sports agents.  Here are a three similarities between technical recruiters and movie/sports agents:

1)  Technical recruiters Boston represent their clients:  Whether an IT job seeker or a movie or sport star, you’re being represented by someone with a keen interest in helping you.

2)  IT recruiters Boston will promarket you to various technical job opportunities:  Whether your an Oracle DBA or a Java Developer, your IT recruiter will market you to their clients much like an agent markets their movie stars.

3)  IT staffing companies will help coordinate an IT job interview:  Similar to agents setting their clients up for casting calls or tryouts, IT recruiters MA will help get that ever-important first job interview.

Therefore, don’t rely upon sending resumes or searching for opportunities on your own.  Utilize a technical recruiter, or an agent, to help you land the opportunity of your dreams!

How IT staffing Companies Find Candidates

The majority of IT recruiting firms pay to access the top resume and IT job boards such as Monster, CareerBuilder, Dice and Net Temps.  The better IT staffing companies also have robust databases full of information technology resumes (any database over 100,000 resumes is typically considered pretty strong).

However, the best technical recruiters and IT recruiting agencies find candidates that aren’t plastered all over the job boards.  They find the passive IT job seeker.  To do this, IT recruiters Boston use the following techniques:

1)  Referrals:  Any strong IT recruiter will ask for a referral on every call to help build their pipeline of candidates.

2)  Linkedin:  This site has become a critical tool for IT recruiters MA.

3)  Networking Groups:  A great place to meet high tech professionals – especially with niche/specialty skill sets.

4)  Google and other search engines:  AIRS provides some great training for technical recruiters MA to put together string searches that will yield quality candidates who have their resume on various sites outside of the traditional technical job boards.

5)  Posting jobs:  Technical recruiters Boston will post jobs on as many niche/industry websites as they can find.

Finding the Balance of Contacting IT Recruiters

IT recruiters speak with hundreds of candidates each week.  Therefore, it’s imperative that information technology professionals keep in touch with their short-list of technical recruiters and their respective IT staffing companies Boston.  However, where is the line?

On one hand, you need to make sure you’re the first person a technical recruiter calls when they receive the appropriate position that fits your technical skills.  Regardless of how strong of a relationship you might have with the IT recruiter, there are likely dozens of other candidates with the same skill set who think the same.  Therefore, finding the balance between staying in touch with technical recruiting firms without being a pest can be difficult.

In our experience, the rule of thumb is no more than one contact (either an email or phone call) is acceptable each week.  This provides a refresher for the IT headhunter and gives you the chance to call at the right time in the event the IT staffing firm happens to receive a position that fits your background that very day.

Anything more than one contact per week crosses the line of harrassment.  Remember, IT recruiters typically make their living by putting people to work.  Therefore, they’re just as motivated to contact you when the right IT jobs open up.  However, timing is everything and candidates do fall through the cracks, so be sure to keep in touch.

Selecting the Right IT Recruiting Firm for You

Finding the right IT staffing company can be difficult….especially in an area like Boston where there are so many IT recruiting firms to choose from.  To help you find the right technical recruiting company that is right for you, and ultimate an IT recruiter who you can build a relationship with, try the following approach:

1)  Cast a wide net:  Do a Google search for IT recruiting companies.  Consider doing a more targeted search if there is a geographic location you’re looking at such as IT recruiting companies Boston.

2)  Look for reviews of each technical staffing firm, then narrow your list down to 8-10 IT recruiting agencies that have the best feedback.

3)  Review the websites of the list of IT staffing firms on your short list and narrow it down to your top 3-5 IT recruiting firms.

4)  Contact each IT recruiting company and speak with one of their technical recruiters.  If you feel comfortable with the person, set up a time to meet in person.

Building a relationship with an IT recruiter is one of the most important components to a successful IT job search.  This will ensure he or she calls you first the minute the appropriate technical jobs opens up.

What Characteristics Make Up Good IT Recruiters?

I’m often asked the question “what characteristics make up a good IT recruiter.”  My honest answer, and immediate response, is always “hard work.”  You cannot substitute hard work in the IT staffing industry.  The harder (and often longer) technical recruiters work during a day, the more prospective high-tech candidates they reach out to, thus the better the odds of finding that perfect IT consultant for our clients.

In addition to hard work (and dedication – which goes hand in hand), successful IT staffing recruiters are also very organized.  Technical recruiters can talk to hundreds of candidates each day.  However, if they can’t organize themselves, and find the candidates in the future, what good does it do?

Strong IT recruiters are articulate and well-spoken (especially in the current email age).

Finally, the best IT recruiters Boston treat people the way they would want to be treated in return.  Good IT headhunters call back every candidate and keep people updated or give a courtesy call back when someone is waiting for feedback on any number of IT jobs that he or she interviewed for.

Give any one of our technical recruiters a call today and see if we possess these traits!

Coping with Competitive Atmospheres in the Technical Industry

Technical candidates have a range of company atmospheres that best match their personal comfort levels. Some IT pros prefer finance environments, which tend to be fast-paced & high-stress, while others find working at a nonprofit or educational institution more their preference. Regardless of what point on the scale of competition a company lies on, however, what most companies will have in common is some range of competition – between coworkers, between competitors, or simply as a team effort to achieve company goals. How technical candidates cope with stress will determine whether it drives them forward or holds them back. Technical recruiters, who are familar with coping techniques for stress because the nature of their jobs is high on competition, deadlines & unexpected turns of events, are in an ideal position to advise technical candidates entering a potentially stressful work environment on best managing within the atmosphere.

Technical Career Development

Technical candidates can make use of a variety of tools as they seek to map map out a path to career advancement. Technical professional development can happen through membership in a technical organization, through networking with other technical professionals, or through mentorship. Technical recruiting companies can provide key tools to technical candidates to facilitate their potential for success. Among the interview prep services an IT staffing firm can provide to boost a talented technical candidate’s chances of interview success is interviewing role play. Especially for technical positions that involve a phone screen & face-to-face interview stage, a technical recruiter willing to guide a technical candidate through a practice run of each type of interview will have a much higher chance of placing a solid candidate than IT recruiter who preps a technical candidate minimally.

When IT recruiters coach technical candidates for interviews, they should be sure to cover several main topics. Environment is key subject for a technical recruiter to go in-depth on, as a candidate who is technically proficient, but not a culture fit won’t pass final interviewing rounds. Another often overlooked, but significant factor to familiarize a technical candidate with is the company’s organizational structure, and more importantly, the hierarchy structure of the specific company group the technical candidate would be working with. Sample interview questions will also help a technical candidate to formulate answers that are concise & consistent – crucial for a good interviewing “story”. Reviewing common questions such as inquiries about long-term goals will help a candidate respond effortlessly when the real deal comes around. Finally, a little positive encouragement never hurt anyone’s interviewing chances! Letting a candidate know they’re a natural fit for the role (if it’s your genuine opinion) & that they’re in a great position to perform to win during the interview will be a plus for a technical candidate & IT recruiters’ chances of a successful placement.