Clueless recruiters
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Although tech recruiting companies have been my life blood for over a decade, it continually amazes me how many of these folks are just plain clueless in how they approach programmers. Here's some of my favorites.
- My resume & job postings say I won't relocate. I continually get job queries for out of town.
- Poor communication skills. If you can't correspond in a professional manner, how professionally are you going to represent me?
- Mismatched tech skills. Exactly where on my resume do you see the words Java / UNIX / Oracle? So why are you asking me about such a position?
- Punctuality. If you wait three days to return a phone call or email, how do I know that my paychecks won't arrive in a similar haphazard manner?
These are just a few of my favorites. I could go on, but I don't want to hog the platform. :) What are your favorite Clueless Recruiter attributes?
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
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Although tech recruiting companies have been my life blood for over a decade, it continually amazes me how many of these folks are just plain clueless in how they approach programmers. Here's some of my favorites.
- My resume & job postings say I won't relocate. I continually get job queries for out of town.
- Poor communication skills. If you can't correspond in a professional manner, how professionally are you going to represent me?
- Mismatched tech skills. Exactly where on my resume do you see the words Java / UNIX / Oracle? So why are you asking me about such a position?
- Punctuality. If you wait three days to return a phone call or email, how do I know that my paychecks won't arrive in a similar haphazard manner?
These are just a few of my favorites. I could go on, but I don't want to hog the platform. :) What are your favorite Clueless Recruiter attributes?
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
Point 2 which you raised is the second best one ever. I get tons of job offers in my email, and most are Java. But, my favourite would be cluelessness to the point of 'do you have 5 years of WPF and 10 years of C#' ???
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
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Although tech recruiting companies have been my life blood for over a decade, it continually amazes me how many of these folks are just plain clueless in how they approach programmers. Here's some of my favorites.
- My resume & job postings say I won't relocate. I continually get job queries for out of town.
- Poor communication skills. If you can't correspond in a professional manner, how professionally are you going to represent me?
- Mismatched tech skills. Exactly where on my resume do you see the words Java / UNIX / Oracle? So why are you asking me about such a position?
- Punctuality. If you wait three days to return a phone call or email, how do I know that my paychecks won't arrive in a similar haphazard manner?
These are just a few of my favorites. I could go on, but I don't want to hog the platform. :) What are your favorite Clueless Recruiter attributes?
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
My resume says, "NO ASP.NET" and you would be amazed at how many calls I get were the recruiter swears up and down it isn't ASP.Net but C# doing web forms *rolls eyes* On a side note, I was looking for your name the other day. I did my annual book purchase and knew I wanted someone from CP's book. I didn't find your name and I have a poor memory for such things so I'll have to wait longer.
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Although tech recruiting companies have been my life blood for over a decade, it continually amazes me how many of these folks are just plain clueless in how they approach programmers. Here's some of my favorites.
- My resume & job postings say I won't relocate. I continually get job queries for out of town.
- Poor communication skills. If you can't correspond in a professional manner, how professionally are you going to represent me?
- Mismatched tech skills. Exactly where on my resume do you see the words Java / UNIX / Oracle? So why are you asking me about such a position?
- Punctuality. If you wait three days to return a phone call or email, how do I know that my paychecks won't arrive in a similar haphazard manner?
These are just a few of my favorites. I could go on, but I don't want to hog the platform. :) What are your favorite Clueless Recruiter attributes?
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
I am straight out of college, and currently 6 months into my career. I kept getting calls from recruiters asking if I've had 5 years experience with this, 3 years with that. On my resume it clearly said graduating May 06 current GPA ___ final GPA to be determined. They would ask what Ive been doing since graduating. Even call to talk to me about jobs not even related to my field of study. I think most of this can be blamed on Monster and Careerbuilder. Its still extremely frustrating trying to get your first job, and 70% of the calls from recruiters didnt even apply to me. I finally found a want ad in a local newspaper that was looking for a fresh out of college Computer Engineer graduate, and thats where im currently working...
I win because I have the most fun in life...
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My resume says, "NO ASP.NET" and you would be amazed at how many calls I get were the recruiter swears up and down it isn't ASP.Net but C# doing web forms *rolls eyes* On a side note, I was looking for your name the other day. I did my annual book purchase and knew I wanted someone from CP's book. I didn't find your name and I have a poor memory for such things so I'll have to wait longer.
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That's okay. The night watchman's attack Chihuahua will still be there when you get around to it. :)
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
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That's okay. The night watchman's attack Chihuahua will still be there when you get around to it. :)
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
Do you make a lot of money from your books? I asked a prof once and he said after publishing costs and the universitys cut he made barely enough to make it worth while.
