career secrets from a recruitment expert!

Host: Bejal Patel(Partner Arthur Lawrence)

Career Secrets From A Recruitment Expert!

Agenda

Motivation For The Seminar IT Job Market Realities

Your Application How We Can Help

Question / Answers

Motivation For The Webinar

• In this Webinar, you will learn:• Why each job application is serious business• Why your Resume should not be “just another Resume”. (And if it is, what you can do about it)• How we get you on the Dream Career Track• Additional career advice and secrets

IT Job Market Realities

• By 2020, the job market for IT professionals (in USA alone), is expected to grow by:

• 28-32% Software Developers• 31% Database Administrators• 18% IT Managers• 12% IT Infrastructure Roles


This means….• 270, 900 new Software Developer Jobs• 33,900 new Database Administrator Jobs • 363,700 new IT Manager Jobs• 406,800 new IT Infrastructure Roles…..By 2020


What This Means For You:

• Global Opportunities…but also…Global Competition• Exposure to multiple projects and the ability to grow• Uncertainty in median pay• Eroding market for “traditional skills”• The Job Market Of The Future may be a Buyer’s (Client) Market• Shift from “Plus Expenses” to “All Inclusive” Projects• Information Economy

The Application Process

Project Notification

Notification of Position

Application

Filtering Applications

Shortlisted Candidates Contacted

InterviewF2F Interview

Selection

Negotiation

Offer

Position Closed

The Application Process

Project Notification


Application

Filtering Applications

Shortlisted Candidates Contacted

InterviewF2F Interview

Selection

Negotiation

Offer

Position Closed


Job Posts

Headhunters

Referral Programs Social Media Mailing

Lists Advertisements

Notification of Position—Recruiter Secrets

• Leverage the power of informal networks and Referral Programs• Subscribe to the right mailing lists, and use them• Some helpful Job Sites you should visit:

• Dice.com• Monster.com• Indeed.com• LinkedIn

• Shift from a transactional approach to a relationship-management approach with stakeholders, i.e. proactively stay in touch and share your career and availability updates

Filtering Applications--What The Recruiter Needs To See

To reach the “First Interview” Stage, your application—whether for a solicited, unsolicited, or headhunted project MUST have the following information about you:

• Complete contact details• Expected salary range• Updated Resume/CV• Targeted Professional Summary

Even if the recruiter has proactively contacted you, he/she expects to find this in a strong application

Your Application—The Basics

“Need To Have” vs “Good To Have”

• Know the difference• Tailor your application accordingly• Assume nothing• Understand, that your application competes at each stage, and at this stage, it needs the

recruiter’s attention and preference• It’s better to share too much, than to share too little

Your Application—How To Write A Resume

How Recruiters Tell A Strong Resume From A Weak One:

• Formatting and Structure• Accurate Information• Completeness• Relevant Career Highlights (Quantitative and Qualitative information)• Attached Cover Letters


Formatting And Structure

Do:• Have a letterhead with your complete contact

information, including digital presence like LinkedIn Address and website

• Organize input (Chronological, Reverse-Chronological, Project Based)

• Demonstrate flow • Add page numbers in the footer section• Use alignment • Focus on bullet points• Use MS-Word or PDF

Don’t:• Experiment with fonts, text sizes

or animation• Choose “Creative” colorful

formats over structured ones• Overly use italics, bold text,

upper case or underlines• Have sentences exceeding 1 line• Use more than 3 pages• JPEGS or Image Format Files


Accuracy Do’s and Don’ts

Correct:• Spellings• One spelling convention for

English (either UK or USA)• Subject-verb agreement• Consistent First-Person

Narrative• Action Words• Tenses (Simple-present, Past)

Incorrect:• Typos, especially those not

identified by spellcheck. (E.g. “there” and “their”, “principle” and “principal”)

• Third-Person Narrative• Focus on nouns• Tenses (Present continuous, past)• Jargons and abbreviations• Inconsistent titles and names (E.g.

