So I worked my first job fair as an IT professional. It was different than doing so as a cop for many reasons. First is police work attracts a very predictable crowd for the most part. Education is usually not as much of a priority as it is a box to be checked off. We don’t care if you’re a cop already, we’re going to train you, we looked for the personality and mentality as a whole.
Fast forward to the IT field and it’s “what can you do” and “how well do you do it”. Here’s the scenario, 12 employers, 9 of whom may potentially be offering professional level jobs from what I could tell and there were almost 1,500 people registered to apply and interview. It was the very definition of a cattle call. I didn’t get to spend more than 30 seconds to 2 minutes with anyone an I had virtually no chance to get to know them on any level. It came down to “what’s your name” and “what do you do”. I’d take a resume and match it to a job field, shake their hand and into the stack it went with hundreds of others. I only had moments to go over their resume and I had a few key things I was looking for but I don’t really have time to go over everything I learned from that experience in just 1 blog post. So I’ll post on how I think you can make the most in a situation like that. In the span of 2 hours I think I interviewed about 90 to 100 people if you want to call it that, screening may be more appropriate of a term. Anyhow these are some things I observed people doing and/or saying that were immediate turn offs.
1.) Print your resume on good quality paper using a full ink cartridge and make sure your resume is at least centered on the page. I received one or two that were what we call in Texas, catiwompus… or tilted, off, just not right. It looks terrible and shows you didn’t put much effort into it. Why wait in line for hours to make a 30 second impression only to blow it with a crappy looking resume.
2.) Don’t hold your resume in your hands. Keep it in a folder or portfolio until you get to the front. Handing over a resume you’ve sweated on for an hour is off putting. I know it’s hot, I know you’re nervous, heck I’m hot and nervous too, but seriously it’s hard to touch a wet resume.
3.) Don’t call the recruiter names, even jokingly. I’m amazed that I have to write this but there you have it. I know none of my readers would ever do this; it’s almost so dumb I’m embarrassed to give advice not to do it.
4.) If the recruiter doesn’t shake your hand don’t take offense. Personally I made a point to at least try, but I shook probably 150 sets of hands in the span of two hours, some dry, some sweaty, all with germs. Afterwards I felt like I needed a bath and I had a pump of hand sanitizer to use after shaking the hands of some particularly questionable people but not all recruiters may be willing to go to that extreme.
5.) Wear deodorant. Wear a lot. Wear deodorant like you’re about to be forced to wear a wool suit with tie, crammed into a room with a thousand people shoulder to shoulder with an inadequate AC and placed into a highly stressful scenario, because that’s exactly what it was like. Some people were less than prepared.
6.) Eat a mint or a Tic-Tac before talking to a recruiter. Maybe your breath doesn’t stink, maybe it does and you don’t know it. Maybe that double chili-cheese and onion burger with a side of dirty socks you had for lunch made you immune to your own brand. Just trust me on this, have a pocket full of mints. Here’s some hints, if a recruiter stops talking long enough to eat a mint either they’re really dry mouthed from talking so much or your breath stinks and they’re having to mask it with their own. Another hint, if a recruiter takes a step back, don’t step forward, (personal space maybe, bad breath, likely).
7.) Don’t say things like “I’m a jack of all trades master of none” and don’t say the words “I just need to do something” or “I just need a job” even if it’s true. Have an objective, be focused on what you want and know what you can do. Walk up say, “Hi, I’m Bob Smith and I’m a Data Architect with 10 years experience working in Java, SQL and I’m a killer Project Manager”. Now that’s a guy I want to spend more than a few seconds with if for no other reason than to find out if he’s full of it. Which leads me to…
8.) Don’t fake it. Look almost all of us have to work to survive, but don’t fake it to get ahead. If you schmooze me and everyone else over with your 10 years as a Data Architect and killer Project Manager line you had better be telling the truth. To show up to work and within the first serious meeting you have you put your foot in your mouth you may look like an idiot. The second and third time you don’t sound like you know what you’re talking about or that you’re not contributing, you may be back in the job line. It doesn’t do you or the company any good. If you really want to be that guy, set a goal for yourself and do it. Work at the 7-11 or as a security guard or something that you can do really well and get ahead the old fashioned way, by working for it.
9.) Don’t worry about looking pretentious on your resume. You need a resume that gets attention immediately. If you’re a PMP, put that sucker right there at the top. I must have interviewed 20 MBA’s but the MBA just isn’t enough in this job market. I need to know that you have hard skills that I am looking for. You do Java, slap that right at the top. Can you do project management? I need to see that. I’ll get more into the resume stuff later though.
10.) Lastly don’t cut in line. It’s seriously is rude and the recruiters will notice it even if they don’t say anything to you about it.
That’s all for now…