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      3 Keys to Write a Software Engineering CV or Resume in 2023

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      3 Strategies for a Solid Software Engineering CV or Resume

      Whether you’re starting to look for new opportunities or just want to get your CV or resume in shape, it can be difficult to know how to best portray a software skillset on a single piece of paper. This article will provide general CV-writing best practices, as well as specific strategies to highlight your software engineering expertise. 

      1. Keep it clean and simple

      This applies to CVs for all jobs, but it’s worth remembering that recruiters and hiring managers generally don’t have the time nor the energy to sift through multiple pages, opaque wording, or confusing formatting. 

      First of all, be sure to keep your CV to a single page. Even if you have many experiences that seem worth sharing, you’re better off choosing the most important, relevant ones (and including more details about them) rather than trying to squeeze everything in, but losing the important details of your most impressive achievements. 

      One way to keep it short is to use concise, straightforward language rather than flowery descriptions. Once you’ve written a draft, go through and think critically about each bullet point: Ask yourself whether there’s a way to say the same thing in fewer words, or to make it punchier with more action-oriented words. It can also be helpful to have a friend, colleague, or mentor read it over for a second opinion. 

      Lastly, keep the formatting clean by using section headers and consistent fonts/font sizes. Must-have sections include education, employment, and skills (where you can list your proficiency with various programming languages); Others might include personal projects, awards, certifications, or interests. 

      2. Tailor it to the role

      Whether you’re applying to a very specific role or applying more broadly, be sure to tailor your CV accordingly. If there are a few types of roles you’re considering, it might be worth keeping a different version for each. 

      Some people prefer to keep a “master” CV with all of their experiences listed (this might exceed the one-page limit), which can be trimmed down based on which skills a role requires and how your background fits into that profile. Others may keep a few versions of their CV ready to go depending on which best fits a job they’re applying for. 

      Whatever your strategy, don’t underestimate the importance of what you do and don’t include on a CV you submit to a job posting: Even if you have the most relevant experience, if it doesn’t come through on your CV then the hiring team won’t know what a good fit you might be. Further, including more relevant jobs or projects may increase your chances of talking about them in the interview, as interviewers often use the candidate’s CV to guide the conversation.

      3. Show off your software experience 

      Unlike many other careers, software engineers’ work (e.g. tools, apps, websites, etc.) can often be publicly viewed. When it comes to CV writing, this is a huge plus, as it gives you the chance to show, rather than tell, what you’ve done. 

      Some engineers like to include a ‘Projects’ section, particularly if they’re earlier on in their careers but have undertaken personal projects to boost their skills or to explore an area of interest. Even if the work is incomplete or the projects are small, this section can also demonstrate your passion for engineering as it will indicate you’ve taken on this work outside of your day job. 

      You might also include links to online portfolios such as GitHub or StackOverflow, which can give the hiring team clear evidence of which skills you bring to the table. If you have a personal website with links to various projects, this can be a way of keeping your word count down while still showcasing all of your work.

      At the end of the day, your CV is only one small piece of the candidate profile that a company will assemble in the process of interviewing you—but it’s an important one as it’s often the first impression a hiring team will have of you. Spending time to tinker with and tailor your CV may seem mundane, but it’ll certainly be worth the effort if it helps you make it past the initial screening process. 

      Additional Resources to help write your tech resume or engineering CV

      Originally written in 2019, this blog was updated by the Hired content team in 2023. More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      Tech Candidate Spotlight – Leonard Barraugh, Security Engineer

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      Can you share a little bit about your educational background? 

      I have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Virginia Tech and a Master’s degree in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity from Florida Institute of Technology. I am also a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

      Earning an information technology-focused undergraduate degree opened the doors for me to start my career. Obtaining a CISSP certification gave legitimacy to my progression from an IT journeyman to a focused cybersecurity professional. 

      What would you like to learn more about?

      I am fascinated by the new developments in artificial intelligence. I’m excited to learn more ways to leverage AI to enhance personal productivity. Also, as a cybersecurity practitioner, it’s important to be aware of the many nefarious uses of this powerful technology and modern techniques to defend against them.

      What led you to pursue a career in tech?

      Computers weren’t ubiquitous when I was growing up. However, it was obvious that virtually every industry was clamoring to integrate software into their processes. I believed a career in software development would provide a great balance of career flexibility, security, and fulfillment.

      How has your skillset evolved over the course of your career?

      Initially, I began my career as a software developer, but the defense contracting world gave me exposure to many different facets of IT. I quickly became a jack of all trades, working on wildly varying projects that required database design, system administration, networking, and traditional IT help desk support. I discovered I had an aptitude for troubleshooting software and operating system issues. This helped me realize I was better suited in a generalist role than as a pure developer. This positioned me well for a transition into cybersecurity given the enormous breadth of the discipline.

      If you choose to specialize in one area, what was it and why?

      I’ve focused my career path on cybersecurity, which is still incredibly broad and continually evolving. Cybersecurity aligns perfectly with my disposition as a generalist. There is always something new to learn. Advances in technology present new attack surfaces that need to be secured, while novel methods are constantly being devised to exploit existing technology. Being a cybersecurity practitioner allows me to approach an IT system from a completely holistic viewpoint and requires an understanding of all the various components and interfaces.