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Do you make a lot of money from your books? I asked a prof once and he said after publishing costs and the universitys cut he made barely enough to make it worth while.
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It's worthwhile. :-D The academic and commercial worlds are, well, worlds apart.
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
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Although tech recruiting companies have been my life blood for over a decade, it continually amazes me how many of these folks are just plain clueless in how they approach programmers. Here's some of my favorites.
- My resume & job postings say I won't relocate. I continually get job queries for out of town.
- Poor communication skills. If you can't correspond in a professional manner, how professionally are you going to represent me?
- Mismatched tech skills. Exactly where on my resume do you see the words Java / UNIX / Oracle? So why are you asking me about such a position?
- Punctuality. If you wait three days to return a phone call or email, how do I know that my paychecks won't arrive in a similar haphazard manner?
These are just a few of my favorites. I could go on, but I don't want to hog the platform. :) What are your favorite Clueless Recruiter attributes?
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
My moment of truth as to how useful recruiters were (from a Trivandrum context) was when my main contact with an agency sent me a job offer for the very same position (network admin) I had sought their help to fill. Apparently she mailed this out to the wrong mailing list, but it was a little bit of a shock to see the very same job description I had painstakingly written up (trying to make it sound spiffy and attractive) in my inbox the next day. I replied to her sarcastically asking her if she'd help me set up an interview date with myself. She phoned up and apologized and I did give her a second chance, but eventually that specific agency didn't prove too fruitful.
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
Currently working on C++/CLI in Action for Manning Publications. (*Sample chapter available online*) -
Do you make a lot of money from your books? I asked a prof once and he said after publishing costs and the universitys cut he made barely enough to make it worth while.
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Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:
Do you make a lot of money from your books?
How many red Corvette owners do you know who don't make a lot of money? :rolleyes:
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
Currently working on C++/CLI in Action for Manning Publications. (*Sample chapter available online*) -
Although tech recruiting companies have been my life blood for over a decade, it continually amazes me how many of these folks are just plain clueless in how they approach programmers. Here's some of my favorites.
- My resume & job postings say I won't relocate. I continually get job queries for out of town.
- Poor communication skills. If you can't correspond in a professional manner, how professionally are you going to represent me?
- Mismatched tech skills. Exactly where on my resume do you see the words Java / UNIX / Oracle? So why are you asking me about such a position?
- Punctuality. If you wait three days to return a phone call or email, how do I know that my paychecks won't arrive in a similar haphazard manner?
These are just a few of my favorites. I could go on, but I don't want to hog the platform. :) What are your favorite Clueless Recruiter attributes?
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
Isn't that tautology.:-D
the last thing I want to see is some pasty-faced geek with skin so pale that it's almost translucent trying to bump parts with a partner - John Simmons / outlaw programmer
Deja View - the feeling that you've seen this post before. -
Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:
Do you make a lot of money from your books?
How many red Corvette owners do you know who don't make a lot of money? :rolleyes:
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
Currently working on C++/CLI in Action for Manning Publications. (*Sample chapter available online*)Well yeah but that could be independent of the books. Yall should let me know if your ever looking for a co-author with a huge ego, pompous attitude, and a juvenile sense of humour.
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Although tech recruiting companies have been my life blood for over a decade, it continually amazes me how many of these folks are just plain clueless in how they approach programmers. Here's some of my favorites.
- My resume & job postings say I won't relocate. I continually get job queries for out of town.
- Poor communication skills. If you can't correspond in a professional manner, how professionally are you going to represent me?
- Mismatched tech skills. Exactly where on my resume do you see the words Java / UNIX / Oracle? So why are you asking me about such a position?
- Punctuality. If you wait three days to return a phone call or email, how do I know that my paychecks won't arrive in a similar haphazard manner?
These are just a few of my favorites. I could go on, but I don't want to hog the platform. :) What are your favorite Clueless Recruiter attributes?
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
I've had my fair share of them. Some of the "offers" I even show to my manager to spread the humour. The best one I had is one Company in the Texas, USA wanted to hire me for a lead developer. I told the Recruiter my wife and I did not want to relocate to the states. HOwever, if the company wanted to relocate to Kamloops, BC I would consider it. The recruiter told me he'd get back in touch. (I couldn't believe he said that after I told him what I already did). I get a phone call back a few days later from the same recruiter, he told me the company didn't have any plans to relocate to Kamloops. Would I still be interested in moving to Texas? Again, I told him I'd only consider it if they moved their entire company to Kamloops.... Again he told me he'd get back in touch with me. A few weeks later I got another call from him saying they declined the offer for me to purchase their company and move it to Kamloops... I was scared... I thought I was in the Twilight zone...
