I wrote a rant to LinkedIn in the summer, summarizing a couple of tips on how (not) to contact me and similar stuff. Since then, I've been thinking...
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I can relate to this. All of it.
I'd add: not to ask candidates to fill any forms or sign up to the company candidate portal, when we don't even know if we want to work there or even start the process...
Yes! That's a really good addition. And this has happened to me a couple of times - I guess it has something to do with EU and GDPR, but the way to handle it would be first discuss and if the both parties want to continue, then it's time to save some data. Which is exactly what some companies do, luckily I've had some good experiences too 😄
"because I want a new job? and you're offering something I can do" or "because you pay more" just don't seem like good answers.
I've only found a few companies that aligned with my values and were generally giving something good to the world and they didn't offer me a position :( Most everyone is just selling something and wants me to make it easier to sell things.
You mean to tell me people are really out here running companies for money?
The recruiter who got me my previous-but-one job is very good... but I had a missed call from him during the interview he set up. I mean, come on.
🤦🏻♀️ Oh come on. Luckily he was otherwise good!
Fantastic for all services and professional bad process!
100% to all of this, and it's baffling that there are so many recruiters who haven't got these simple basics right - it's called "professionalism" ...
None of these issues are 'evil' (they're just clumsy and inept), except for one: the disrespect for juniors or minorities, that one is particularly galling - maybe time they took a course on creating the right company culture.
100%!
My favorites are variations on:
I loved this post!!
I'm a more or less a full-stack developer, as in, I transitioned from Java/PHP to the front-end (mainly React, but I went deep into HTML/JS/CSS because, basically everyone used to laugh at front-end and I'm a contrarian and I kinda like JavaScript). I still do a little on back-end, but it's more cookie-cutter stuff.
Anyway, my resume is like 10 years ago PHP/Java, and starting about 5 or 6 years ago all front-end. And I get so many messages about back-end!! Also, I went into an interview for a front-end position and had to discuss the differences between SQL and NoSQL databases with regard to ACID and when to choose which one...
Java != JavaScript, and if you see on my application that I'm applying for a front-end position please don't ask me to describe databases or do a code challenge (please no 3 hr code challenges in general) where I have to choose a back-end language (node.js is back-end though). ... I'm ranting.. sorry. I have 14 days to do a 3hr coding challenge from codility and my choices are C++, Go, Java 8, Kotlin or Python, and Java 8? isn't it like version 19?
Anyway, back to the point, Thank you so much for a great article!
Agree to most of the things.
Just one pain point for me are the messages like "(mysterious company, #1 in the world, as always) please send me your CV / fill out this application form if you are interested"... on LinkedIn.
I do understand most of those recruiters want a CV as a file on their hard drive (which they won't hesitate to share with others, apparently), but come on, have you even read my LinkedIn profile? My uni block is times more detailed than your cold message! Just click that "download as PDF" button in the page header if you want that file so much.
In my experience, non white/ non cis-men are often more competent and can communicate better.
I've just had a thought. I should put a (c) on my CV that (in theory) would make it unlawful for the recruiters to transfer my details into their "better" format.
I love this. I also wrote a post about this a while back because it's just so frustrating when tech recruiters spam me and have no idea what they're talking about
jacklyons.me/blog/why-developers-w...
Yeahp I think this sums up all my frustrations with recruiters. I dealt with nice ones in the past, but the majority should really read this post.
I let cold calls normally go to my voicemail, which says:
"Leave a message and a damn good reason why this could not have been a text, or an email"
I made the mistake of posting my resume on Dice.
I was deluged by recruiters in India. It's all automated, I think. I went dark on Dice, but it was too late.
Never post a resume there. It's nothing but trouble and time wasting.
I don't mind if a recruiter calls me, but it would be nice to have an email, or some form of message upfront: "Hey, when is the best time to call you"
This helped me feel sane after some recent experiences. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Spot on