      Is your new role different from previous ones?

      My new role will be significantly different from my previous roles as I will be venturing out of the defense contracting world and into the private sector. I’ve had a clearance job for nearly my entire career so this will be a big leap away from what’s familiar and comfortable.

      What are some of the things you’re most excited about in your new role?

      I am incredibly excited to get exposure to new methods and technologies and to see how teams outside the defense industry approach cybersecurity. Also, as a parent of a young child, I am equally excited about an opportunity to work completely remote! 

      What was your job search experience like before you joined Hired?

      I’ve worked in defense contracting for fifteen years and have built a large network of peers in that time, but I didn’t have many contacts outside of the defense space. Joining Hired provided an interface to employers in the private sector that I wouldn’t have been aware of otherwise.

      What’s your best advice for jobseekers on the Hired platform? 

      The best advice I can think of for jobseekers registered on Hired is to provide as much information on your profile as you can. Hired is different than traditional job search platforms. It showcases the candidates to potential employers. Therefore, having a robust profile gives you the best chance of attracting an employer’s interest.

      Related: Want More Interviews and Better Matches? 8 Key Tips!

      What would you tell someone who’s curious about Hired?

      After you find a possible match on a traditional job search platform, you typically have to leave that platform. Then, you need to provide all of your employment history, education, skills, and maybe even a cover letter on the potential employer’s career site. Doing this over and over again for every opportunity becomes robotic and impersonal. At some point, you might even start filtering out opportunities you would have otherwise applied to because the application process has become daunting and lost its zeal.

      With Hired, you only complete your profile once and they do all the work of showcasing you to employers. As an added benefit, they provide compensation information up front so you have a known starting point when beginning the interview process.

      Any general advice for other tech professionals?

      I take a genuine interest in what my peers around me are working on. That has provided immense value throughout my career. Building a rapport with teammates is critical in establishing a healthy and productive work environment. Understanding their challenges and accomplishments has a more tangible impact as well. You get a much better understanding of how your own responsibilities can impact or depend upon other efforts. This also offers great insight into how other teams may have already overcome some of the technical challenges you may be facing.

      About Berkeley Research Group

      Berkeley Research Group is a global consulting firm that helps organizations with assistance in disputes and investigations, corporate finance, and strategy and operations. Founded in 2010, BRG has 1,001-1,500 employees and is headquartered in California.

      Benefits

      401K plan/matching, health insurance, paid time off, work from home flexibility, company activities, conferences reimbursement, mentorship opportunities, and more. More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      How Smartsheet Fosters Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) in the Workplace

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      In June, Smartsheet sponsored Hired’s Breaking Through Bias event to help jobseekers understand the state of DEI and advance their careers despite systemic bias in hiring. Today, Smartsheet joins us to share how and why they are actively working to embed DEIB in their organization.  

      1. What tech team roles are you actively hiring for, and what differentiates a good candidate from a great one? 

      Currently, we’re looking for a Senior Product Designer, Senior Machine Learning Engineers, a Software Engineer II, a Security Engineer, and both a Senior Manager and Manager of Engineering. 

      The candidates who really stand out from a recruiting perspective are those who have taken the time to research our company and the job description before the call. When a candidate tells us they are really excited about a specific aspect of our company and the position that relates to their experience, it helps us understand where their interests lie and whether that’s a good match for the role.  

      Related: Want to Ace Behavioral Interviews? A Guide to Prep Jobseekers

      When we present their resume to the hiring manager, we now have a case built for why they could potentially be an excellent team member at Smartsheet and on the team. 

      2. What are your company’s values, and how do these show up day-to-day?

      Our mission is to empower anyone to drive meaningful change for themselves, their businesses, and the world. To accomplish this mission, we are collectively committed to our strongly held values to change the way that work gets done. These values are: 

      Seizing opportunity

      Winning with integrity

      Prioritizing “we” before “me”

      Pursuing progress

      They are not just ideas, but driving forces behind our actions. 

      Our commitment to these values can be seen in various aspects of our daily operations:

      Interview processes and performance management guidelines

      Pursuit of AI resources and solutions

      Transparency during All Team Meetings

      Customer-focused annual conference, ENGAGE

      As individuals and as a company, we hold ourselves accountable to these values, they define our culture and guide us toward achieving our mission. With these values, known to employees as “The Smartsheet Way,” we have set a course to transform how work is approached and achieved.

      3. DEIB recognizes that feelings of belonging in the workplace improve an employee’s happiness and security at work, and is an essential part of a DEI strategy. What does DEIB mean to Smartsheet?

      At Smartsheet, we believe our business is only successful if we’re helping create a world where anyone can thrive. One key way to drive that meaningful change is through diversity, equity, and inclusion work. Pursuing social progress anchors our business in a greater purpose and holds us accountable to action. 

