@mattallen - Matt Allen

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That awkward interview

Dumb shit we see all the time

We see both sides of the hiring fence all day long, and I’d like to give you guys some insights into some things to avoid when it’s time to go for your next role. !If you’re hiring people, try not to be the guy on the other side of this equation. Here we go.

@mattallen - Matt Allen

Dear Sir/Madam

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When you see that dream job, remember that there is a person on the end of your cover letter. !Find their name and address it to them. When we open up a “dear sir/madam” we take a deep breath, sigh and wonder 'is this cover letter going to tell me anything useful at all' . Take a little bit of time to find a name and write them something that will make them smile. This will get you straight to the front of my queue. !In the current market, you need to stand out. A well written, correctly spelt, personalised letter is a dead simple way to do that up front.

@mattallen - Matt Allen

All the things!

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Along with your cover letter you’ll send your resume. A 10 pager that goes back to the 12 months you spent as the fry cooker at the Maccas near your parents place is probably no longer relevant to your mad HTML5 and CSS3 skills. !Your resume is your personal pitch deck. It needs to be tailored to the role you’re applying for to highlight the bits that will get you *this specific gig*. If you have non-work related examples of things you’ve done under your own steam, definitely include them. They’re gold.

@mattallen - Matt Allen

Applying for *

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Now you’ve got your cover letter and resume, it’s time to put it out there. !Setting up a saved search for “Ruby” or “PHP” and applying for every single job that comes up is waste of your time and a waste of your recruiters time and the hiring manager's time. Some of the most awkward conversations i’ve had with candidates are those that think they’re talking about some other job they applied for. !We recommend you have no more than 2 or 3 applications on the go at any one time. Ducking out for interviews is time consuming and code tests take a lot of mental energy.

@mattallen - Matt Allen

Yeah, that’s my code ...

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Speaking of code tests, a lot of a lot of technical web roles will probably have one. The good ones will give you a problem that could be done simply and easily but they’re really looking for is your coding fundamentals. I usually get candidates to to think “how would I teach someone to code this using best practices” Also be aware that they’re going to ask you why you did things a certain way. If you don’t have an answer you’re going to look foolish.

@mattallen - Matt Allen

What’s next?

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When you do get to interview time, it’s really important to know what it is you *want* to do. This isn’t as much about what you have been doing, more along the lines of what’s next. Now’s the time for you to set and manage expectations as to what you’d like to see out of the role. For most people working on the web like us, roles can have a fair bit of flexibility if you frame the argument correctly. Speaking of framing the argument right, when you’re asked “why have you applied for this role?” you answer shouldn’t be about how you were desperate for a pay rise, or your visa is almost up and needs an extension. You need to research the role and the company. Most companies will have some stand out points about why they think they’re awesome and should appeal to you. One last point, now’s not the time to whinge about your last manager or team. We that know people quit people but telling your new potential workmates that the last lot were a pack of douchebags never looks good.

@mattallen - Matt Allen

Everyone is Human

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But the main thing we’d like you all to remember when you’re applying for your next job is that everyone is human. Even us recruiters are human, so the very best thing you can do is be respectful to everyone in the process and act in good faith. Don’t lie, tell all the truth and be upfront. Today we’re seeing people hire for attitude over aptitude so, make sure yours is a stand out! !Thanks!