Genius Required

Well actually – you kind of do – everyone wants to know that they are appreciated! There is a good deal of time and effort that goes in to the preparation and conduct of an interview from at least two, possibly three parties:

a) candidate
b) company
c) agent

The time invested by a company includes that of skilled members of staff (in our case, our developers) in addition to the time of the recruiter/HR rep. The candidate may have taken time off work for the interview or at least had a “dental appointment” and the agent will have spent time and money in finding the candidate and recommending that candidate to the company.

What all parties in this game must remember is that each of the other parties has gone to time and trouble also. Sure, I get paid for this as do the agencies that I use. Candidates, if they accept the role, also get paid for their part in the process. The key to ensuring that all parties get a fair deal is to be up front in all stages of the process.

For example, I let the agency know what the interview process is so that the candidates understands what is expected and then give the candidate the salary details what s/he can expect of the role and our culture. The agent passes on details about the company and role to the candidate. The candidate passes on their expectations and requirements to the agency and the company. Where it all falls down is if one party does not match the effort that is put in by the other parties.

For example, a candidate goes to an interview where the interviewers are sloppy, uninterested or rude or a candidate comes along to an interview and shows a lack of interest or respect or an agency flings poor CV’s at the company or misrepresents candidates.

So whether you are an agency, a recruiter or a candidate, please please please only get involved in the process if you are genuinely interested or curious. To put it into a dating context (and somehow link it with the title of this post!) – being on your best behaviour for the first date goes one hell of a way to getting the second date!

Actually, I think that the Rolling Stones were wrong. You can get what you want, you just have to know what you want and look in the right places. When speaking with my colleagues about what they want as developers within a consulting firm, the same things crop up again and again:

1) Not being bodyshopped!
2) Working with other Lab49′ers rather than being a lone Lab49′er on a project
3) Working on exciting projects that challenge them
4) Being fairly compensated
5) Working for a company that respects them, their opinions and a sense of belonging to that company
6) A creative, exciting and fun work environment

Our developers decided that the Rolling Stones were wrong too as they work for a company that provides all of the above. We offer all of the above and more to those who really are the best at what they do. Our developers generally have the following skill set:

- Strong Java or C++ (5-10 years)
- At least 1.5 years experience with C#/.NET
- Preference for thick client applications rather than web based applications
- Deep understanding of multithreading and real time software architecture

If you want to learn more about why Lab49 is such a great place to work, feel free to contact me directly on +44 (0)207 959 3338 or via email at mgriffiths@lab49.com.

What’s stopping you from contacting me to find out if we can offer you a role that is significantly better than what you are doing now?

Typing that made me think of the 80’s band Aha – ahhh Morten Harket.. Anyway, back to business! Searching for candidates these days is no longer a situation of posting an ad on Jobserve or wherever and waiting for those candidates to come to you. As mentioned in a previous post, it really is a candidates market and so it is the job of a recruiter (corporate or agency) to hunt for the best candidates to fill their vacancies.

There are various methods of doing this and one of my favourite is Linked In (also previously mentioned!) You have to upgrade your account to a “Business Account” in order to email candidates directly rather than having to rely on the introduction method. One company I am looking at right now is UBS having heard that they are outsourcing the work of some of their development teams to Switzerland. Assuming that not all of those developers want to work in Switzerland, I am using LinkedIn to try to track them down! If you know of (or are on) the team/s in UBS that are being outsourced to Zurich – feel free to let me know!

Another method for finding candidates that I think is really cool is to create a “hot list”. That is, speak with your colleagues and get them to list those people you that they would love to work with (Pamela Anderson is obviously not the kind of preference that we’d consider!) and then contact those people to tempt them to your company throughout the year. Unless they have told you to go away, contact them every few months, find out what they are doing, what they are interested in and what could tempt them away from their current employer.

1) Getting the interviewers name wrong.
Check with the agency who you are meeting (if you are going through an agency), if not, call up the company and ask to speak with HR.

2) Turning up late.
Get a map, study it, perhaps do a trial journey the day before. Check the traffic on the day and leave in plenty of time. If you are still late, just call the company to let them know. It’s quite frustrating as an interviewer when a candidate is late but hasn’t tried to get in touch to advise you.

3) Poor personal presentation.
Shower, wear deodorant, make sure your clothes are clean, ironed and appropriate. Comb your hair! It’s not politically correct I know, but about 55% of our initial impression is based upon what someone wears – take advantage of that and look your best. Oh and give yourself the once over before stepping into the building – if there is something distracting (but repairable) about your appearance – it can be distracting for the interviewer (especially if that distraction is an open fly/zipper – believe me, it’s happened!)

4) Diss your current employer.
So you would rather go one-on-one with Russell Crowe and a telephone than spend another day with your current employer? Say that in an interview and you will most likely not get the job! You never know who your interviewer is friends with so keep it professional and don’t get make derogatory comments about your current employer or colleagues.

5) Lie and/or exaggerate.
CV says you can speak Russian? What if you are asked to translate something or to help a Russian colleague? Don’t lie – it can backfire catastrophically and can lead employers to wonder if the rest of your CV is a lie.

6) Appear uninterested and unenthused.
I met with a candidate when working at previous company who came along with such an arrogant attitude that despite him being a seriously gifted programmer, I wouldn’t have dreamt of making an offer of employment to him. You are at an interview to impress. If you can’t be bothered, you shouldn’t be there. Interviewers spend time trying to “sell” the role and the company to you, give them some respect and even if you decide it’s not for you, at least be gracious!

