Job seeking

Too many resumes are verbose. I gave a talk about job hunting at the August SydJS which focussed on working out what you actually want to do and how to best ensure the reader of your resume gets that message.

As a technical recruiter focussed on systems-type roles, I am frequently questioned by candidates on how to further their skills and increase their relevance in the marketplace.

By the time your references have been taken, you've reviewed your contract in meticulous detail and you even managed to locate a scanner to get it back to your new employer, it can seem that all the hard work in changing jobs is done. Hang on. You still need to tell your boss that you are moving on.

When meeting candidates at Lookahead we often discuss what makes for an extraordinary code test. My general advice is to 'make it your masterpiece'. Matta has written about this before so be sure to check that out.

This blog post was originally published as a guest post on the 88miles blog.

Recruitment can so often be about good timing. So what do you do if you find yourself looking for a new job when the market is a tad on the quiet side?

How's that code test going? Walk in the park or stressing you out?

I think there is a misconception out there about why you should write a cover letter and what to include.

I love seeing people passionate about something. We meet so many people who know they want to be programmers but don't quite know where to start.

Much of my recent career has been as a Rails developer within startups. In startup-land, pitching is a daily occurrence.