How To Use Job Websites and more tips.
Case 1: When you are on Project and are not actively looking for new work.
1) Always keep a copy of your resume active. Keep a dummy copy of your resume online, even if you are not actively looking for opportunity. This will help you to keep in touch with job opportunities around your criteria.
2) Dummy resume means:
--Avoid using combination of real First & Last name. for eg: if your name is Jay Rathod, use "Jay R" or "J Rathod"
--Create a new Email address avoid your frequently and formally used email address in dummy resume
-- You can create multiple versions of your dummy resume
for eg: A dotnet programer can create one version with lot of vb.net experience [with name Jay R.] and another verison with C# [name as J R. Shanker ], and another with highlighting more of winform experience[with name Jay S.R].
-- Never use your Mobile number on dummy resume
3) Dummy resume helps in two ways, it doesnt reveal your identity and at the same time, if you get some interesting inquiry you can still go ahead and start communication.
4) Help all your friends who are looking for opportunity. Make few calls for them, forward their resume to all companies you know.
5) Keep a wiki page on Google docs and keep adding any new requirements you come across. This will help you to keep track of what goes on in industry.
6) Always keep updated copy of your resume in your email.
Case 2: When you are actively looking for project
1) Try to login in to job websites and modify word or line 2-3 times in a day. Recruiters try to search resume with a filter of most recently updated resumes. This way your resume will always remain on top.
2) Your resume first half should highlight all your technical capabilities
i.e. Write down all interesting, latest, important things you have done or can handle.
by just reading first half of your resume, anyone should get a feeling that you are heavily experienced and techie kind of person.
3) Use Google to find technically impressive words and use them in your resume.
For e.g.: if you are Dot Net programmer, use Google to find resumes of dot net programmers, Google will search some of the resume of few people, visit these resume and try to pick up terms and lines which sound interesting and are related.
another eg:
While writing this article I just googled "resume of dotnet programmers " and was able to get one resume and picked up following points:
Non-Technical points
* Motivated problem solver who takes responsibility for getting the job done.
* Excellent communication skills of effective listener and team contributor.
Technical points:
* Developed a fully object oriented, 3-tier application to manage entire Payroll program.
* Project worked as both a database application and a spreadsheet to calculate allocation of benefit pay throughout the organization.
4) Desi vendors always ask you to manipulate your resume.
Is that wrong?
I dont want to answer this question; it involves good & bad on part of both company and consultant. You have to do what you have got to do.
I have personally added few features and tools in resume which I never used in past projects, but then i went one step further.
If I add anything new to resume, I prepare myself with some basic knowledge on it.
For e.g.: one client needed experience with SharePoint services, I tried studying it for 2-3 hours and was able to talk about it in Interview, and eventually my client never used Sharepoint service in project.
5) Mobile airtime is biggest issue while searching new project. I have run out of free minutes when I was in process of giving interviews. Except for the pre decided technical interviews by client, all other calls can be handled on skype.
Buy a skype in number, cost is around 10-12 bucks for 3 months, it gives you a proper number and a voicemail. Use this number on your resume. Let all vendors call you on this number. You can do 3 things with all calls
a) If you are online talk to them using headset on your laptop.
b) Let it go on voice, which you can listen online and reply to relevant calls
c) If you are away from machine and dont want to miss call, you can forward your skype calls to your mobile phone.
Bottom-line is try to save as many minutes you can on your airtime.
6) To cut short my talk with vendors I always keep my criteria ready and quick on calls.
When I am searching for projects and I get a call from some vendor, within first 60 second I convey to him that
* I am on h1b (not citizen)
* I am looking only corp to corp to start with, no h1 transfer (or to be on safer side just say, no h1b transfer for at least initial 3-4 months)
* My rate is 55 or 60 or 65 or whatever, nothing below that
* Location preferences (if any)
This helps me to avoid unnecessary talking with irrelevant calls
7) Speak to few friends in your technology to get an idea of how much rate is optimum for your skill set.
8) If your company finds project for you, have a healthy discussion with them and see if they have no issues with you finding project independently.
Desi companies dont want you to find project for several reasons like:
1) Dont want to reveal rate to you.
2) Want to find higher rate at the cost of you remaining on bench
3) There are chances that multiple resume will get submitted at same place, in that case your marketing agent might loose his cut.
9) You have to find out how good is your company's Marketing team, I personally feel you are in best position to market yourself. Just try to have healthy discussion with your company and ask them for tips of what to do and what not to do while if you are finding project for yourself.
10) No one cares about American accent, what client wants is bug free code or someone to handle database servers.
Finally what you need is complete confidence while searching for opportunity. A close friend once said that when you are searching for new project eat good food. You want to have rich and good meal because you want to hit hard.