6. …or failing to respond within a day once called

Stanbrook: “The job market is extremely tight, and the hiring process can move fast, so if a recruiter reaches out to set up an interview for you, it’s important to respond within 24 hours. If a candidate doesn’t respond within 24 hours, it often signifies they aren’t actually interested in the job or may not be the most reliable.”

7. Speaking excessively in acronyms

Aleksandra Włodarczyk, tech recruiter at Zety: “Despite being mainly an IT recruiter, I also hunt for talent across multiple industries such as marketing and product. So when I hear something along the lines of. ‘I did WPF five years ago, but now I tend to focus on Full Stack .NET. That said, I’m cool with WPF,’ I kind of have to decipher what those acronyms mean. My advice to IT professionals is to understand that IT recruiters might not always have the deepest subject knowledge and that it’s worth cutting them some slack when going over your qualifications and past experiences during a job interview.”

8. Displaying arrogance

Oksana Evseenko, senior talent acquisition specialist at Belitsoft: “Sometimes condescending behavior is justified – quite a few recruiters don’t even read people’s profiles and offer them absolutely unfitting jobs. But if a person is being nice and professional towards you, it would only be fair to respond in kind.”

9. Failing to show up for calls and interviews

Camden Rendon, talent acquisition manager for The 20: “One of my biggest pet peeves has to be candidates that just completely go dark. We understand the job market is hot, and we do our best to arrange our schedules to completely accommodate candidates and their needs. With that said, we block out time for interviews that we could be spending doing something else, and for a candidate to not show up is one of the worst things in my opinion. If you’re making a commitment to someone, it’s always in your best interest to keep it. I will never fault a candidate for doing what they think is best for them, but it’s important to stay in communication and let us know those things. Most companies will immediately blacklist candidates that no call, no show – and no matter who the company is, you don’t want to be on that list.”

10. Holding your cards too close

Tim Leylak, IT Branch Manager at Addison Group: “The number-one thing I experience that slows down the recruitment process are ‘new developments/changes in candidacy,’ which can be a new offer in play, changes in compensation needs, or something else. What most candidates don’t realize is that the fact that they are interviewing at other companies can be leveraged into a positive for our clients.”

“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, so when a candidate has even a small opportunity ‘in hand,’ be it an interview or progress made with the firm/company they are working with, most qualified recruiters can use that information to leverage faster speed to market with our clients.”

“Here is the bottom line: Don’t work with recruiters you don’t trust. If you are working with someone you believe will use the information you provide them to hinder your search, stop. Meet your recruiter, establish a relationship, and then decide if you want to have that individual represent you in the marketplace. At that point, having open and honest communication is effortless.”

[ Arm yourself for IT job interviews with winning tactics and relevant data. Get the free eBook: IT job searching in 2019: A practical guide. ]

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