7) Too much talking.
Okay, so you are at an interview to “sell” yourself but less can be more when giving information. Don’t interrupt the interviewer or talk the hind leg off a donkey. Interviews are a two way process for you to sell to the company and for the company to sell to you. If you are asked a question, provide a concise answer and then ask if they would like more detail. Also, don’t talk too loudly – I know that interviews can be nerve-wracking but take a deep breath and speak at a reasonable level.

Know the basics about the company/role.
Many interviewers I know start interviews with “So, what do you know about the company/role?”. They are not looking for a comprehensive response by any means, they are looking for an understanding from the candidate. The more (relevant) information that you can state about the company and the role, the more enthused you will appear about the role. If you haven’t bothered to find out about the company or the role, you are clearly not sufficiently interested.

9) Good handshake.
This is a personal peeve – wet lettuce handshakes. As I see it, a good handshake indicates confidence however, it’s kind of okay to have a slightly sweaty hand. It’s not particularly nice for the interviewer but s/he should understand that you are nervous.

Interviewing isn’t an exact science but having been on the other side of the table, I see how important that first impression can be. Take a few minutes in a coffee shop or in your car to take a few deep breaths in order to relax and remember – it’s a two way process (and a candidates’ market) – they are selling to you as well as you selling to them!

On a personal note, it really is the highlight of my job to meet candidates. I WANT you to get the job – makes my life easier and helps my employers to succeed. Don’t over-stress about interview – REMEMBER THAT THE INTERVIEWER STARTS ON THE PREMISE OF WANTING YOU TO GET THE JOB!

When it comes to looking for a new role, there are a number of factors that have to be considered. The market remains very competitive but it is a candidates market. By that I mean that there are few candidates and plenty of jobs (believe me, in our sector do I know about it right now!) so you could consider that the odds are stacked in your favour. However, the recent spate of downsizing, merging etc means that you really have to stand out as a candidate in order to secure and retain your ideal role.

In order to improve your chances of success in this market, you have to raise your game and to market yourself as best you can. My previous post on networking goes some way to helping but there is more.

Tinker – Your CV should be updated regularly to reflect the changing parameters of your role and also your increased experience. Go through it on a every couple of weeks to ensure that it reads well and is an accurate reflection of your skills, abilities and experience.

Tailor – Do you wear the same clothes to work that you wear to the pub on a Saturday night? Do you make the same beans on toast that you would make after a hard day for dinner party guests? Probably not (or if you do, I wouldn’t recommend working for Gordon Ramsay!). You really do have to tailor according to situations and needs. As such, when applying for roles, ensure that your experience relevant to that role stands out. If you are moving say, between HR and recruitment; if you are applying for a recruiting role, emphasise your recruiting experience. If a pure generalist/HR advisor role, emphasise your generalist/advisory experience. There is, of course, a fine line between “tailoring” and “lying your ass off” – ensure that you opt for the former as many organisations will sack you on the spot (for gross misconduct) if you have been found to be lying on your CV (it of course depends upon the severity of the lie but be careful).

Soldier – Don’t be downheartened if you do not get the first few jobs that you apply for. As mentioned earlier, the candidate to job ratio is growing, particularly amongst the graduate population. It’s not always “them not liking you” or you “not being good enough”. Often it’s a case of “fit” into the existing team (it could be that they have a very reserved and conservative team whilst you are dynamic and lively) or someone else have extra skills on top of those that are required. You really do have to soldier on and see every interview as not a waste of time (!) but an opportunity to improve upon your interview technique. You never know, all that time spent at other interviews, could mean that you do a fantastic interview for your dream role/company and get the job.

Sailor – There is, of course, alot more to getting a job than the above. Researching the organisation, networking, experience etc etc, are all key. However, taking all of the above into account when searching for a new role will make sailing into a new and better job that much easier.

Good luck!

Every single employee of Lab49 in the UK was employed due to networking. What does this mean for the company? Well, first of all, some of the staff know each other and have worked together in the past but secondly, it means that the level of engagement for the staff to the company is stronger due to them being approached by someone that they know and trust.

I read an article on an Irish site recently talking about how to get yourself a job. A career is not now based on the traditional process of – I am bored here and want a new job – I will contact agencies/companies/look on websites – go to interview – get job etc etc

The new way, according to the article, was to be a non-stop networker. The basic jist is that you should always be on the hunt of the next career move and so you should see every meeting as an opportunity to build upon your network of contacts so that when you are definitely looking to move on, you can shake those contacts and hopefully, having impressed them in your previous dealings, get some insider info on who’s moving on and where.

One way that I have been using to build my network is via Linkedin where you list your previous companies and experience to almost build a mini online CV. You can then invite former and current colleagues to join your network and see who they have on their networks. If you are interested in someone in a former/colleagues network, you can request contact through your former/colleague.

However, the danger here is that it can be an uncomfortable transaction for both parties if you are clearly just contacting someone for help in your job search and it’s a one way street. Keep in touch with your contacts, the occasional email when you relocate or change jobs will keep you in that persons mind and always ensure that you are obviously willing to assist your contacts in their own network creation and career search. Lunch with former and current colleagues, with suppliers and with clients – you never know who they know!

Any comments on how you have built and expanded your network?

It's official, London is open for business and with WriteImage appointed as the Public Relations Agency I think we could be in for an interesting year