Posts from Clearcover's Recruiters Part 3: Tips for Jobseekers
Written by Team Clearcover | April 20th, 2022
At Clearcover, we're following a year of record growth by continuing to bring on new team members in all departments. Operating as a remote-first company gives us the advantage of welcoming new Clearcover-ers from across the country. As our recruiting team seeks to fill over 60 open positions, we endeavor to make our application and hiring process as transparent and smooth as possible for all candidates. In addition, we want to give qualified candidates the tools to submit their best application and stand out among possible new hires for our open positions.
Earlier this month, we spoke to members of our recruiting team who described Clearcover's hiring process in detail for all jobseekers. In a subsequent post, recruiters Christina and Alex talked to us about their career backgrounds and how they know when they've found the ideal candidate to fill a role.
In this third and final blog post from Clearcover's recruiting team, Senior Technical Recruiter Deshanna Richter and Technical Recruiter Claire Davis offer job seekers tips on optimizing your resumes and LinkedIn pages, preparing for Zoom interviews, following up, standing out among applicants for an open position, and the top attributes they look for in a candidate.
The Perfect Resume
Resumes should be two to three pages in lengths and should be submitted in .doc or .pdf formats to allow for easier viewing. You should avoid putting pictures, elaborate formatting or brackets into a resume as they can cause the resume to not integrate well into a company's applicant system.
A resume should include the following content:
A list of technologies and databases you have worked with in lieu of an objective statement.
A list of positions held within the last 10 years in reverse chronological order including company name (with a 1-2 sentence description of lesser known companies), full position title, an up-to-date timeline in each position and a list of responsibilities and project
Applicants should include details about not only the technologies with which you have experience, but also information about the project you were supporting and impact that project had on the business
LinkedIn: Build Your Network and Add Details
LinkedIn is a great networking tool and an easy way to keep up to date with people in your industry or companies that you are interested in, meet other professionals in your field, and find new career opportunities. A candidate's LinkedIn page is also an extremely important part of a recruiters' search for candidates for an open position.
Clearcover's recruiters offer the following advice to optimize your LinkedIn page as part of your job search:
Include the same information from your resume, adding even more details. Recruiters feel that the more details, the better.
Use keywords (examples: Java, Kotlin, Agile, etc.) and add specific skills to your profile to help recruiters find you in their searches. Make sure that the "Skills and Endorsements" section is up to date with your most recent and strongest skills.
Ask your coworkers or former managers to leave you a recommendation on your profile.
Indicate if you're actively searching for a new role, and follow the companies you're interested in.
Use a professional photo for your profile.
Remember that LinkedIn is different from other social media like Facebook and Instagram. You're trying to expand your network, so avoid posting anything too personal or unrelated to your work.
Zoom Interview Checklist
Follow these guidelines in order to portray yourself in the best light (literally and figuratively!) during your Zoom interview:
Test your internet connection, camera and microphone before the interview begins.
Use a non-distracting Zoom background without any movement such as a solid color or a bookshelf.
Ensure that your Zoom account is active and you have everything downloaded prior to the interview.
Look at yourself on camera and position your light source so that the light on your face is brighter than the light behind you.
Always have your camera on!
Prepare for Interviews
Recruiters conduct interviews nearly every day, and appreciate candidates who are thoroughly prepared. To make the best impression in your next interview, they recommend taking the following steps:
Research the company you are interviewing with. Take a look at the company’s LinkedIn page, recent news, blog, and “About Us” section on their website.
If you know who you’re interviewing with, look at their LinkedIn page to understand their background, how long they’ve been with the company, and if you already have some common connections.
Have a clear idea of what you are looking for in your next role. What does an ideal position look like for you? What are the main values that are important to you for a company to prioritize?
Understand the job requirements and responsibilities. Be able to speak to your areas of strengths as well as areas where you can grow and improve as they pertain to the role.
Practice reframing negative experiences into positive outcomes or opportunities.
Learn how to use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Results) to answer interview questions. Set the scene for your interviewer and describe the ultimate impact that you (not just your team) had on the company. When answering questions, avoid using company-specific jargon or terms that people outside of your company may not understand.
Interview Follow-Up
Within 24 hours after your interview, send a thank you note via email to the recruiter you've been working with. The recruiter will ensure that the note will be forwarded to the hiring team and not be lost in an inbox.
In your follow up message, reiterate specific topics from the interview and highlight how your specific skills apply to those topics. Review major takeaways from the interview including what you learned, interesting discoveries, exciting challenges of the position, and how your experience could fill in current gaps within the team.
Be Enthusiastic, Positive, and Responsive
Applicants who convey enthusiasm, energy, and passion for what they want gives interviewers confidence that they are committed, driven, and would bring positivity to the team. Additionally, applicants always stand out when they have prepared for their interview by doing research and when they follow up to continue to express interest in the role. Recruiters appreciate an applicant who is responsive when contacted about scheduling, discussing next steps, and answering follow up questions.
The Top 3 Attributes Clearcover Looks for in a Tech Candidate
Effective Communicators - Candidates who demonstrate that they can effectively communicate during an interview are more likely to be hired for a role. During an interview, these candidates can clearly and concisely explain their experience and provide supporting examples. In their previous and current roles, they have examples of how they effectively communicated through challenges, and led successful projects.
"Better-er" Thinkers - At Clearcover, our Leadership Principles are the ways we think, behave and interact with each other, and they gude each employee's future growth. One of those principles is that we all strive to "think better-er." We have high standards, and are willing to make mistakes and take risks in order to produce better and better outcomes. Candidates who demonstrate that they have continued to push the status quo, educate themselves, and learn from and improve on past mistakes will fit into Clearcover's culture.
Mentors - For senior level roles and above, candidates should have participated in a mentorship program, either formally through a company program, or informally. They should be able to discuss the aspects of their mentorship including issues the mentee was struggling with and how their situation improved as a result of the candidate's mentorship.
Now that you are familiar with Clearcover's hiring process, have met some of our recruiters, and are prepared for your next Zoom interview, we invite you to bring your unique skill set to our team and apply for one of our open positions today!
