Fabric Staffing’s Recruiter Anthology – February 2023
This month our recruiters took to LinkedIn to share some awesome tips on how to expand your network, what makes a winning LinkedIn profile, and tips on working with recruiters.
How to expand your network
Tom (COO)
Last week, I attended Talent Thought Talk in San Francisco, at Cloudflare, and it was so nice to be networking back in person, representing Fabric Staffing, and listening to an intelligent panel from the Recruiting and People sector. A major takeaway for #Recruiting that was discussed was the use of #chatgpt… so I had it write a LinkedIn post about Networking. Solid standard advice IMO – how else can people build their network and get noticed within their industry?
” Networking can be a great way to make connections, learn new things, and even find your next career opportunity. Here are some tips on how to network effectively within the tech industry:
- Attend industry events: Look for conferences, meetups, and other events that are relevant to your field. These events are great opportunities to meet new people, learn about the latest trends, and exchange ideas.
- Join online communities: Joining online communities, such as LinkedIn groups, forums, and social media groups, can be a great way to connect with others in your field. Engage in discussions, share your expertise, and build relationships.
- Reach out to people you admire: Identify people in your industry who inspire you or whose work you admire, and reach out to them. You can send them a message on LinkedIn or reach out to them on social media. Be respectful of their time, and ask for advice or feedback rather than immediately asking for a job or favor.
- Attend local meetups: Look for local tech meetups in your area. These groups are often organized by people in the industry and are a great way to meet others who share your interests.
- Volunteer your time: Consider volunteering your time for industry events or conferences. This is a great way to meet new people, gain new skills, and demonstrate your commitment to the industry.Remember, networking is about building relationships and making connections. Focus on building genuine connections with others in the industry and be open to learning and sharing your knowledge. Good luck!”
Marissa (Recruiting Manager)
LinkedIn is a very powerful tool and with so many people on the platform, it can often be hard to stand out. In a time when the market is pretty saturated (specifically in tech), I wanted to share some things that I look for and love to see as a recruiter.
1. Add a photo! I know that sounds obvious, but I come across so many profiles without a photo and it can make the profile feel outdated or show a lack of effort. For the record- I don’t think it necessarily has to be a photo of your face. I love a good pet photo : )
2. Write a proper summary- this is a great opportunity to sum up your professional experience, career goals, and personal interests. For many companies finding someone that is a great culture fit is equally as important as finding someone with the right skill set. What are you passionate about? What are some of your hobbies? You might be surprised by how the little things can really grab the attention of a potential connection or employer.
3. Add skills- LinkedIn lets you add up to 50 skills to your profile. This is an easy way to highlight a mix of both hard and soft skills. It also increases your chances of popping up in a recruiter search.
4. Reviews- I always look for reviews. Yes, seeing where you have worked and what you were responsible for is crucial, but hearing directly from past and present colleagues in the form of reviews can be equally as powerful. Don’t be shy- ask your colleagues to write a brief review and do one for them in return.
These are just a few things I look for and where I focus can change drastically from role to role, but making simple tweaks to your profile can have a big impact on the level of engagement you see on the platform.
Siraina Dickens-Cole (Tech Recruiter)
One tip everyone hears when they’re looking for their next opportunity or trying to bring in new business is to network, network, network. This can be intimidating, especially if you’re a big introvert like me. Where do you start? How do you start the conversation? How can you find networking events?
Start with people you know: Reconnect with people you haven’t talked to in a while if you see that they work in the industry you’re interested in. You can catch up while asking them about their career. Also, ask your friends for an introduction if they know people in your industry. This is one of the easiest (and least awkward) ways to expand your network!
Take advantage of ALL social media platforms: Everyone uses LinkedIn to network and it’s a great way to get in contact with a lot of people. You can do the same on other social media platforms. Some people actively use Twitter or TikTok to talk about their jobs. Follow them, engage with their content, or shoot them a DM!
Use your hobbies to network: If you go to fitness classes, art classes, or create content on social media, you can connect with so many people! Make an effort to get to know people in your classes or engage with your audience. You never know what opportunities can come out of these conversations.
Most importantly, don’t forget to be yourself! Networking ideally results in long-term relationships, and you don’t want people to have the wrong idea of who you are. Check out this article to read more about how you can effectively network!
What makes a winning LinkedIn profile
Tom (COO)
LinkedIn profiles are a brief representation of who you are in your professional career. Make sure that you are doing more than just listing your previous jobs (BORING!), and add some personality to it!
