Chances are they might be :) But we aren't all bad!
If you are a Ruby developer chances are you've probably seen my name before either on Seek, at Ruby meet-ups or on one of those pesky Linked-in invites I send around. I really like the Ruby community and have a passion for working with developers to find them cool jobs. That being said recruitment gets a bad name especially amongst the Ruby community. I'm here to defend our reputation but also to acknowledge our flaws. Many recruiters do have no idea when it comes to development roles. They throw out buzz words like 'Apache' or 'Object Oriented' to make it look like they know what they are talking about. That being said a recruiter can often be of use. They can present opportunities that you wouldn't have heard about, discuss potential career movements or even help with your resume and skills training programs. Sure as a quality developer you could probably find a good job yourself. But are you sure it's the best job!!? Use your own networks in addition to a recruiter to expand the pool of jobs and find yourself in the best job you can! * * *Tips on dealing with recruiters:* - 1. Don't only use a recruiter. *Use your own networks as well.* Come up with an many opportunities as you can yourself and then use a recruiter or 2 to expand your opportunities - 2. *Don't be pushed around on Salary/Rate*. Know what you're worth. Be open with your salary with a friend or former colleague to know what your worth and stick to it. (A common tactic is to ask people what they were on previously and hold them to a salary near this. You shouldn't fall for it. Be honest about what you were previously on but let the recruiter / hiring manager know that due to your research you believe the market rate to be X and that you are hoping for a figure around that mark.) - 3. *Ask who the client is*. Often a recruiter will want to chat to you a bit first however, it is totally within your right to ask who the recruiters client is after an initial chat to determine your suitability - 4. Remember *your in control of the process. *If you don't like a specific recruiter don't use him/her. In fact it's your right to call up and say I don't want you representing me to X. *Can a recruiter really help me?* - Yes and no. It really depends on the relationships the recruiter has built. - If the recruiter is blindly sending CV's around town without having met the hiring manager they really won't be of any use to you. - That being said if they have built a strong relationship with the hiring manager their word often will decide whether or not you get an interview :). They can also act as a beneficial middle ground to assist in negotiations and getting things moving! *Recruitment Rates* - Are recruitment rates too high? Well honestly yes they are fairly high but we are running a business and as you can all understand we need to make a profit! - Also people don't realise the amount of effort we actually go to in providing a short-list. Many developers think I just simply called them, sent their resume to the company and got a massive cheque. What they don't realise is that to get that one person a job I had to look at over 400 resumes, speak to over 80 people and all for a 1/3 shot in actually filling a position. I work 8-6 and I'm a fairly quick worker! - That being said yes some recruitment rates are too high and companies need to be smart on who they use. Anyway if your looking for a recruiter who loves the Ruby community and who actually cares about your career please give me a call. I won't screw you over and I'm available after-hours with bookings and all conversations are 100% confidential. [email protected]. 0404-590-975. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby or Rails Oceania" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rails-oceania/-/aLVX8Z0zIuUJ. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rails-oceania?hl=en.
