5 Things IT Recruiters need to stop doing

A recent experience with a particular IT recruiter prompted this post, but it was inspired by my experience with recruiters in general.  Most of my experience has been positive, but there have been some less-than-pleasant encounters.  This entry is strictly from a candidate perspective, but I think it is still relevant.

5.  Going on at length about irrelevant contacts

This happened with a recruiter I contacted earlier in my job search- I was speaking on the phone to him, and he launched into a spiel about his contacts and contracts with great companies.  Now, I understand that recruiters want to show their credentials, but going on at length about contracts that have nothing to do with us or that we are not qualified for does not help us- as a matter of fact, it discourages us.  If you go to a car dealership, the car salesmen doesn't waste your time with all the cars he has sold to other people; he tries to sell you a car right now.  

4.  Pitching us jobs we are unqualified for

Really, this one should be obvious- if you do this, you are wasting your time, our time, AND the client's time.  We all have certain skill sets, and we are not going to lie to you or the company to get a job that we can't handle, or that we will be fired from eventually.

3.  'Alphabet Soup' skill lists for job requirements

In my job search, I often come across job listings that have skill requirements that I do not possess (my mantra as a software engineer is:  "Always be smart enough to know you don't know everything"). Sometimes, though, I see skill requirements that are so long, or have so many esoteric and/or obsolete skill sets, that I think only Bill Gates or Commodore Grace Hopper should even apply.  (If you don't know who Grace Hopper is, please look it up:  Among other things, she developed COBOL).  To be fair, this may be the work of an overeager and uninformed hiring manager- in this case, IT recruiters:  please discourage them from doing this.  

2.  Submitting us without prior contact or approval

This happened to me a few days ago, and it made me angry.  I was in contact with an IT recruiter who told me about a job with a major corporation at their data center.  Not permanent, but it's fairly close to my house and besides- when you are unemployed you don't say no to any good opportunity.  I said OK, and she submitted me after I signed a 'Right to Represent' form (which basically says that the candidate will not use another recruiter to be submitted to the same job / company). Great. Then, the next day, a recruiter whom I had been working with earlier sends me an email stating that he had submitted me yesterday for the same job.  The same day that I had signed the Right to Represent form.  I immediately called the first recruiter and explained the situation to her- one email forwarded to the client company later, and everything was OK.  But that could have really made me look dishonest or downright stupid- and it's probably illegal as well.  Moral:  Recruiters, contact FIRST before you submit us for a job.

1.  Not being available or calling back to follow up

We all understand as candidates that a recruiter has a lot of candidates; besides, we are all busy.  But not answering your phone calls or emails will undermine our faith in your commitment to finding us a job.  Worse, not following up in a timely manner makes us think we are just slabs of meat or dollar signs to you.  Now, again we understand that we are one fish in your ocean, but please- at least a quick email with a status update would be very helpful.  Not being available makes it worse, because we can't contact you either.