      To do that, our organization’s goal is to fully incorporate different perspectives and ideas brought by people from diverse identities. From employee engagement to product innovation, the data is clear: companies with more diversity perform better. In order to make actual progress, teams need an approach that incorporates DEI more deeply into their organizational structure, business model, and culture. 

      Our focus on DEI enables us to attract, develop, and retain top talent from all walks of life, and to build a robust company culture that inspires all kinds of people to do their best work. We need diverse ideas and perspectives to solve our most challenging problems and succeed in a complex world.

      4. How do you foster an open, communicative environment for your employees, particularly about DEIB? 

      We believe in rooting our organizational goals in a culture of DEI. This means it is even more important that all employees understand our DEI objectives, how to participate in and support them, and that our managers enable those opportunities and actively encourage that dialogue. 

      Here are a few examples:

      We have invested in a robust suite of DEI content that is being deployed across our leadership teams and is open to any Smartsheet employee. Improving our acumen in DEI as a team is ongiong and allows us to build the muscle we need to create an inclusive culture.

      We have launched several employee-led DEI committees with programmatic support from our centralized DEI team, including our Global DEI Committee, comprised of employees across a number of our regions.

      We developed and launched 7 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in partnership with our People & Culture team to support employees on a variety of DEI topics and inform our employee engagement approach and strategic priorities.

      5. What initiatives and goals does the company have around DEIB, and how do you measure their success?

      A percentage of our annual bonus compensation for our senior leaders ties to our DEI hiring objectives. Those objectives support our overall yearly representation goals. We update that data quarterly and it is available to view at any time by any employee.

      We recently published our first Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Impact Report. It outlines a number of key initiatives and achievements over the past year, with a look at our objectives over the coming years as well. 

      6. How does your company ensure diversity and inclusion in the hiring process? 

      There are a lot of different ways we work to ensure diversity and inclusion in our hiring process. We post our job descriptions to a variety of job boards including Out in Tech, Latinas in Tech, SquadJobs, and on Handshake to connect with HBCUs. We also work with many of these organizations by participating in their hosted events to directly connect with candidates. 

      At Smartsheet, we conduct all of our recruiter screens over a phone call – not a video call. This helps eliminate unconscious biases, and we offer diverse interview loops. We also take the time to look for candidates from underrepresented groups and communities. We do so through proactive sourcing and by working with companies like Hired and Blavity, which have tools in place to help recruiters diversify their pipelines.

      7. How does your company’s commitment to DEIB extend beyond the internal organization and into the community? 

      At Smartsheet, we believe our values only matter when we put them into action. Guided by our DEI Mission and the voices of our employees, we support our communities by corporate donations to employee-recommended organizations, enabling our employees to give back through volunteerism and giving our product and platform to nonprofit organizations doing meaningful work. To learn more about our CSR commitments, check out our CSR Impact Report. 

      About Smartsheet

      Smartsheet is an enterprise work management platform seeking to empower everyone everywhere to change the way the world works. Founded in 2005, Smartsheet has 1,501-5,000  employees and is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. 

      Tech stack

      Java, JavaScript, AWS, React, Node.JS, TypeScript, Microservices, Kotlin More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      Tech Candidate Spotlight – Jack Bliss, Senior Software Engineer in the UK

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      Tell us a little bit about your educational background!

      I was self-taught from a young age as a hobbyist. My first job in software was freelance work for friends and family. I later attended university for a Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering. Then, I returned to the software industry after graduating.

      I believe my Master’s degree made the biggest impact on my tech career. It was only tangentially related but demonstrated technical skills and the ability to learn in a structured way.

      What would you like to learn more about?

      I feel DevOps helps me be a more rounded developer. Understanding limitations, trade-offs, and specialisations in infrastructure helps make my application code better.

      Related: What are the Best Programming Languages to Get a Software Developer Job? (Video)

      What led you to pursue a career in tech?

      My mum is a software engineer and has been for many years. She always encouraged me whenever I showed an interest in programming. After some experience, I realised: I liked it, I was good at it, and it makes for a great career!

      How has your skill set evolved over the course of your career?

      I started out as a front-end specialist and have slowly become more involved in full stack engineering. Being a full stack developer doesn’t just mean you write front-end code and backend code. It also means you can design and deliver entire features end-to-end including architecture/design, infrastructure, QA, and sunsetting plans.

      I initially specialised in front-end engineering because that’s where I had the most self-taught knowledge. Front-end code is very accessible because you only need a notepad and a web browser to start coding.

      What are you most excited about in your new role?

      Vortexa has assembled one of the most important datasets in the world. The liquid energy industry is largely unoptimised but impacts so much of our lives. Being able to increase the industry’s efficiency and find opportunities for other improvements is essential as we move toward a more sustainable future. The application is extremely detailed which makes it really fun to work on!

      What was your job search experience like before you joined Hired?

      I typically used LinkedIn to find recruiters or I directly reached out to hiring managers. I also tried to find recruitment agencies to work with (but I didn’t get many responses) and used other job search websites.

      What’s your best advice for jobseekers on Hired? 

