How to Get a New Development or IT Job: Advice from an HR Pro

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As layoffs continue in the tech industry, we spoke with HR professionals and recruiters to get their tips and advice for IT job seekers.

Translated from How to Land a New Dev or IT Job: Advice from HR Professionals , author Jeff James.

While 2023 was a dismal year for layoffs in the tech industry, 2024 proves that we're not out of the tech job-loss woes yet. The tech industry continues to outpace the rest of the economy in layoffs , with more than 42,000 tech workers having been laid off so far in 2024, Reuters' Amina Niasse recently reported.

I've already written an article about how layoffs in the tech industry are affecting developers , and a follow-up article looked at how some developers are finding new jobs in a tough job market . To provide another perspective on how tech workers can maximize their chances of landing a new job, I reached out to a number of HR professionals, recruiters, and executives in HR Services to get tips that job seekers might find useful. Other tips and suggestions.

Find new roles in a competitive market

Several HR professionals I spoke with agreed that the current job market is flooded with job seekers looking for a relatively limited number of positions, but they encouraged job seekers to keep a positive attitude and keep looking. New positions.

Tailoring your resume and application to each opportunity can help you stand out from the crowd of AI-generated resumes and cover letters.

"The job market is more difficult now, but there are still a lot of people finding good jobs. In the current environment, getting a new job might have taken three months a year ago, but now it might take 6-9 months - It can take even longer to find a new job," says human resources and recruitment consultant Caitlin Byrnes . "Keep a positive attitude, tap into your network, polish your resume and pitch, and you'll eventually find a new job."

Top tips from tech recruiters

“The single biggest piece of advice I would give to developers looking for a new job is to prioritize keeping their portfolio, resume, and online profile (LinkedIn, GitHub, etc.) up to date with their latest projects, skills, and accomplishments,” Harness’ Chief People Officer Official Luan Lam said. “This allows potential new employers to understand your recent skills, projects and achievements, demonstrating that you are personally engaged and up to date with the latest developments.”

Another tip is to focus on quality rather than quantity when applying for jobs. Kaylie Boogaerts, Director of People Resources and Remote Leadership and Culture Consultant at Checkly, recommends being selective about the roles you apply for and then tailoring your resume and application to each opportunity, which can help applicants stand out among the sea of AI-generated resumes and cover letters.

“When we opened the senior engineer position six months ago, we received more than 1,300 applications,” Bugac said. “You can do this by showing work results in your resume and cover letter, noting what experience or skills are relevant to the position, sharing whether you have been a customer of [company product] and what you like about the product or company — and what you might improve Content to stand out from other candidates.”

Mastering the AI Challenge

A relatively new piece of the puzzle in the job search equation—both for people being hired and those hiring them—is the emergence and widespread use of AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, which help generate resumes and cover letters, and Help screen applicants.

There's no denying the impact of AI on both sides of the hiring process, but the idea that hiring is now handled entirely by an AI-powered applicant tracking system (ATS) isn't entirely true; some experts warn that AI adoption in HR isn't going anywhere Not as common as many people think.

Recruiting firms are flooded with AI-generated answers to cover letters and application questions that are often generic, overly long, and often contain incorrect information.

“The perception among job seekers that AI does a large portion of HR screening is not entirely unfounded,” Ram said. “However, I do think that because AI technology has not yet been widely adopted in HR, many of us are still reliant on looking at every resume to make sure we don’t miss out on any great talent.”

On the candidate side of the AI equation, Boogaerts mentioned that companies now receive a flood of AI-generated answers to cover letters and application questions that tend to be generic, overly long, and often contain incorrect information.

"Using AI for job searches has become popular, which I think is great. It makes researching companies faster, and you can get good ideas for cover letters or potential application questions," Boogaerts said. “However, many clearly AI-generated job applications are terrible.” (Boogaerts also wrote a blog post with tips for job seekers who want to use AI in their job applications .)

While artificial intelligence is helping job seekers generate resumes and cover letters more easily, job seekers should exercise caution and courtesy when dealing with stressed and potentially overworked HR professionals. Byrnes said many HR teams have been affected by layoffs and are therefore receiving an increasing number of applications and resumes, and the HR teams responsible for reviewing those applications and resumes are often dealing with their own layoffs and pay cuts, which can lead to resume processing Delay.

