It can be stressful and overwhelming to navigate job applications and interviews. We want to help you understand what employers and recruiters are looking for in a candidate. RealSelf is a top tech startup in Seattle. We asked them how they select and review job applicants. RealSelf is an online community that helps people make elective surgical decisions. They have received many awards and are regarded as one of the best companies in Seattle. Finnian Durkan, RealSelf’s Technical & Design Recruiter, shared his insights on how he works with hiring mangers to identify their needs, plan for growth, source candidates, conduct interviews, and manage offers. He also shared some tips on how job applicants can go from being hired to applied.
What are the key things you look for in a recruiter when evaluating job candidates? I evaluate candidates based both on the role and the company’s overall needs. Is this the right role for them? If not, are there other teams that could use their skills? It is important that your resume and any associated LinkedIn or Behance profiles are consistent and complete. I also look for specific job skills and frameworks as described in the job descriptions. Our job descriptions should not be too generic. We want to make sure that they aren’t boring. Recruiters spend on average 30-45 seconds looking through a resume/profile. It is important that you communicate why you are a good candidate or why you are a good fit in that time. Clear and concise reasoning and project/job descriptions are key to catching someone’s attention and keeping them there. Code bootcamps are a great option. Look into agency-side work or contracting jobs. These are great opportunities to gain in-house experience comparable to being a full-time employee. You will have full control over the projects and have a direct view on team structure and project management. However, you should never work for nothing. You are a professional with a marketable skillset and it may take a few temp gigs to get there, but you’ll get there if you do your legwork and build an expanding toolkit.Additionally, attend every meetup you can. These meetups are great opportunities to network with Sr/VP-level SDEs or Product Managers, get free food, and maybe even talk to a recruiter. It is rare for startups to have servers on-site. You should learn the tools for cloud services and be able strategically to think about how you could leverage them in a startup setting. What advice would you give to engineers and developers to help them become more competitive? Stay informed about the latest trends and be active in your community. You don’t have to use technology in a professional setting, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be familiar with its functionality. What is one thing you wish you could say to every applicant before they apply for a job? Apply for one role if you’re applying to a startup. We run an internal Applicant Tracking Software that uses redundancy detection algorithms. You won’t be seen as a more skilled applicant if you apply for multiple roles at a startup. You can ensure visibility by asking a friend or recruiter to refer you. Many companies offer internal referral bonuses. If you want visibility, you can track down the recruiter or a connection at the company and ask them to refer you.
You may apply to multiple roles at a startup or to other roles just to be on someone’s radar.
Instead of focusing on specifics about the projects they have worked on, they speak in generalities.
You can call yourself a “full-stack developer/engineer” or a software developer. Microservice architecture means that there is no “full-stack” anymore. Be aware of your strengths and play to them.
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