Technical Recruiter Jason Robichaud shares some of his best tips for successfully navigating through the hiring process on Market Street Talent’s blog.
What are the most common problems you see on resumes? Misspellings are at the top of the list. A close second would be inconsistent formatting—for example, if you underline a title, that’s fine, but do it every time.
What are three tips you would give candidates in terms of how to prepare their resumes after you have sent a job posting to them?
- Review the job posting I send you and make corrections to your resume that show you read the job posting and are highlighting your skills to match that posting accordingly.
- Make sure everything you have done in your prior positions is accurate and covered in full.
- Don’t worry too much about the length, especially if you’ve covered 1. and 2. above.
What are your top recommendations for preparing for interviews? I recommend that my candidates research both the company and the person interviewing them. At the end of the interview, the manager will ask if you have any questions; be prepared with valid questions. Tie the questions into something you have researched and how it might pertain to the job. If it’s an onsite interview, dress for success, no matter what the environment is (that is, unless the manager says, “Hey, you don’t need a tie…”).
Would you say it’s better for a candidate to email or mail a thank-you note for an interview? Every time you interview, ask for the person’s contact information or business card; if they don’t have one, write their information down. ALWAYS send a thank-you note. Hand-write one for a more personal touch or email one, but send something immediately after the interview.
What kind of information should they include in the thank-you note? Keep it short and simple. Let the person know you are aware interviewing is not an easy task so thank them for taking the time to meet with you. If they shared any feedback on their hesitancies about your skills, cover that in the thank-you note, but don’t make it too long.
What would you recommend candidates do to increase their overall chances of getting hired? Be prepared throughout the entire process.
One word of advice about salaries? Don’t get so stuck on salary that you pass up a great opportunity.
What should a candidate do if he or she hasn’t heard anything after the interview? Most candidates say they don’t want to bother the recruiter or hiring manager, but you were interviewing for a reason. You want a job, so go get it. Be respectful and don’t ping the manager a bunch of times, but follow up for sure.
Is there a standard time that you should wait before reaching out? 24-48 hours.
If you have been rejected for a position, is there anything you can do (or should do) afterwards? Just get back on that horse and keep trying.
Have any other questions? Feel free to reach out and ask one of our recruiters by email, phone, Facebook or Twitter.
