A good resume is only part of success in the job search phase. To get a dream job, it is important to have not only experience and technical skills, but also the so-called soft skills - friendliness, openness, good manners. Sometimes a company may give preference to a candidate with a weak technical base, but more friendly. It seems that the topic of the culture of communication during the job search and at work has long been hackneyed. However, job seekers keep making the same mistakes. How to avoid embarrassment and make a good impression on a recruiter, says CodeGym HR manager Olga Zhukova. As a bonus, we've also compiled a few stories of how recruiters can screw up.
How to make a resume?
A resume is the first contact with a recruiter, team leader or company director. Therefore, I would advise you to show respect for the one who will look at the resume: provide the most authentic information about your professional experience, knowledge, work biography. The resume should be clear and readable, preferably written in the same language as the vacancy. Thus, you will show interest and understanding of the vacancy you are applying for. If you realize that you do not meet all the criteria in the job description, it is best to indicate this in your cover letter and explain why you want this job. It is important to provide real information about yourself, including your first and last name, otherwise you may confuse the recruiter. Some applicants write only their nickname. For example, Alex, but it can be both Alexander and Alex. In order to avoid embarrassment during communication, it is better to indicate the full name. Information about your place of residence will also be a sign of respect. If the job description states that the company is not looking for an employee for relocation, and you are in another city, this information is really important for the recruiter.
How to behave during the first call or correspondence?
There are no special requirements for this stage. Just be as friendly as possible and show respect to the interlocutor. If you feel uncomfortable talking, arrange a suitable time. There are different situations: for example, a person is outside in the rain, or he has a suitcase and coffee in his hands, and it is inconvenient for him to speak. In this case, you should not take it out on the recruiter. The recruiter may think that the person is emotionally unstable. It’s better to just say, “Sorry, I’m not comfortable right now. Let's call another time." I had this when I wrote to a person after his response to a vacancy, and he immediately began to be rude. “You are recruiters, you don’t understand anything, do you think I remember your vacancy?”. This approach will not bring any benefit in finding a job. The recruiter does not know how the applicant is looking for a job. Some people subscribe to companies to which the resume was sent. When a recruiter contacts him, the person immediately remembers. There are people who just saw a vacancy that is interesting to them and did not even remember the name of the company. If you misunderstood something, then you need to clarify the information as accurately as possible.
What about the test task?
Many applicants have a negative attitude towards the test. Here you need to immediately make it clear whether you will do it and under what conditions. Often people say that they won't do a test because it will take a long time, and then they will be refused. Also, they don’t want to do a test due to the fact that dishonest companies can use the results of such work as free labor. There are applicants who say: “Everything will be clear at the interview, the team leader will talk to me.” If you don't want to do a test at all, offer some alternative option to show your skills, and do not just insist that this stage be excluded. You need to understand that the team leader will not communicate with everyone who has a good resume: you need to select candidates. One of the filters is proven technical experience, which is verified by a test task.
How to behave in an interview?
Adhere to the elementary rules of behavior in society. Don't be late, look neat and tidy. It impresses when a person accepts the recruiter's conversation rules. In my practice, there were people who first of all at the interview began to ask questions: how many people are in the office, how the salary is paid, and so on. They began to rush and thus broke the whole plan of the conversation. If the recruiter doesn't explain how the interview will go, you can take the initiative and ask. You can say: “How will our conversation go? First I will tell about myself, then you, and then there will be questions? This is a normal tactic, because not everyone wants to spend time on an interview if the conditions of the company do not suit them. Often a recruiter asks the applicant to voice his professional biography. Some candidates say: “Why am I going to tell this? In fact, all this is written in the summary. ” But resumes are prepared in order to select an applicant from a dozen other candidates. A recruiter cannot always remember some nuances. If a person answers in a similar way, they will answer him in the same way when he asks questions about the company. If he wants to hear a frank story about the company, then it is better to behave openly. Tell as much as possible about yourself, highlight and emphasize all your strengths. There are shy people, but if we are talking about juniors, then the competition is very big and therefore it is important to show oneself from the best side. You need to try and bring out for yourself a couple of template sentences that you will tell about yourself: not everything in a row, but some general biography facts. Ask questions. The interview is the stage when you can put together for yourself the most detailed idea of the company in which you are interviewing. As practice shows, after the interview, the candidate has a lot of questions, but it seems like it’s not the right place to ask them. Therefore, before the interview, you can even specifically write a list of questions.
How to ask for feedback?
