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When can an agency place me in a permanent position?
What is the best way to structure my IT resume?
I am "Entry-level" (less than 2 years business IT experience). Can an agency place me?
I am an experienced IT person that wants to change what in is in IT that I do. Can an agency place me?
MBA/Mike Baxley & Associates is a recruiting firm / agency for IT Specialists.
Here are Five Rules (that are 99% true) about finding a permanent position (not a contract) through an agency:
1. Companies use agencies to connect to people that have been doing the last 2+ years whatever it is they want that person to do. Agencies can't help if you are entry-level or want to make a "career changing" move where your last 2 years experience isn't what you want to do, i.e. going from a programmer to a DBA.
2. Companies are more sensitive to job history when hiring through an agency. They insist on 2-3 years per job overall in the resume. 1 or 2 short stints are "OK" (depending on number of years into your career), but overall the jobs need to be 2-3+ years each.
3. Companies won't hire people for permanent positions who have been primarily doing contract or consulting (even if the person WANTS to change from contract to perm...it doesn't matter!). This is true except when the client happens to be a consulting or IT services company themselves.
4. Companies won't use agencies to hire those on H-1's or otherwise needing sponsorship (except if qualified for a TN visa). The agency doesn't decide this...client companies decide whether or not to sponsor.
5. Companies won't see or talk to people through agencies when they are physically outside of the US (even if they are US Citizens). JUST TOO FAR!!!
What is the best way to structure my IT resume?
3 things to remember:
1. Companies are MOST interested in your last 2 years, they are SOMEWHAT interested in your last 5 years, and only MILDLY or PASSIVELY interested in anything before that.
This means that you should put the most emphasis and the most information about your last 2 years experience, then fairly detailed information about years 2-5, and then only summary information anything over 5 years (dates, names of employers, titles, and 1-3 sentences about what you did).
2. Technical skills sell, even at the Director level! Programmers should always tell how many months/years of each language you have experience in and then show those months/years in the description of your positions.
If you are managing, you should always tell what the technical environment is/was that you are managing, as far as hardware, languages, operating systems. Even though you might not have coded yourself, the environment you are managing is very important to a potential employer.
3. The maximum number of pages for a resume should be 3, even if you have 55 gazillion years of experience. Focusing on the last 2 years the most, years 3-5 somewhat less, and then least on years 5+ will allow you to get your resume down to 3 pages or less. Nothing wrong with 3 pages, but 4 is tedious and unnecessary.
Entry-Level Positions:
1. Unfortunately, the harsh truth is that agencies are miserable sources for job opportunities for entry level positions. Companies just don't give entry-level positions to agencies to fill.
The best course of action if you are entry-level is to prepare a resume with a cover letter and email/fax/mail it to every company you can uncover asking for an entry-level position (harsh, but true). Then source newspapers, friends, professors, etc. to come up with companies that might be hiring (even if they aren't) and send your cover letter and resume into them. Call the main number and ask for the address to submit resumes.
Experience IT person that wants to change what it is that I do. Can an agency place me?:
Almost never. Companies will only use agencies to find people who have been doing the last 2 years whatever it is they want that person to do. Unfortunately, agencies won't be able to help you "change gears" and get into something new where new skills are required.
FAQ's about agencies/consulting firms:
1. Why does a company use an agency for a permanent hire?
Companies use agencies to filter through the "gazillion" numbers of people and resumes to find people that have been doing the last 2 years whatever it is they want that person to do. Companies rarely use an agency to hire anyone that who can't start immediately (2-3 weeks) and who needs training. H1's rarely get hired through agencies for perm hires because of the delay and cost of sponsoring.
Agencies are "miserable" sources of job leads for people who are entry level or want to change what they do (i.e. going from programmer to DBA).
Companies willing to train employees to do the job will tap the market directly, not through an agency. Companies can find all the people they can possibly want directly, if they want to train.
2. Why does a person use an agency to find a position?
Agencies usually specialize in a area and can get a resume presented to multiple companies that are ready to hire that skill set.
An Agency can get his/her resume to the top of the pile. Managers will listen to an agency and look directly at a resume and give it serious consideration.
Many times (not all), a resume sent directly to a company will get lost in the shuffle.
3. How long should it take to go through the hiring process and start work, once I send in a resume?
6 weeks is normal: 2 weeks to get the resume processed and into the hiring authority's hands, 2 weeks to get the interviews done, and then 2 weeks for your notice to your existing employer. This whole process can be shorted to a matter of days or lengthened to 3+ months, depending on the situation.
4. When do you talk money?
The best approach is to confide with your recruiter the following: current salary, desired salary, minimum salary. Discuss with the recruiter the "reality" of the numbers. Tell the company what your current salary and desired salary is on the application, but do not make an issue that it's a certain number or nothing. A lot of times, it will turn out to be "nothing" because they perceive you to be inflexible and probably not a desirable employee or team member. Let the recruiter go to bat for you in getting the best salary.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
When can an agency place me in a permanent position?
