As recruitment consultants, we often hear people arguing that it’s very hard to find an ideal IT team for them or that recruiters don’t contact them enough with interesting IT roles. And we agree that finding a good job is not an easy task.
We also advise each candidate to ask himself/ herself if their skills are suited to the roles they apply for. Or if they have the right fit with the administrative requirements of the role (like taking on a full-time position, being in the location mentioned, or agreeing to the type of contract offered).
Also, we know that you can easily be tempted to think that, since you have a certain experience and messages keep pouring in with opportunities, someone will definitely contact you with that ideal change… But are you sure that you are visible enough on the recruitment platforms? Or, at least, have you updated your professional interests on your profile or portfolio? Sometimes the best opportunities aren’t found in your inbox, but in your own research within the companies that are of interest to you.
Applying to the proper role is the first step of your successful recruitment process for the IT role best suited for your experience and aspirations. So, below are some things to read when you apply for a job if you want to make sure you’re not wasting your time. They are important because if you don’t take them into consideration, you might get rejected right from the start – your CV/ application could be just viewed and you might not even be called for a first discussion.
So, before applying to a job, check:
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The title. Is the title of the job relevant for your experience?
Some job titles are too general or they can be similar to the jobs from other domains. For example, ”QA” is not only for the IT domain, it also appears in the industrial one. A quality assurance specialist is different in the hardware industry compared to the software world.
Don’t apply only because your current role sounds similar to the job title: further read the job description.
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The tech stack. Does the role have the tech stack you want?
If the role is named ”Front-end developer”, check in the job description if it is with Angular, with React, or Vue.js, if you have a preference for a certain framework. If you apply for a role, a recruiter assumes that you read the JD and you agree to work on that stack. Also check if the role requires previous experience with specific frameworks: even if you would like to switch to a different framework, make sure the employer would agree to you learning from scratch if you don’t have previous experience with that particular tech.
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Remote working. Does the company offer the working set-up you want (remote/ hybrid/ only at the office)?
Companies have started to adapt to the requirements of the candidates and there are a lot of remote roles. But not all jobs offer full remote work. Most of the roles mention this in the title or in the description – just have a quick glance at that section before applying. Some might require you to come in a few times a week/month, while others offer remote opportunities only temporarily, until new working arrangements are made.
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Type of collaboration. Does the role offer you the type of collaboration you need?
A lot of companies work on employment contracts. Don’t assume by default that they will also agree with contractor collaborations. Ask first if this is possible and under what conditions.
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Mandatory skills. Are there any that suit your experience?
For example, there are a lot of specialists passionate about security or AI/ML. When you apply for a role in this domain, check if they ask for relevant experience/ certificates on this. In most cases, if a role doesn’t ask for relevant experience, the role probably is for a junior level, and if you are a mid-senior, it is not worth your time to apply.
And two more aspects to consider when you apply at IT jobs :
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Applying for more roles within the same company… should you do it?
Theoretically, this increases your chances to be called for an interview and some companies do have completely separate processes for different jobs. But, practically, if you don’t meet the criteria for the roles to which you apply, the recruiter might have doubts about your real expertise – what is your real interest in the company and in the opportunities? Have you read the Job Description? Do you know to what you have applied? So, before applying, do make sure you checked the recommendations above.
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Next steps in the process… should you be aware of them?
It is not mandatory, but some companies mention things like the need to sign a GDPR policy or time to receive an answer before moving on to specific subsequent recruitment steps. Pay attention to this because it can help you to quickly advance in the process. Also, this can give you hints on how to prepare for the next recruitment phases in order to land the job you want. (If you want more hints on this, you can also check our two other articles: How and why to prepare for a job change?, Do I really need to prepare for an interview?)
In conclusion, applying for all the jobs you encounter, regardless of your match with them, requires your time (as a candidate) and the recruiter’s time as well. And it can generate frustration on both sides when rejection messages are received (or no messages are received whatsoever).
For a smoother experience, pay attention to the role you apply for by checking the points listed above. This can also enhance your professional image and recruiters can better assess and propose good-fit projects for you in the future.
If you need some inspiration for a new challenge in your career, you can take a look at our IT roles sections on our website – https://www.edurom.ro/it-jobs/ – and start a discussion with one of our consultants.
The advantage for you would be that we, EDUROM Recruitment, are a Recruitment Agency. This means that after our discussion, we will know to get back in touch only with the relevant roles, suited for your experience and aspirations.
This article is written by our colleague Sabina Gavriloaiei, IT Recruiter and HR Consultant. If you want to discuss more on this topic, you can contact her at sabina@edurom.ro or write to her on LinkedIn.
