Technology: Are You Trying to Outsmart The Recruiter?
This is a guest post by Nancy Anderson at Beyond.com
A technology recruiter can be your biggest ally during your job search, but you must build a good rapport and avoid damaging it with any of the common mistakes made by job applicants. When applying for tech jobs, it is important to make yourself look like the best candidate, but it is also crucial that you don't resort to tricks and unsavory tactics. Avoid using these tactics in your job search, as they could hurt your chances of landing the job you really want.
Resumes with inaccurate information are red flags for a technology recruiter, as inflating past job titles and making your duties sound more important than they really are makes it look like you are lying to get the job. Chris Fields once saw a resume with the title "Senior-Junior IT Associate," which was a red flag because it didn't make any sense. You can use action verbs and strong writing to convince a technology recruiter to interview you, but you should never use fake job titles or exaggerate the importance of the duties you performed in past positions.
Many tech jobs require programming skills or industry certifications, so a technology recruiter might use a screening program to search all of the resumes received for a particular position. If the applicant must have a Novell certification, the recruiter might ask the screening program to select all of the resumes containing the word "Novell." Candidates try to outsmart recruiters by using relevant keywords without having the required qualifications. You might be able to trick the technology recruiter into taking a closer look at your resume, but this tactic will not generate any goodwill.
Giving a technology recruiter your salary expectations is one of the toughest parts about filling out an application, especially if you only have a few years of experience in the industry. Some recruiters ask you to give your current salary or the salary for your past jobs. Some candidates try to outsmart recruiters by giving inflated salaries, hoping the recruiters will offer them jobs with salaries comparable to the ones they listed on their applications. Some recruiters contact local employers to determine if they are offering competitive salaries, so it is easy for them to find out if you were not truthful. If you are caught, it will reflect poorly on your ethics and make recruiters wonder if they can really trust you.
In a competitive job market, some applicants do whatever they can to improve their chances of getting interviews. For some people, this means resorting to unethical tricks to capture a recruiter's attention. Instead of using these tactics, focus on writing an outstanding cover letter and a resume that shows a technology recruiter what you can really do.
Nancy Anderson is the communities and article Editor for Beyond.com. Nancy has 10 years’ experience in the online job search business with Beyond. Nancy's team produces dozens of articles every month for top internet sites.
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