What is the best way to structure my IT resume?
I am "Entry-level" (less than 2 years business IT experience). Can an agency place me?
I am an experienced IT person that wants to change what in is in IT that I do. Can an agency place me?
MBA/Mike Baxley & Associates is a recruiting firm / agency for IT Specialists.
Here are Five Rules (that are 99% true) about finding a permanent position (not a contract) through an agency:
1. Companies use agencies to connect to people that have been doing the last 2+ years whatever it is they want that person to do. Agencies can't help if you are entry-level or want to make a "career changing" move where your last 2 years experience isn't what you want to do, i.e. going from a programmer to a DBA.
2. Companies are more sensitive to job history when hiring through an agency. They insist on 2-3 years per job overall in the resume. 1 or 2 short stints are "OK" (depending on number of years into your career), but overall the jobs need to be 2-3+ years each.
3. Companies won't hire people for permanent positions who have been primarily doing contract or consulting (even if the person WANTS to change from contract to perm...it doesn't matter!). This is true except when the client happens to be a consulting or IT services company themselves.
4. Companies won't use agencies to hire those on H-1's or otherwise needing sponsorship (except if qualified for a TN visa). The agency doesn't decide this...client companies decide whether or not to sponsor.
5. Companies won't see or talk to people through agencies when they are physically outside of the US (even if they are US Citizens). JUST TOO FAR!!!
What is the best way to structure my IT resume?
3 things to remember:
1. Companies are MOST interested in your last 2 years, they are SOMEWHAT interested in your last 5 years, and only MILDLY or PASSIVELY interested in anything before that.
This means that you should put the most emphasis and the most information about your last 2 years experience, then fairly detailed information about years 2-5, and then only summary information anything over 5 years (dates, names of employers, titles, and 1-3 sentences about what you did).
2. Technical skills sell, even at the Director level! Programmers should always tell how many months/years of each language you have experience in and then show those months/years in the description of your positions.
If you are managing, you should always tell what the technical environment is/was that you are managing, as far as hardware, languages, operating systems. Even though you might not have coded yourself, the environment you are managing is very important to a potential employer.
3. The maximum number of pages for a resume should be 3, even if you have 55 gazillion years of experience. Focusing on the last 2 years the most, years 3-5 somewhat less, and then least on years 5+ will allow you to get your resume down to 3 pages or less. Nothing wrong with 3 pages, but 4 is tedious and unnecessary.
Entry-Level Positions:
1. Unfortunately, the harsh truth is that agencies are miserable sources for job opportunities for entry level positions. Companies just don't give entry-level positions to agencies to fill.
The best course of action if you are entry-level is to prepare a resume with a cover letter and email/fax/mail it to every company you can uncover asking for an entry-level position (harsh, but true). Then source newspapers, friends, professors, etc. to come up with companies that might be hiring (even if they aren't) and send your cover letter and resume into them. Call the main number and ask for the address to submit resumes.
Experience IT person that wants to change what it is that I do. Can an agency place me?:
Almost never. Companies will only use agencies to find people who have been doing the last 2 years whatever it is they want that person to do. Unfortunately, agencies won't be able to help you "change gears" and get into something new where new skills are required.
FAQ's about agencies/consulting firms:
1. Why does a company use an agency for a permanent hire?
Companies use agencies to filter through the "gazillion" numbers of people and resumes to find people that have been doing the last 2 years whatever it is they want that person to do. Companies rarely use an agency to hire anyone that who can't start immediately (2-3 weeks) and who needs training. H1's rarely get hired through agencies for perm hires because of the delay and cost of sponsoring.
Agencies are "miserable" sources of job leads for people who are entry level or want to change what they do (i.e. going from programmer to DBA).
Companies willing to train employees to do the job will tap the market directly, not through an agency. Companies can find all the people they can possibly want directly, if they want to train.
2. Why does a person use an agency to find a position?
Agencies usually specialize in a area and can get a resume presented to multiple companies that are ready to hire that skill set.
An Agency can get his/her resume to the top of the pile. Managers will listen to an agency and look directly at a resume and give it serious consideration.
Many times (not all), a resume sent directly to a company will get lost in the shuffle.
3. How long should it take to go through the hiring process and start work, once I send in a resume?
6 weeks is normal: 2 weeks to get the resume processed and into the hiring authority's hands, 2 weeks to get the interviews done, and then 2 weeks for your notice to your existing employer. This whole process can be shorted to a matter of days or lengthened to 3+ months, depending on the situation.
4. When do you talk money?
The best approach is to confide with your recruiter the following: current salary, desired salary, minimum salary. Discuss with the recruiter the "reality" of the numbers. Tell the company what your current salary and desired salary is on the application, but do not make an issue that it's a certain number or nothing. A lot of times, it will turn out to be "nothing" because they perceive you to be inflexible and probably not a desirable employee or team member. Let the recruiter go to bat for you in getting the best salary.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net