Resume Minefields to Avoid

Making sure your resume matches the position you're applying for is a must, but some job seekers make it more difficult for themselves by doing a few things that may raise red flags for HR professionals reviewing their resumes.

An obvious example is using a white font color to populate a resume with hidden keywords, which makes the keywords invisible to the human eye but purportedly helps the candidate's resume rank higher in ATSs that the recruiting HR team may be using. Good ranking.

"Trying to game the system using tricks like using white font is an outdated tactic that is more likely to result in your application being rejected," said Jon Stross , co-founder and president of Greenhouse , a startup for HR teams One of the leading providers of ATS software. "Many modern applicant tracking systems are smart about this and will simply filter out resumes that use them. Rather than trying to get something past the screening tool, take the time to carefully tailor your resume and cover letter. Highlights map directly to positions Describe specific achievements and responsibilities.”

Harness' Lam cautions job seekers to avoid applying to multiple positions at the same company in different departments at the same time, which may indicate that "if you're a jack-of-all-trades, you can't accomplish anything."

“I love seeing candidates who are enthusiastic and passionate about their work. Constantly demonstrate and prove […] that you are passionate about your chosen career.” – [Caitlin Byrnes], HR and Recruitment Consultant

Frequent short-term employment on a resume - such as several consecutive employers with tenures of 12 months or less - can also be a problem. "Potential employers tend to prioritize candidates who have a strong level of commitment to maintaining long-term employment," Lam said.

That said, many job seekers have found themselves experiencing multiple shortened employment periods due to COVID-19, frequent tech industry restructuring, and the current climate in the tech industry. In these situations, Lam offers some advice.

“My advice for situations where you have multiple short-term employment experiences on your resume is to provide additional background/context without having to write a paragraph about it.” He gives the following example:

_ABC Company, May 2021 – December 2021 ( company closed due to loss of funds)_

"Showing this type of information is important because it illustrates market volatility rather than individual commitment/performance shortfalls," Lam said.

For job seekers who have been out of work for an extended period of time, such as 12 months or more, Byrnes recommends candidates focus on communicating what they have done to improve their skills during that period; such as taking online courses, consulting work, or other activities , to show that potential employees have been proactive while out of work. “I know I like to see candidates who are enthusiastic and passionate about their jobs,” Byrnes said. “Continuously demonstrate and demonstrate that you have a growth mindset and that you are passionate about your chosen career.”

stand out and attract attention

All experts interviewed advised job seekers to go beyond emailing resumes and filling out applications online. Networking offline by attending meetups and other local events can help you discover potential clients and employers in person. Building connections can pay big dividends, whether it's meeting like-minded developers at a local meetup or connecting with a hiring manager on LinkedIn.

Byrne also says that not all jobs are posted publicly, so sometimes it helps to contact a company you admire or would like to work for and market yourself directly, showing initiative and your genuine interest in working for the company. Likewise, Byrne recommends job seekers looking for startup jobs by messaging smaller companies directly and making thoughtful pitches to founders, which can help you stand out from the pile of submissions from other candidates.

Building connections can pay big dividends, whether it's meeting like-minded developers at a local meetup or connecting with a hiring manager on LinkedIn.

Stross agrees, stressing that focusing on a role that you are truly interested in and passionate about will help get the HR team’s attention. “Resist the temptation to send out a generic resume to dozens of jobs. Instead, focus on ten positions that really interest you and tailor your application materials to each position, as this shows that you’ve put in the effort and are thoughtfully applying. Decide to apply for a place where you can thrive and add value to the business and culture. ”

While the current job market may be challenging for many, Stross advises job seekers to have a better chance of success by focusing on some of the fundamentals he's seen others use successfully—from thoughtfully using employers' own Language Start by matching your resume to the job description to transparently demonstrate your skills.

“By making connections, customizing your application and demonstrating your qualifications, you can position yourself to succeed in today’s job market,” Stross said.

This article was first published on Yunyunzhongsheng ( https://yylives.cc/ ), everyone is welcome to visit.