September 2021
Wherever you are in your career path, just open to new opportunities if they come along or actively searching for a new role, job searching comes with challenges and stresses. As we come closer to Q4-2021, almost two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the job market favors candidates over employers, but this comes at the price of a highly competitive landscape. Without an "in" with the company or a "foot in the door" as they say, it is far more difficult to obtain an accurate depiction of the culture and structure of the company's workplace. This is where working with a recruiter comes in, especially for tech roles.
Here are a few benefits of working with a reputable tech staffing firm:
1) Access to Unadvertised Jobs
Recruitment firms and staffing agencies have eyes and ears in the tech industry that others do not have. Our consultants are always networking and come into contact with members of the community at all levels in their mission to offer quality candidates to their clients. We hear of open opportunities before they hit the world wide web.
For example, when a tech professional resigns from their position and gives the traditional two-week notice, often the company's HR department or hiring manager may begin the process of replacing this person immediately. Or, when the decision has been made to terminate a person's employment, companies will frequently begin the search for their replacement "under the radar" with confidentiality rather than publicly in a job board.
By opening up a relationship with a staffing agency, the recruitment consultants with that firm will have you ready to submit as a candidate on the fly, offering a solution to the company right off the mark.
2) Professional Representation
A high-quality recruiter will not try to convince a client to hire a candidate that is not qualified for an open role. Through their established reputations and long-relationships based on delivering value, they have earned the trust of hiring managers and key stakeholders within the top companies seeking tech talent. Additionally, Computer Futures places candidates that offer value added to an organization, meaning that they bring more to an organization than singularly a set of hard skills.
When you are presented to a hiring manager through a recruitment consultant, they know how to sell your skills, experience, and potential culture fit to make a case for why you are the right person for their needs. Recruitment consultants' whole job is about getting their candidates hired by companies if they're an optimal fit. When you are recommended by one of our consultants, at minimum your resume will be "placed at the top of the pile" for consideration. Job seekers that do not have this advantage are competing with a flood of applications, are up against the ATS, and do not have anyone championing for their success.
3) Resume Optimization
There are infinite resources available to job seekers to help craft a quality resume, whether for a fee or for free. People in your ecosystem or a mentor will be happy to take a look at it for you and offer their advice for improvement. All the recommendations differ by industry, experience level, personal preference, or any number of other factors.
Only recruiters know exactly what the employers you are targeting are looking for in a resume to move forward to the next stage of review.
Computer Futures consultants review hundreds of resumes every week. We know what employers want to see and how they want the information presented to them. Rather than use a blanket approach and submit the same version of a resume as if being submitted to many other job postings, by partnering with an agency you will have honest, non-personal, constructive feedback on your resume. You will be able to optimize the written version of a first impression you give a potential employer of your candidacy with the help of someone who knows what your target company is looking for. There is no reason to give a potential employer a reason to exclude you from consideration of a role you are qualified for for want of using the perfect language.
4) Interview Preparation and Coaching
We did not submit you for this role for no good reason, but even people who interview well and are an excellent match for a role in every way need help presenting themselves during the interview process.
After you've impressed with your resume and make it to the interview stage, we are here to help you ace the interview by optimizing yourself to resonate with the interviewer.
The best way to make sure you have a good interview: prepare and do your research. We will coach you on what parts of your experience you should focus on by outlining what is most relevant to the position. We know your competition and can help you identify the ways in which you stand out amongst the crowd. We can suggest good questions for you to ask the interviewer, and help you prepare more informed answers to the questions you will likely be asked.
5) Salary Negotiation
Once you have passed the interview stage, as well as any subsequent interviews if applicable, the next step is an offer. Often this is the time when negations take place for salary, benefits, perks, and more. This is true for both sides, and Computer Futures is there to help mediate the discussion for a more successful and smoother process.
Recruitment consultants are highly knowledgeable about market rates for tech professionals, whether for project-based contracts or full-time employment. They know the value of your skills and experience and how they apply to the role as well as the company. In previous articles, we advised job seekers to reach out to their networks to find an appropriate salary range and prevent being undervalued. The additional resource of a recruiter not only provides the benefit hard information to back up your asking salary, but can present the request to the company in the most professional manner.
What else can I expect from working with a staffing firm?
After you have succeeded in your job search and started working, you would be wrong to think that this is the end of your relationship with Computer Futures.
If you've been placed in a contact position, we will likely be handling your payroll, tax documentation, benefits, and more on behalf of the company. We will be your primary point of contact for HR questions rather than the company's own staff. You will receive periodic check-ins via email or phone from your recruiter to evaluate your pleasure or displeasure with the role and the company.
These are opportunities to give honest feedback without risk of offending the company in the process nor "burning a bridge' with them by not renewing your contract upon expiration if you choose not to continue. You can discuss singularly with your recruiter who can professionally manage the relationship with their client. At this time you can work with the recruiter again to find you another role, get you moved to another team, or find another solution that suits you best.
If you are happy with your role, your Computer Futures consultant can help you renew your contract, move to a another project or position within the company, or help convert you to a full-time employee if needed.
Remember! Your recruiter is in your corner. They will go to bat for you to protect your job satisfaction.
- Senior iOS Developer
- Salary: competitive
- Location: Dallas, Texas, UnitedStates
- Job Type: contract
- iOS developer -- remote
- Salary: competitive
- Location: MenloPark, California, UnitedStates
- Job Type: contract
- Senior Android Developer
- Salary: competitive
- Location: St.Louis, Missouri, UnitedStates
- Job Type: contract
- Salesforce Admin
- Salary: competitive
- Location: Charlotte, NorthCarolina, UnitedStates
- Job Type: contract
