Job search tips from the experts
I'm starting to search for a job after a long stretch of enjoying being a gentleman of leisure. I'm going to a job fair next week at the SF GLBT Center, and last Wednesday they had a job fair workshop. The panel was composed of internal recruiters for local corporations, and here are some observations and tips they had.
- They only have 7 seconds on average to look at your resume.
- They don't read your cover letter. Well, maybe they do, but only after your resume has made the cut. About the only thing a cover letter is good for is to explain "yellow flags" on your resume (things like job gaps) or to highlight some sort of specific relevant experience to the job at hand. Most cover letters are generic pablum.
- They don't like functional resumes. They think you are hiding something if you use one. They want to see when you did stuff, and what you did.
- Thank you notes are good after an interview. Email it if the job search will be completed in a few days, but if you have time, send a physical object. Something like a photocard is really good, because they tend to post it on their bulletin board by their desk and it reminds them of you when a new position comes up.
- Emailing them about positions every few weeks is good, it shows you are still interested. Emailing every few days is stalkery.
- During an interview, you want to really engage with the interviewer, try to find a common interest, be lively, lean forward, talk with your hands, etc. They have probably done most of the technical screening already in phone interviews, so they are really looking more at your behavior and how well you fit in. This is especially important for technical people, who tend to be reserved and logical in interviews.
- Most interviewers aren't trained to interview people, don't really know what they are doing, and are just as nervous as you are. Maybe more so, because they have a huge responsibility to get the Right Person for the Job.
Also, you really really need to network with everyone you know, and have all your friends read and critique your resume.
So, if you know anyone who needs a UNIX Systems Administrator, and/or you'd like to read my resume, let me know.