Friday, June 23, 2006
Top 10 "what to do" when looking for a job
I would like to add some words of advice, from the recruiters point of view, to candidates in the process of a job search.
10 - Check for spelling mistakes on your resume before submitting.
9 - Write the resume yourself - we want to know what you did in your own words. Resume writers can provide grammatical and format advice, however, a resume written and crafted by a resume writer is easily detected by veteran recruiters, and can give the impression that you don't have adequate writing skills.
8 - Don’t use a functional resume - they're horrible!! A functional resume is hard to read and always gives the impression that your trying to either hide something or over compensate for something you don't have. Always go with a chronological resume that clearly articulates your experience and skills and job history. Here is a link to learn about functional resumes. http://resume.monster.com/articles/functionalresume/
7 - Be honest! Don't list skills, tools, languages, degrees or experience on your resume that you can not directly speak to with hands-on personal experience. Resumes that have large lists of buzz words detract from the specific and specialized skills that you may have.
6 - When actively searching for a new position, research the company before starting the interview process. Taking the innitiative to download or view a company's products shows strong initiative and leaves a good impression.
5 - When a company asks for your current salary, be honest and tell them what your currently making. People who refuse to be upfront and honest with their current compensation information appear to be A) hiding something (which will come across as a sign of dishonesty) B) Uncooperative (which will be a sign of a difficult employee) C) Not serious about the company. Most companies do background checks and employment verifications, which will tell a company what your currently making. This is something that most companies will eventually know, and it doesn't change the offer you get. You gain nothing by hiding that information. Most companies have ranges, salary bands and levels that will determine the offer you get. The offer you receive is usually determined on how well you interview, which in turn determines what range or salary band they level you; not on how well you out negotiate them.
4 - Prepare for the in-house interview. Always turn-up to the interview 10 minutes early and research the company and the position before interviewing. Reach out to the recruiter to help you prepare, most will be more than happy to answer questions, as they want to see you do well - don't be afraid to ask. Also, dress neat and tidy; even if it is business casual, make sure your clothes are ironed, clean and appropriate. Be aware of body odor as well.
3 - Don't be high maintenance. For example, don't make finicky demands when traveling, try to be flexible when working out available times for interviewing and don't refuse to sign the application or confidentiality agreement. If you have issues regarding inventions and patent issues, than you should communicate this upfront to the recruiter who will be prepared ahead of time to work through those details.
2 - Do not focus on Salary when a company or recruiter first contacts you about an opportunity. It's a HUGE red flag for most employers when a candidate is more concerned about the pay than the position. You can say, I am making $100k at the moment and I am not in a position to take a pay cut and determine at that stage, if the range is in line with what you are looking for. As mentioned above, the salary you are offered is usually determined by how well you interview for the position.
1 - Be nice. I have come across so many candidates that became difficult throughout the process that we decided to cut them loose because nobody wants to work with a difficult person. When you start becoming unreasonably demanding and disrespectful to the recruiter, recruiting coordinator, reception staff or any of the interviewers, it's always communicated up the line and usually ends up in a rejection phone call.
I hope this is helpful and happy job hunting -
10 - Check for spelling mistakes on your resume before submitting.
9 - Write the resume yourself - we want to know what you did in your own words. Resume writers can provide grammatical and format advice, however, a resume written and crafted by a resume writer is easily detected by veteran recruiters, and can give the impression that you don't have adequate writing skills.
8 - Don’t use a functional resume - they're horrible!! A functional resume is hard to read and always gives the impression that your trying to either hide something or over compensate for something you don't have. Always go with a chronological resume that clearly articulates your experience and skills and job history. Here is a link to learn about functional resumes. http://resume.monster.com/articles/functionalresume/
7 - Be honest! Don't list skills, tools, languages, degrees or experience on your resume that you can not directly speak to with hands-on personal experience. Resumes that have large lists of buzz words detract from the specific and specialized skills that you may have.
6 - When actively searching for a new position, research the company before starting the interview process. Taking the innitiative to download or view a company's products shows strong initiative and leaves a good impression.
5 - When a company asks for your current salary, be honest and tell them what your currently making. People who refuse to be upfront and honest with their current compensation information appear to be A) hiding something (which will come across as a sign of dishonesty) B) Uncooperative (which will be a sign of a difficult employee) C) Not serious about the company. Most companies do background checks and employment verifications, which will tell a company what your currently making. This is something that most companies will eventually know, and it doesn't change the offer you get. You gain nothing by hiding that information. Most companies have ranges, salary bands and levels that will determine the offer you get. The offer you receive is usually determined on how well you interview, which in turn determines what range or salary band they level you; not on how well you out negotiate them.
4 - Prepare for the in-house interview. Always turn-up to the interview 10 minutes early and research the company and the position before interviewing. Reach out to the recruiter to help you prepare, most will be more than happy to answer questions, as they want to see you do well - don't be afraid to ask. Also, dress neat and tidy; even if it is business casual, make sure your clothes are ironed, clean and appropriate. Be aware of body odor as well.
3 - Don't be high maintenance. For example, don't make finicky demands when traveling, try to be flexible when working out available times for interviewing and don't refuse to sign the application or confidentiality agreement. If you have issues regarding inventions and patent issues, than you should communicate this upfront to the recruiter who will be prepared ahead of time to work through those details.
2 - Do not focus on Salary when a company or recruiter first contacts you about an opportunity. It's a HUGE red flag for most employers when a candidate is more concerned about the pay than the position. You can say, I am making $100k at the moment and I am not in a position to take a pay cut and determine at that stage, if the range is in line with what you are looking for. As mentioned above, the salary you are offered is usually determined by how well you interview for the position.
1 - Be nice. I have come across so many candidates that became difficult throughout the process that we decided to cut them loose because nobody wants to work with a difficult person. When you start becoming unreasonably demanding and disrespectful to the recruiter, recruiting coordinator, reception staff or any of the interviewers, it's always communicated up the line and usually ends up in a rejection phone call.
I hope this is helpful and happy job hunting -