      Research your salary expectations and don’t be afraid to adjust them over time! Respond quickly to offers. This will help move processes quickly and boost your profile to hiring managers.

      Related: Want More Interviews and Better Matches? 8 Key Tips!

      Hear what everyone has to say in the first stage interview. What have you got to lose?!

      Hired is a very convenient platform for meeting hiring managers and recruiters. Plus, it’s so quick and easy for jobseekers to register on.

      Any general advice you’d like to give other tech professionals?

      Keep learning and pushing the limits of your knowledge. Having a well-rounded understanding of relevant topics can help get you promoted while making you better at your primary focus.

      About Workday

      Vortexa is on a mission to open, connect, and optimise the energy world through pioneering technology and unmatched market information. Founded in 2016, Vortexa has 51-200 employees and is headquartered in London.

      Benefits

      Stock options, match up to 3% of your salary in the pension plan, health insurance, paid time off, flexible working hours, company activities, management training, and more.

      Tech Stack

      Python, ElasticSearch, PostGres (+GIS), AWS, Kafka, Javascript (React/Redux/Typescript), Node JS, Redis, Scala, Kotlin, Kubernetes, airflow, Java More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      Inside the Coding Challenge: A Hiring Manager’s Perspective

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      At Hired, we often have opportunities to share assessment insights with employers who review them to evaluate potential hires. It’s less common that we have the chance to share those with candidates. That’s why we dedicated a full webinar session to offer engineering talent some coding challenge tips from hiring managers.

      Related: Code Your Career: Staying Competitive in the Developer Job Market (VIDEO)

      What is a coding challenge? 

      Coding challenges assess your technical skills as part of the interview process. They are an excellent way to flex your coding muscles and solve a problem similar to one the company may be facing.

      Related: What are the Best Programming Languages to Get a Software Developer Job? (Video)

      Results overview: what hiring managers look for in coding challenges

      In this blog, you’ll hear from: 

      Prakash Patel, Engineering Manager at Hired

      Sumit Pal, former Sr Engineering Manager at Hired

      Related: Ace Your Engineering Manager Interview: A Comprehensive Guide to Prepare 

      Let’s walk through hiring manager expectations for assessments and the interview process.

      Sample Result 1 

      This is an example of a solution a candidate proposed that looks straightforward. They’re running the eval function doing a quick return. While this solution works and passes all the test cases, unfortunately, they didn’t read the directions completely.

      There is a note in the yellow box explaining you are not allowed to use any built-in function that evaluates strings as mathematical expressions, such as eval. The candidate didn’t read the instructions completely and for that reason, we had to pass on them. 

      Sample Result 2 

      What you see here is a little behind-the-scenes. As candidates are going through the interview process, they often run into these kinds of challenges. You might be presented with several test cases but you have to be aware of more test cases behind the scenes. You’ll be presented with a few test cases your code needs to pass through to be accepted but we might be checking for additional items:

      Are we checking for empty strings? 

      Are we evaluating for certain edge cases where we might have incredibly long strings? 

      In this case, we’re building out a basic calculator. The solution here is obviously very thorough. It passed all the test cases here. 

      However, we don’t only look at the percentage or a particular grade or if all the test cases passed. We take a look at the code too. We were able to identify that this code is unfortunately not written by the engineer. This was taken from an online search and brought to our platform. It hits all the benchmarks, but it’s not genuine.

      Sample Result 3 

      This is an example of someone implementing comments. This code is similar to the previous example. The candidate took an online submission and claimed it as their own.

      For that reason, we disqualified them. In this type of solution, engineering managers and hiring managers consider: 

      Have candidates used appropriate variable names? 

      Is there an appropriate structure to the code? 

      Are there functions called appropriately? 

      What does the runtime look like for the code? 

      Obviously, it’s an idealistic solution they copied over, but we will notice aspects like good comments. 

      In this case, you’ll notice that while there are comments, they don’t add value. BC II and BC III, aren’t helping a hiring manager understand your thought process or the code you’ve written. 

      Sample Result 4 

      Here we have several different functions. While it’s not perfect, you’ll notice there are some comments missing. There are some generally good structures with several functions being defined. Many of the edge cases are handled here and overall it is a good solution, despite missing comments.

      Sample Result 5 

      This is really well-structured code going in-depth with the comments. There is a healthy balance of too many comments and not enough. This leans a little bit on the higher side but these comments are more helpful. 

      They guide the hiring manager in understanding the thought process. They also help the candidate keep track of how they handled this scenario. Overall, it has a cleaner and more useful presentation for the hiring manager. 

      SQL-Based Questions

      Sample Result 6 

      This question intends to assess your confidence and comfort with SQL-based questions and data problems. This example presents an easy SQL question. 

      The candidate tried to solve this problem using the “group by” statement and “order by” clause. It worked sufficiently for this problem statement but it would immediately fail once we start getting three or more records for each gender. We encourage candidates to read the problem statement first which is really important in a very simple SQL problem. 

      Also, we encourage candidates to not start writing solutions immediately. Think through the problem and all possible age cases. Consider how your solution might handle null values once you start getting the records. 