“Mgr.” and “Manager”, “Ltd” and “Limited”)


Complete Details Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s:• Contact information• Area codes • Interview availability in case of travel • Project Details• Gaps between work assignments

explained• Certifications

Don’ts:• Leaving out career highlights or

achievements• Certification without date, organization,

license number.


Relevant Career Highlights

Relevant:• It is directly connected with the job

applied for• Focuses on your individual

achievement/contribution• Highlights problem-solving skills• Future applicability• Verifiable

Irrelevant:• Embellishment of Challenges• “Proposed” Solutions• Team Highlights with your indirect

contribution• Fictitious/falsified/exaggerated

accounts

Cover Letters—Every Good Applicant’s Secret Tool

• Recruiters debate over the need for Cover Letters. It’s usually a good idea to have one.

• Some functions a good Cover Letter fulfills are:• Answers the “How” to your Resume’s “What”• Works as a personal branding tool• Contains information that interests the recruiter to read the Resume. Alternatively, it has information that is

not strictly relevant to your application, but places you positively. (E.g. Global mobility, multilingualism)• States your focus or interest (E.g. Freelance, Full-time enrollment, Contractual Projects)

• Cover Letters (or Resumes!) do not need details of marital status, driving license, date of birth, hobbies, interests or references.

• Do not attach copies of certificates with your Resume

Successful Application

In short, a successful application has:

• Complete• Correct• Relevant• Unique• Customized

Shortlisting and Interview

The recruiter is fairly certain you have what it takes to do the Project. The following will prove you to be the right choice:

• Courteous• Honest• Consistent• Humble

Interview Success Secrets

• Stay calm• Pause to compose your response. There is no rush.• Frame your project descriptions in the CAR (Context-Action-Result) Model.• Ask for clarifications if you do not understand. No penalties for asking!• If the JD describes a high-pressure work environment, prove your ability by preparing well for a stress-test

interview.• If you do not know an answer, admit it. The recruiter can tell when you are lying.• Be forthright about expected salary range.• Follow Up!

The Interview, The F2F Interview

You Received The Interview Call. Now What?

• Be responsive• Be prompt. (Remember, it’s called SHORTLIST for a reason!)• Be courteous. If you are unavailable, the recruiter should receive prior intimation, and a proposed re-schedule

time• Focus on skills, experience and certifications. In that order. • Relate each skill with the projects you have completed

Selection, Negotiation, Offer

• From the Recruiter’s perspective, this should be the shortest stage in the Cycle. He/she has already made up his/her mind about you.

• Unfortunately, candidates hurt themselves by prolonging this process unnecessarily.

Selection, Negotiation, Offer

Some Ways Candidates Sabotage Their Own Opportunities Are:

• Delayed Response/No Response• Failure to follow up• Fickle Response On Offer• Re-negotiation or changing employment terms after the offer has been made• Failure to exhibit competence (Through your application, and then through the Interview)

Application Checklist

• Prompt Response to Recruiter Questions/Correspondence• Application has:

• A neat, organized structure• Complete contact information• Expected/Desired Salary Range

• Post-Application Follow Up• Demonstration of skills, experience and certifications• Availability During Confirmed Interview Time• Response Consistency and Candor• Post Interview Follow Up

Additional Advice

Follow Up Queries:• How a follow-up email can benefit you• How soon should you make one• How often should you follow up

Job Research Advice:• Location and Local Knowledge• All Inclusive vs Plus Expenses• Project Duration• Employer Benefits• Industry• Competitive Position• Strategic Concerns

We Can Help

As a management and technology consultancy, Arthur Lawrence has:

• Global presence• Industry focus• Gold Member-Deloitte• NetSuite Implementation Partner• Diverse client outreach

Contact us at [email protected] for any additional help you may need with your application.

All the best!

Questions?

THANK YOU