by Client Server

Q: I get calls from recruiters about jobs all the time. Why can’t they just send me a job spec and let me decide if it’s relevant?

Client Server Team Lead Nick Heath says:

A: Having worked at Client Server for close to six years, I would hasten a guess this question is the one I have been asked the most.

“Why is that a problem?” I hear you ask. Ultimately, it would be a quicker way to get things done. Your recruiter just fires a job spec over and you can then make a decision on whether to proceed or not. What’s the issue?

There are two big things you should consider.

1: Job specs aren’t all they’re cracked up to be

This age-old document tends to be written by someone in HR or a recruiter, so you’re unlikely to learn anything you wouldn’t from a job advert. This results in the spec having a list of “required skills” as long as my arm (and I’m 6’5).

For example, a fintech in London looking for a C++ Developer might list its tech requirements as:

C++,

Python

Multithreading

Linux

Windows

Real-time systems

STL

Boost

In reality, only two-thirds of those skills will be essential and the others more of a “nice to have”. You will never get to know this unless you speak to your recruiter first.

Reading this on a job spec dilutes the genuinely cool parts of the role that are most likely to sway your interest. Without speaking to your recruiter, you might miss an opportunity of not being able to get through all the dull jargon.

2: Your reasons for changing jobs won’t be found on a job spec

At Client Server, we have between 300-400 lives jobs on our books - that’s a lot of job specs! How are we supposed to know what is genuinely interesting to you without speaking to you first?

Spending 10-15 minutes on the phone before speaking about specific roles gives our highly-qualified consultants ample time to really work out your motivation to changing jobs. Without this valuable time, we run the risk of taking up your day by sending through multiple job specs which you aren’t interested in.

We can see from your CV what you are doing at the moment but not the most vital question: What do you want to do?

When that email comes through from your extra-friendly Client Server consultant, don’t just reply back with a “send me the job spec” email. Arrange an appropriate time to speak to them and I guarantee it will be worth it in the long run.

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