Specify the deadline for making a decision. If the recruiter or team leader did not say the deadline, the candidate should find out. If he was given a certain deadline, then try not to ask for the result ahead of time. If a company delays feedback, the applicant has every right to write or call and ask if he can receive feedback. If not, clarify why and how long you have to wait.
When can you write to a recruiter?
It's better not to write on weekends. At a minimum, a candidate may not receive an answer these days, because often recruiters can use work equipment, and even if they use a personal phone, then working on a day off is as unpleasant as possible. It is better to write from 09:00 to 20:00 on weekdays.
How to accept a rejection?
It is a pleasure to deal with friendly and positive people. If you are rejected, it is unethical to respond with counter-criticism or aggression. We must thank for the communication, it is possible to leave your feedback if you have something to say. It is best to thank and say that you remain open to communication. It often happens that people remain in the reserve base and are again invited for an interview. The person who responded aggressively will not be contacted a second time.
Case study: how not to communicate with a recruiter
The girl left a response to our vacancy. We became interested, offered her to complete a test task, she agreed. We gave a deadline for the completion of the test, she accepted it and did not write anything else. After more time than was given to complete the test, we began to receive repeated responses from her. On the fourth response, I thought that she should be reminded of the test. I contacted her, reminded her that we had communication and we gave her a test, and perhaps there were some problems with it? To this the girl replied: “I have no problems. Do you have them?" And she said that she would not do a test for free. The most important thing is that when they agreed on a test, she did not say this. I think she forgot that she already had communication with our company. Instead of apologizing and saying that our test task is difficult for her or she changed her mind, she began to be rude. There was another case when looking for a support. As a test applicant had to perform a translation. He was given a laptop with the source text, and he used the “Go back” function: another candidate had previously translated the same document. The applicant simply copied this translation with the same errors and considered that it was normal. Then the proofreader learned by mistake that he had already seen this translation. that's okay. Then the proofreader learned by mistake that he had already seen this translation. that's okay. Then the proofreader learned by mistake that he had already seen this translation.
For balance - a few examples of how recruiters should not behave
Boris, software engineer
When I was still specializing in systems development for Linux, recruiters from Samsung R&D noticed me. Since several of my colleagues at that time left there with a unanimous assessment of “Asian management, hard work, don’t let me pray,” I did not burn with the desire to get there. I once said that I was not interested, three months later again, after another three months - again, and then again and again. So for several years. I already asked to be removed from their lists of potential employees, and asked to make a note that I was not interested - all in vain, they continued to call. Until one day I came across one detail in the description of their vacancy - a diploma of higher education is required. The next time they called, I asked if it was true that they had to have a college degree. “Yes,” they say, “Very, very necessarily.” Well, I say, they say, you know, I really want to see you, I can’t eat, but I don’t have a higher education, so write it down at home, it’s a pity, thank you very much. After that they didn't call again.
Alexander Gorbov, tech lead
I often forgot to give feedback, or simply disappeared in the middle of the process. The last time was a fierce scumbag. After five technical interviews for one project, the position was closed and they said that now the quarantine is suspended and the hiring is suspended. After 2 months they returned and asked for a short conversation, they say, they are ready to hire. After the conversation, it turned out that this was the first interview of the interviewer, and he was not ready to accept the first candidate. Total 10 hours to nowhere.
Alena Gishchak, manager
Of my favorites: the company invited 10 people for an interview, they sat down at the table, and everyone should tell about themselves in front of everyone. After that, it was necessary to answer everyone the question why other candidates were not suitable for the company, and I was exactly the person they were looking for. It was horror.
Anya Goldman, product manager
One recruiter used a type of “stress” interview on me, and half the interview found out whether I was going to give birth or not. At first she was just rude to me, and then suddenly she became interested in my matrimonial status. When I said that I was not married, she was surprised. At that time I was 29. She asked if there were children. I said no. Then she said: “It’s clear, everything is still ahead, you probably plan to give birth soon.” I said no. She told me: “Are you child-free?”. Then I said no again. Then she gave out this: "But it would be worth it."
Zoya Kurbanova, email specialist
Once I was at an interview where the team leader and HR manager were present. The interview was scheduled for 17:00 and it lasted more than an hour. At 18:00, the HR manager gets up and leaves the office. We continue to communicate with the team leader and after five minutes the HR manager looks into the office in a jacket and bag and, turning to the team leader, says: “Well, that's it, Vasya, I'm off. Tell me tomorrow how the interview went. He says to her: “Wait, but then how can the candidate be instructed about further actions?” She replies: “Well, tomorrow you will just tell me everything, and tomorrow I will write to the girl in a letter or call.”
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