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Point 2 which you raised is the second best one ever. I get tons of job offers in my email, and most are Java. But, my favourite would be cluelessness to the point of 'do you have 5 years of WPF and 10 years of C#' ???
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
Christian Graus wrote:
I get tons of job offers in my email, and most are Java.
i get tons of job offers by email, too. most of them are for unspecified work i can do at home.
image processing toolkits | batch image processing | blogging
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Although tech recruiting companies have been my life blood for over a decade, it continually amazes me how many of these folks are just plain clueless in how they approach programmers. Here's some of my favorites.
- My resume & job postings say I won't relocate. I continually get job queries for out of town.
- Poor communication skills. If you can't correspond in a professional manner, how professionally are you going to represent me?
- Mismatched tech skills. Exactly where on my resume do you see the words Java / UNIX / Oracle? So why are you asking me about such a position?
- Punctuality. If you wait three days to return a phone call or email, how do I know that my paychecks won't arrive in a similar haphazard manner?
These are just a few of my favorites. I could go on, but I don't want to hog the platform. :) What are your favorite Clueless Recruiter attributes?
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
Christopher Duncan wrote:
Fox News
Standard behaviour from recruiters.
Kevin
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Although tech recruiting companies have been my life blood for over a decade, it continually amazes me how many of these folks are just plain clueless in how they approach programmers. Here's some of my favorites.
- My resume & job postings say I won't relocate. I continually get job queries for out of town.
- Poor communication skills. If you can't correspond in a professional manner, how professionally are you going to represent me?
- Mismatched tech skills. Exactly where on my resume do you see the words Java / UNIX / Oracle? So why are you asking me about such a position?
- Punctuality. If you wait three days to return a phone call or email, how do I know that my paychecks won't arrive in a similar haphazard manner?
These are just a few of my favorites. I could go on, but I don't want to hog the platform. :) What are your favorite Clueless Recruiter attributes?
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
Christopher Duncan wrote:
Fox News
And yes I know there are ways of countering some of these. Also, some of this client behaviour could be construed as being quite reasonable depending on the context. All of these reasons describe either experiences I have had or adverts I have seen, sometimes slightly exaggerated for dramatic effect.:) 1. They interview you before getting budget approval, and then tell you afterwards that the budget has not been approved. 2. They set technical tests and get their own answers wrong. 3. They ask you what your weaknesses are. Would Tony Blair tell you what his weaknesses are? He was asked a similar question on the BBC Today programme and answered: “that’s for me to know and you to find out.” 4. They give as a reason for rejecting you after interview that you do not have adequate experience in skill X when you admitted prior to interview that you didn’t. 5. They give as a reason for rejecting you after interview that you do not have adequate experience in skill X when it wasn’t asked for in the first place. 6. You are a contractor and you have a gap of a few months on your CV and it’s known that the IT market is in a downturn. They ask what you’ve been doing? Trying to find work of course! 7. They hold interviews when they know that the job will be filled internally. 8. Human Resources (aka Human Remains) interview you and ask you lots of stupid questions, none of which have any relevance to whether you can do the job. 9. The job is a contract position and they insist on knowing your career aims for the next 20 years. 10. You have 10 years’ solid IT industry experience, yet they insist on your having a 1st class honours degree from a top 10 university and 3 A’s at A-Level before they’ll even look at you. 11. You have 10 years’ solid IT industry experience, yet they insist on your having a 1st class honours degree from Oxford, Cambridge or Imperial. So those who graduated from Harvard magna cum laude need not apply then? 12. They ask you to give them an idea on how to proceed with the problem that is forcing them to look for a contractor in the first place. In other words, they want free consultancy as part of the interview. But once they’ve got the consultancy they hire someone else. 13. They advertise a job that specifies that the candidate must have at least 3 years’, but no more than 10 years’, experience in C++.
