Tips & Tricks

The technology resume, made easy

Rest assured that your Protingent recruiter will ensure your resume is in tip-top shape before it is ever submitted. However, if you want to get a head start on things consider creating a “chronologically detailed resume” that includes:

Summary: Summarize your skills with details in a short paragraph.
Technical skills list: What software, hardware, firmware, operating systems, etc. do you have experience working with? What versions and how long?
Chronological work history: Be sure to include your title, company name, location and dates of employment (month/year – month/year). You should also list the technical tools used in that position.
Education: Your degree and year attained followed by relevant courses/continuing education.
Hobbies and Associations are listed last.

How temporary assignments can lead to a long term career.

Many temporary assignments have temp-to-hire potential. Many of our positions are at competitive companies that can be hard to get into on your own. Protingent Staffing can place you in a position that has the potential to turn into a direct hire opportunity. These positions also allow you to get a feel for a company’s culture and work environment before accepting a full time position.

What does it mean to be a contractor, dispelling the myths.

The term “contractor” is often a misnomer for temporary or contingent workers, especially in the technical field. Your assignment may be temporary but in many cases may be extended or not have a fixed duration.

Being a contingent employee at Protingent isn’t much different than being a regular full time employee anywhere else. You will be a full time employee of Protingent with regular hours and benefits and be paid bi-weekly with all appropriate tax withholdings. At the end of the year you receive a W-2 form for tax purposes. Since Protingent pays federal and state unemployment taxes on your behalf you are eligible for Unemployment Insurance for any breaks between assignments. Protingent provides mandated workers compensation insurance to cover you for any workplace injuries.

In many cases the differences in benefits between Protingent and a direct hire benefit package is compensated for by a higher hourly pay rate.

Preparing for an interview on the phone and in person.

Phone interview/screen:

Review the position description and the website for the client you are interviewing with.
Think of examples that will describe your hands on experience relating to the position that you are interviewing for.
Find a quiet place where you can talk free of distractions.
Be sure to make sure there is a balance between who is talking and who is listening.
Try to close on the next step and a positive note. ("I've enjoyed our conversation and learning about the position…”, “It sounds like a great fit for my skills and interests and I would love to meet with you in person”, etc.

In-person interview:

Prior to the interview

Review the position description and the website for the client you are interviewing with. Research the company products, press release, stocks etc.
Use LinkedIn to research the background of the hiring manager you'll be meeting with. You many have mutual friends.
Dress accordingly (your recruiter will instruct you on the dress code for the interview); arrive ten minutes early; make a strong opening (good eye contact, smile, handshake and posture).

During the interview

Express interest in the job, be enthusiastic, friendly and ask about what they are doing.
Be specific and to the point with your answers as well as quantify and qualify your experience.
Please do not discuss pay rate as we will manage that part of the process with you.
Make a strong close (Thank you for your time. "I am very interested; I am looking forward to the next step", etc.).
Remember, most clients make decisions that are based on chemistry (50%) and technical skills (50%).

Cleaning up your social media profiles

In January 2010, a survey from Microsoft found that 79 percent of U.S. hiring managers have used the Internet to better assess applicants and 70 percent of employers have rejected a candidate because of information they found about that person online. Keeping that in mind, here are tips to follow when interacting on social networking sites:

Adjust your privacy settings. Use all the tools social media sites provide to protect your photos, wall posts and other content from public viewing. For a great list of essential privacy settings, check out this privacy guide from Mashable. Social media is ever changing so be sure to keep up with adjustments to privacy policies and various settings options.
Would you be comfortable if a recruiter or your grandmother saw your photos on Facebook? If the answer is maybe not, consider removing and/or un-tagging yourself from any questionable photos. You never know who might be able to access your account, even with carefully adjusted privacy settings.
Be smart about updating your status on anything career-related. Even if you’re not saying anything truly offensive, multiple status updates about how much you hate Mondays, how crummy your workday was, etc. can be hurtful in your career prospects for the future.