      Sample Result 7 

      This SQL problem can be solved with different approaches. In this example, the candidate tried to use the max aggregate function and a subquery. 

      To further improve answering SQL questions, I recommend candidates consider adding human-readable aliases. Additionally, putting your queries in a readable format before you submit them is really important. 

      Data engineering interview process

      Data engineering interview processes are robust. We take a similar approach in sending out an assessment. Once the candidates complete it, we take it back to the team and review it. Then, we provide feedback to the candidates on where they could improve. 

      Related: Want to Ace Technical Interviews? A Guide to Prep Software Engineers

      We evaluate submissions to determine the level. Sometimes we’ll receive candidates who may be on borderline level two or mid-level or borderline senior. We can use those submissions to help gauge what the next steps should be. 

      From there, we’ll have the hiring manager screen to understand what a candidate is looking to do in their next role. What are the interesting things they do on the side? Why do they want to work at this company? What are they looking to achieve in their career? 

      Related: Want to Ace Behavioral Interviews? A Guide to Prep Jobseekers

      Following that step, we continue with the assessment – that original take-home assessment, similar to the coding challenges completed here. We have the candidate build on an additional feature in the original assessment. We walk through the process live with an engineer (or engineers) on the team. 

      Next, we have a systems design portion. Candidates design a system and walk through different edge cases. Candidates will offer insights into why they made design decisions and made certain tradeoffs. 

      Later, we have a cross-functional interview to ensure the candidates have some comfort working with the product or design team.

      Following that, we regroup should we need to have additional discussions. We follow up on those on a case-by-case basis and come to a consensus. 

      I do want to highlight that the interview process may vary from company to company. At Hired, we have a 3-4 round process. 

      Candidates have the take-home assessment, hiring manager screen, and virtual on-site consisting of the cross-functional interview and the systems design portion. The process isn’t necessarily the same at larger organizations. You may do one take-home assessment and have another waiting for you on the other side. You may do a live coding challenge where you get on the phone and speak with the technical recruiter. 

      In those instances, I think you would approach things the same way. Make sure you think of edge cases and are thorough in your approach. It’s easy to get nervous but you have to remember to break things down and take it from there.

      Traditionally, after that first step (whether it’s an assessment or live coding challenge) is some form of an on-site. It could be a virtual or in-person on-site. Some large organizations even bring people on for an entire day. 

      As you’re speaking to the technical recruiters, ask about those processes. Usually, companies are open about informing you.

      Ready to complete your free profile and find your next role in tech? Sign up today! More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      Using Data-driven Hiring to Edge out the Competition

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      When times are good, and business is booming, companies can afford to make a few mistakes and sweep a few imperfections “under the rug.” And that’s okay. No process is perfect. However, when business slows down and it’s time for spring cleaning, what was swept under the rug comes to light.
      In other words, during periods of quick growth, companies tend to sacrifice quality of hire for speed. The effects of these decisions surface most clearly when the pace slows down. That can be a sobering moment for companies that stop and take stock of the decisions that worked for them and the ones that worked against them. Recruiting efficiency is an area that is quickly and clearly exposed when this happens. The inefficiencies and the lack — or absence — of sound hiring practices can be seen in cost per hire, turnover, and retraining costs.
      To find improvements in any process, businesses look at data.
      Data, data, everywhere
      We’re not talking about boiling the ocean, but there is meaningful information that can be gathered and put to use everywhere in the recruiting process. Hiring leaders who do not operate with this mindset leave money on the table, which again, is easy to measure in terms of increased cost per hire, decreasing retention, or unsustainable retraining costs.
      Without data measurement, organizations cannot optimize for “all-weather” efficiency.
      Smashfly CMO Lori Sylvia goes all in on the importance of measuring talent data when she says, “If you can’t measure it, it didn’t happen.”
      This is not a call to recruiters to build sophisticated data models, but rather to critically think about how data can help determine who they should be hiring for and how they can best appeal to them.
      Knowing that data is all around us, the question needed to make use of it is: “What data points are the most meaningful to me for this process?” Here are a few tips for recruiters — of all levels — to make leveraging data easy, impactful, and second nature.
      Ask yourself who fits into the talent pool for your business
      The last part is important here. Someone may check all the boxes for the job description and still not succeed at your organization. It can come down to various factors, like culture, level of training, the ability to multitask, or teamwork. Whatever the reason is, hiring success depends on going a level deeper into the candidate profile than the resume.
      Let’s go over an example where the goal was to reduce the number of conversations and increase the quality of conversations with candidates. Brendan Browne, VP of Global Talent Acquisition at LinkedIn, was looking for candidates to fill an engineering role. They took a quality-affinity approach that measured the candidate’s qualifications (their quality) and how highly they thought of the company (their affinity). The criteria for affinity included asking three yes/no questions:

      Do they follow the company?
      Do they share relevant content on their profile?
      Do they have a meaningful first-degree connection?