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Christopher Duncan wrote:
Fox News
And yes I know there are ways of countering some of these. Also, some of this client behaviour could be construed as being quite reasonable depending on the context. All of these reasons describe either experiences I have had or adverts I have seen, sometimes slightly exaggerated for dramatic effect.:) 1. They interview you before getting budget approval, and then tell you afterwards that the budget has not been approved. 2. They set technical tests and get their own answers wrong. 3. They ask you what your weaknesses are. Would Tony Blair tell you what his weaknesses are? He was asked a similar question on the BBC Today programme and answered: “that’s for me to know and you to find out.” 4. They give as a reason for rejecting you after interview that you do not have adequate experience in skill X when you admitted prior to interview that you didn’t. 5. They give as a reason for rejecting you after interview that you do not have adequate experience in skill X when it wasn’t asked for in the first place. 6. You are a contractor and you have a gap of a few months on your CV and it’s known that the IT market is in a downturn. They ask what you’ve been doing? Trying to find work of course! 7. They hold interviews when they know that the job will be filled internally. 8. Human Resources (aka Human Remains) interview you and ask you lots of stupid questions, none of which have any relevance to whether you can do the job. 9. The job is a contract position and they insist on knowing your career aims for the next 20 years. 10. You have 10 years’ solid IT industry experience, yet they insist on your having a 1st class honours degree from a top 10 university and 3 A’s at A-Level before they’ll even look at you. 11. You have 10 years’ solid IT industry experience, yet they insist on your having a 1st class honours degree from Oxford, Cambridge or Imperial. So those who graduated from Harvard magna cum laude need not apply then? 12. They ask you to give them an idea on how to proceed with the problem that is forcing them to look for a contractor in the first place. In other words, they want free consultancy as part of the interview. But once they’ve got the consultancy they hire someone else. 13. They advertise a job that specifies that the candidate must have at least 3 years’, but no more than 10 years’, experience in C++.
Now that's a list! :-D
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
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Although tech recruiting companies have been my life blood for over a decade, it continually amazes me how many of these folks are just plain clueless in how they approach programmers. Here's some of my favorites.
- My resume & job postings say I won't relocate. I continually get job queries for out of town.
- Poor communication skills. If you can't correspond in a professional manner, how professionally are you going to represent me?
- Mismatched tech skills. Exactly where on my resume do you see the words Java / UNIX / Oracle? So why are you asking me about such a position?
- Punctuality. If you wait three days to return a phone call or email, how do I know that my paychecks won't arrive in a similar haphazard manner?
These are just a few of my favorites. I could go on, but I don't want to hog the platform. :) What are your favorite Clueless Recruiter attributes?
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
Finally got to you eh? ;) Just a bit ago you had the position of relationship building in response to a similiar post. Nice to see this one. And by the way, I agreed with your other points too. A recruiter sent me a listing from the name Neo Anderson. Right there I was worried. Then reading further, they want someone with 1 year exp, in maintaining meeting room hardware. Never mind that I've been a software engineer for 10 years. Heh. Turns out that one of the apps was written by a former employer of mine, so he probably assumed I would be qualified. I never used any of their apps except the one I was developing and that was only to develop it. I pointed out the issues, tried your advice to make some small talk with the guy, but no response. Eh, oh well.
This statement was never false.
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Point 2 which you raised is the second best one ever. I get tons of job offers in my email, and most are Java. But, my favourite would be cluelessness to the point of 'do you have 5 years of WPF and 10 years of C#' ???
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
Christian Graus wrote:
But, my favourite would be cluelessness to the point of 'do you have 5 years of WPF and 10 years of C#' ???
Yep. Once I had an interview (two years ago) where this HR girl was looking for a C# programmer with 10 years of experience. I couldn't help it and just laughed at the poor clueless girl. When she asked me why, I replied the obvious. She was really ashamed, and told me that by polithics of the enterprise, they always ask for 10 years of experience. Of course, I didn't get the job because after that, they changed the requirements and were looking for a Java programmer. They offered me the possition though, but you know, I'd rather live in the Antarctica than program in Java. I started to date her though :).
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
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Now that's a list! :-D
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
I had plenty of idle time in the 2001-2 downturn to write it! :)
Kevin
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Finally got to you eh? ;) Just a bit ago you had the position of relationship building in response to a similiar post. Nice to see this one. And by the way, I agreed with your other points too. A recruiter sent me a listing from the name Neo Anderson. Right there I was worried. Then reading further, they want someone with 1 year exp, in maintaining meeting room hardware. Never mind that I've been a software engineer for 10 years. Heh. Turns out that one of the apps was written by a former employer of mine, so he probably assumed I would be qualified. I never used any of their apps except the one I was developing and that was only to develop it. I pointed out the issues, tried your advice to make some small talk with the guy, but no response. Eh, oh well.
This statement was never false.
Chris-Kaiser wrote:
Finally got to you eh? Just a bit ago you had the position of relationship building in response to a similiar post.
Actually, I'm considering putting some courses / seminars together for the recruiting companies to show them how to correct all the mistakes they make when dealing with techies. Relationships work both ways. :)
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com