I love seeing things like personal hobbies, side gigs, funny stories, etc (along with your previous jobs and brief details). When I look at someone’s LinkedIn profile, I’m wondering if this seems like a person I would enjoy working with for a variety of reasons. I don’t like to see every technology or skillset under the sun – to me that says you’re just trying to play the “system”.
Idk – rambly sentences, but LinkedIn is so often that “first impression” people love to talk about! 🙂
Genevieve (Sr. Tech Recruiter)
- Use keywords you want to be known for in you headline/about section/ skills list. This is how recruiters find you and how the algorithm links you to others in your sphere.2. Speaking of the skill list, ADD SKILLS! You can add up to 25 of them so pick skills that align with the job you want and things you’re best at!3. That “About Me” section is gold. Tell the world what you want and you’re more likely to get it. Then tell us why you’re qualified for it. Don’t forget to add your passions! I want to hear about your love for music/dogs/mountain climbing, bc you never know a music app for dogs who love mountain climbing might be looking for you!4. Make sure. Your location. Is accurate. Even remote roles will hire based on time zone so make sure you don’t miss out because that’s not up to date.
5. Make sure your resume and LinkedIn line up at very least with regard to titles, companies, and time spent at a job. If they don’t, it looks like there’s a lie somewhere and creates immediate distrust. So make sure they are the same!
6. Connect with recruiters. Thier network is massive. You never know who might be connected to them that will see you and be like ‘oh wow that person is perfect for my team!’
7. Don’t look at my linked in as an example bc it is unmitigated chaos and I don’t care because I’m perfectly happy at my job 🙂
Sara McBride (Tech Recruiter)
Check out this article from Linkedin themselves on what makes or breaks having a strong profile – below is what resonated with me specifically as a recruiter. 🔍
-Make your headline more than your job title ✅
Use the headline to expand about how you see your role, why you do what you do, and what makes you tick.
-Turn your summary into your story. 📖
Your summary is your chance to tell your own story – so don’t just use it to list your skills or the job titles you’ve had. Try to bring to life why those skills matter – and the difference they can make to the people you work with.
-Declare war on buzzwords. 🚫
Buzzwords are used so often in LinkedIn headlines and summaries that they become almost completely meaningless. Their rankings of the most over-used buzzwords include terms like ‘specialized’, ‘leadership’, ‘focused’, ‘strategic’, ‘experienced’, ‘passionate’, ‘expert’, ‘creative’, ‘innovative’ and ‘certified’.
Your LinkedIn profile is the foundation of your personal brand, think about implementing these changes to stand out from the crowd with a killer profile. 🚀
Tips on working with recruiters
Tom (COO)
When sourcing for new candidates for particular roles, recruiters often get a response somewhere along the lines of “That is not what I want to do in my next role” and then never speak to you again. Fair, but 99% of the time, a specialized recruiter is likely searching for other positions that could be a better fit.
However, there’s no way of knowing that the recruiter doesn’t take the initiative to ask what types of roles they WOULD be interested in learning more about. Give the titles, industries, hard skills, size of the company, comp range, etc in an initial conversation and so many headaches and frustrations can be avoided. Even if that recruiter doesn’t have something for you at this very moment, they can keep you on their shortlist when something better does come along.
We implement this initiative into our training at Fabric Staffing to truly build trusting relationships with our candidates – whether we end up placing them or not.
Would love to hear what else candidates can upfront to recruiters to make their job search more efficient
Genevieve (Sr. Tech Recruiter) – Shared an awesome video on her tips!
Sara McBride (Tech Recruiter)
My job as a recruiter is to enable great companies to find even better talent.
Here are my top three tips when working with a recruiter 🚀
1.) Have an updated resume 📝
Keep your resume refreshed with the latest and greatest so when opportunity knocks in your DMs, you can be ready to pursue! Your LinkedIn profile is what helps us find you, but your resume fills in the blanks of your background and experience.
2.) Communicate 📱
We are always available for questions or conversations. Fabric Staffing takes the responsibility of being the bridge between you and your next opportunity very seriously. Always reach out!
3.) Be candid 🤥
We can’t help you to the fullest of our ability unless we have all the information. In final rounds with another company, but interested in our role? Let us know! We can expedite the process to help align timelines.
There is a sea of recruiting companies out there, but Fabric Staffing’s combination of personal touch and expertise in the tech industry is unrivaled.