      Upon reaching out to candidates who ranked higher in affinity, the team experienced a 57% increase in the response rate.
      There was nothing highly technical about the process. It just came down to the team figuring out what data points from each candidate were meaningful to collect. It’s an easy exercise that can be applied across companies and roles.
      Take a microscope to your outreach
      Keep track of your messages. Recruiters shouldn’t shy away from testing new copy, subject lines, and time of day for their candidate outreach. It’s the most obvious yet overlooked metric to gauge the effectiveness of your outreach. Doing this enough will give you a sense of what tone is resonating most with your candidate pool.
      To have reliable data, one cardinal rule is to test one thing at a time. For example, measure how two different groups react to a different subject line or call-to-action alone rather than changing both at the same time.
      If your message has reached a point where you feel it is well and truly optimized and it’s still not meeting your goals, shift your focus to identify weak spots in the candidate journey. There may be moments where engagement is dropping off for enough candidates, signaling a trend to address with an alternative approach — and then measure the success of.
      Think about who else is talking to your dream candidate
      Chances are, the competition is also talking to the same candidates as you. Keeping tabs on competitor hiring activity can help inform your hiring strategy. Think about what the hiring experience is like for the candidate when they talk to you, versus the competition. Check out competitors’ job descriptions and ask yourself:

      How do they communicate the employer value proposition to prospective candidates?
      How candid are they about the salary and benefits they’re offering?
      How much of the company culture and company values shine through in the description?
      How easy or intuitive is the application process?
      Do they show the prospect genuine gratitude for their consideration?
      What would I look to improve in this experience?

      Doing this, even once in a while, helps make sure you’re not falling behind the competition and gives you an opportunity to raise the bar by brainstorming and implementing improvements to your candidate experience.
      Being data-savvy is simply knowing how to answer your biggest questions
      For recruiters, useful information is everywhere. The easiest way to benefit from a data-driven mindset is not to overthink it. Simply start asking questions about any aspect of your recruiting process, and then take measurements to uncover answers.
      The more confident you are about the data you have on talent, their affinity for your company, and your competition’s practices, the better your process will be in finding and appealing to the best candidates.
      Shannon Pritchett is Head of Community at both hireEZ and Evry1 (which she co-founded in 2021). As a talent acquisition leader, she remains passionate about connecting companies with their most valuable asset — people.
      Share this post: More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      Tech Candidate Spotlight – Myron Yao, Software Application Engineer

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      Thanks for joining! Let’s start by talking about your educational background.  

      My Bachelor’s Degree is in Computer Science from the University of British Columbia. I learned general software development principles but the most practically relevant language taught at the time was Java. I taught myself Javascript in two weeks on my first job to adapt to a role as a full-stack developer and continue to maintain a general interest in programming language design.

      Related: Code Your Career: Staying Competitive in the Developer Job Market (VIDEO)

      In terms of certifications, I completed a short course on the Google Cloud Platform while with my previous employer.

      Which, if any, educational opportunities, have made the biggest impact on your tech career? 

      I still highly appreciate my education at a traditional institution for equipping me with a high-level understanding of hardware, algorithms and data structures, concurrency, language design, parallelism, operating systems, distributed computing, and human-computer interfaces.

      Aside from equipping me to tackle complex and technically demanding design and debugging tasks in a large enterprise software system, my theoretical interest in how languages structure programming made me an enthusiastic adopter of new language standards. This includes the introduction of patterns of Functional programming to Java and Javascript.

      What would you like to learn more about?

      I have a deep interest in physics and biology particularly as they relate to Neuroscience. AI really fascinates me. It’s not necessarily the statistical models currently driving a lot of the mainstream hype and economic development, but more so the biologically-inspired models. They provide incredible insights into human behaviour, experience, and consciousness.

      What led you to pursue a career in tech?

      Coming from a background/environment with an emphasis on academic achievement, I gravitated toward tech as an applied field with a high degree of freedom in what it created. Computing and automation are fundamentally about learning to harness non-human intelligence. Programming is an incredible force-multiplying tool for anybody with novel ideas.

      How has your skill set evolved over the course of your career?

      I began my career cramming on front-end technologies to become a full-stack developer. But as I gained experience, I pivoted into backend performance/stability, leading to system design and architecture.

      If you choose to specialize in one area, what was it and why?

      In my previous role, I gradually focused on backend development because the firm’s product was targeted at an enterprise client base. Improvements to the core system had the greatest impact on the widest audience.

      Is your new role different from previous ones?

      My new role is somewhat different from my previous one. The internal platform is mature so development manpower is presently focused on feature development for customers (externally as opposed to internally facing). I am excited about the mission and social impact of the product and I don’t have any issues with customer-facing development.

      Nonetheless, it is not out of the question for my new job to parallel how I started out with my previous role. I began with a focus on front-end development but ended up contributing to the core platform after gaining knowledge and experience as a full-stack developer.

      What are you most excited about in your new role?

      My new role is with a team in a growth area for the company, which also has significant room for positive social impact – student information systems for large educational institutions. Besides the huge addressable market, the company’s mission – digital transformation of information systems of large enterprises to help them reduce the acceleration gap between technical debt and innovation – means that, particularly for the student product, the platform may even eventually be in a position to improve the learning experiences of students directly.

      Additionally, I am excited to work with the in-house internal platform at Workday. This sounded more bold and efficient the more I learned about it. For example, eliminating the inefficiencies of object-relational mapping for its crucial core data models by keeping business objects fully in memory. I look forward to deepening my understanding of software architecture by studying the system and reaping the productivity benefits of actually working with it.

      What was your job search experience like before you joined Hired?

      Hired was one of the first services I looked into when I began my job search. However, with regard to my job search outside of Hired, it was fairly difficult due to several barriers:

      Importantly, I was coming off of a 2.5-year employment gap involving an international Master’s Degree. COVID and several months of exploring possibilities for self-employment interrupted my degree completion.

      As a Canadian without a US work permit, I was limited to local opportunities.

      Unfamiliarity with the non-tech firms doing the majority of tech hiring in the current job climate meant I was mostly applying to big tech firms. Unfortunately, those firms were the ones downsizing after over-hiring during the pandemic. In anticipation of a recession, they weren’t very responsive.

      What’s your best advice for jobseekers registered on the Hired platform? 

      The two key differentiators which make the Hired platform uniquely effective are the Assessments and Preferences features.

      Assessments

      Take the time to fully use all three attempts on each assessment, even if you get a decent grade. Candidates are ranked on the basis of both correctness and completion time. So, it is preferable to get the best score possible. Furthermore, if you plan to complete multiple assessments, space your attempts between them instead of completing an assessment all at once. The material in the assessments overlap (e.g. Full Stack with Front-end with Programming Skills), providing opportunities for more practice.

      Preferences

      Given the present job market, keep an open mind regarding which industries you’re willing to work in. Do some research into which ones are actually hiring. Definitely, DO take the time to specify some preferences. A strong match between a candidate and a company will predict cultural fit, giving you greater visibility.

      Related: Want More Interviews and Better Matches? 8 Key Tips!

      Remember the recruiting process is costly for hirers (e.g. sacrificing work hours for devs or managers to conduct interviews). Recruiters who perform candidate searches on Hired want to have as high of a hire-through rate as possible. If you manage to get an initial interview request, you are already highly likely to meet their basic requirements. All that remains is for you to demonstrate you are authentic and motivated. At the same time, the bias toward a high recruiting success rate means the initial screening process can be all the more stringent and impersonal.

      In this sense, my honest experience was that optimizing my profile for initial views and interview requests was the hardest part of the journey. Once you land an interview request:

      Research the company

      Identify what you like or want to know more about

      Review the ample tips and preparatory materials Hired provides for interviews

      This should put you well on the way to passing the final screening!

      What would you tell someone who’s curious about Hired?

      Hired is a modern hiring platform leveraging data-driven techniques to make matching candidates and companies more efficient. It also democratizes hiring by surfacing additional information not visible via traditional processes.

      Hired creates value by generating productive matches between jobseekers and employers who might not even be aware of each other. For candidates, this removes the most time-consuming yet inefficient stage of the job hunting process – mass-generating job applications with little guarantee a human will even look at them.

      Any general advice you’d like to give other tech professionals?

      The resources on the Hired blog are extremely informative. By highlighting the perspectives of both past candidates and recruiters representing real conditions on the platform, they provide great examples of success on Hired. A tremendously important skill in all aspects of life is being able to consider things from another person’s perspective. For job-seeking, the advice, suggestions, and testimonials on the Hired blog represent vital data for helping you do so.

      About Workday

      Workday is an on‑demand financial and human capital management software vendor. Founded in 2005, Workday has 5001+ employees and is headquartered in Pleasanton.

      Benefits

      Health/dental/vision/life/disability insurance, 401K plan/matching, performance bonus, paid time off, parental benefits, job training, fitness reimbursement, flexible working hours, and more.

      Tech Stack

      Java, Scala, Ruby, Python, Elasticsearch, iOS, Swift, Android SDK, MySQL, Javascript, Hadoop, Spark, Docker, Kubernetes, Jenkins, Kafka, Apache ZooKeeper, Ruby on Rails, Hive, React, Chef More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      Getting Ghosted by Talent? The Four Jobseeker Personas Recruiters Need to Know

      by

      In today’s competitive market, finding the best candidate for the role is no easy feat. While we generally find more available talent in the pool, ensuring a high-quality candidate with a strong fit for the position compounds the complexity of recruiting. Recruiters have to embark on candidate conversations while unsure what’s driving each candidate to seek a new position and how that motivation affects their outlook during the search process.
      Defining a persona framework can help recruiters get to the heart of what’s driving each applicant, what they’re looking for in a new opportunity, and which tactics will keep them the most engaged throughout the process.
      Recent data from Employ shows that today’s jobseekers can be divided into four groups based on a combination of two key traits:

      How consistently they search.
      The number of positions to which they apply.

      These two traits interact in the following way to create four primary persona categories:

      When recruiting teams understand these four personas—and how to spot them—they are more prepared to understand candidates and empowered to customize the candidate experience in a way that resonates with each person they speak with. This often results in better placements, shorter time-to-fill, and more successful hires.
      All About Diligent/High-Volume Applicants
      Diligent/High-Volume applicants make up about 10% of the current market, and they are driven by economic and employment market conditions. These applicants are primarily triggered by job posting alerts and will apply to a wide range of positions with various responsibilities and job functions.
      Traits
      Diligent/High-Volume job seekers tend to be optimistic, believing it will take less than a month for them to find a job, and they apply for jobs with large salary ranges. Additionally, this type of job seeker tends to gravitate toward roles at companies with strong leadership, room to advance, and resources for career development.
      Approach
      Diligent/High-Volume job seekers will use social media and subscribe to job advertisements and will likely mention their research during the interview process. As frequent resume updaters, these candidates tend to begin their job search within their current organizations and will apply for jobs at other companies even if there isn’t an opening.
      Engagement tactics
      These workers tend to appreciate simple, straightforward interview processes. These candidates are likely to abandon opportunities if they find them too time-consuming, so streamlining the interview and scheduling process is likely to impress.
      All About Sporadic/High-Volume Applicants
      About 25% of applicants in the current labor market are considered Sporadic/High-Volume applicants. These are the people who turn to LinkedIn or other job boards after a particularly bad or frustrating day at their current position.
      Traits
      These applicants are usually satisfied in their current roles. They may be seeking out organizations that tout career advancement opportunities. As a result, they tend to apply to multiple jobs that they have no intention of accepting. They tend to be just beginning their career, have taken a new job in the past year, and apply for jobs with large salary ranges. Like their Diligent/High-Volume counterparts, these job seekers frequently update their resumes, and keep an eye on their current companies’ financial positions.
      Approach
      Recruiters can identify Sporadic/High-Volume job seekers by their application method. They regularly search job boards and appreciate easy scheduling. If the interview went well, an offer was made, but the job seeker sends an impersonal response or even goes dark, a Sporadic/High-Volume job seeker may have crossed your path.
      Engagement tactics
      To capture these applicants, stay away from hiring channels that require registration as a part of the hiring process. They’re likely to abandon applications that require any registration elements. Even though they are likely to be satisfied at their current role, recruiters that think a Sporadic/High-Volume applicant is a perfect fit may get their attention with an incredibly compelling offer but should be ready to negotiate and to respond to their current employer’s counter.
      All About Diligent/Selective Applicants
      Diligent/Selective job seekers are triggered by burnout, and about 40% of applicants fall into this category. Since burnout is a trigger, they are hesitant to apply for jobs they feel they are unlikely to get and prefer efficient processes. They are serious about their search and conduct it over a long timeline.
      Traits
      Diligent/Selective job seekers are not interested in applying for positions with wide salary ranges. They know what they are looking for and stick to those parameters. They are less inclined to search for new opportunities within their current organization and motivated by specific roles that excite them.
      Preferences
      Diligent/Selective job seekers tend to stick to a single application method: the company’s website. Additionally, they are highly prone to abandonment and prefer short and efficient recruitment processes.
      Engagement tactics
      These applicants tend to be targeting companies or roles that speak to them, so defining a company mission, vision, and value set is incredibly important when encountering Diligent/Selective job seekers. Make highlighting these aspects of the company a priority early in the interview process and try your best to keep initial applications brief, yet comprehensive.
      All About Sporadic/Selective Applicants
      Sporadic/Selective job seekers are triggered by boredom in their current situation and make up about 25% of today’s applicants. Like their Diligent/Selective counterparts, they are unlikely to submit applications to employers that they deem unlikely to hire them.
      Traits
      These applicants tend to be later in their career. They rarely apply for open roles at their current company, do not apply for jobs with large salary ranges, submit few applications for new roles, and do not use social media to find open roles.
      Preferences
      Sporadic/Selective job seekers’ applications tend to favor brevity and their resumes tend to possess stale skills as they have not likely invested time in their own learning and development. Since they’re motivated primarily by boredom and exploration, they’re also hesitant to spend time on additional application materials, preferring to let their experience speak for itself.
      Engagement tactics
      To engage these applicants, create highly personalized, effortless recruitment experiences. They’re applying to see what’s available to them as they currently are, so if you think a Sporadic/Selective applicant is the perfect fit, it’s best to keep extraneous tasks to a minimum. They also strongly believe that the modern hiring process is excessive, so it’s critical that recruiters communicate decisions or next steps and their reasoning throughout the process.
      Setting up for success
      In today’s market, recruiters need to go the extra mile to ensure success along each step of the recruiting process. Using the four personas as a baseline can help recruiters begin the process of tailoring their hiring strategies to a given candidate’s needs.
      Finding talent is tough, and recruiters need to arm themselves with tools to find quality candidates for open roles. Though each candidate is unique, keeping the four personas in mind throughout the process helps remind recruiters that hiring is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Understanding the four job-seeking personas and their associated triggers helps recruiters provide high-quality candidate experiences and fill skill gaps more quickly and successfully.
      By Corey Berkey, SVP of People, Employ Inc.
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