Common Career Questions
Q: Why should I go through a recruitment consultant when seeking job opportunities?
Q: Why should I consider a Contract role?
Q: What is the pay/offer like?
Q: Should I take the first offer that comes along?
Q: Why should I go through a recruitment consultant when seeking job opportunities?
A good recruiter is able to understand your background, experiences and career goals and match you to a suitable position. He/She should also be able to advise you on how to structure your resume, conduct yourself during interviews and provide other tips to land that job. Where appropriate, a good recruiter should also be able to judge how far you are from your career goals and point you to the areas that you may be lacking in e.g. skills/knowledge that you need in order to pursue that goal. Finally, recruitment consultancy usually represents the top companies in town. Impressing your recruiting agents would mean that you are more likely to get presented to their clients.
Q: Why should I consider a Contract role?
IT Contract roles are very common in the market these days. There are various reasons for contract hires: - a shortage/freeze of headcount; - hiring only on demand basis, such as for the duration of the IT project; - replacement of staff who are on sabbatical or maternity; - or a contract to permanent basis where both employers and employees are able to access each party on the suitability to the position and environment.
Before you say “No” to being a contractor, here are some points to ponder. IT Contract roles are mostly given by IT vendors, who usually work on challenging and interesting IT implementations. Thus the experience you draw from such projects may be tremendous. Due to the economic situation and uncertainties, contract hiring is preferred by most companies including MNCs and Banks. In the past, when only the “cream of the crop” gets hired into the top MNCs, now there is a chance for you to get into such companies – albeit on a contractual basis. A contractor may have an opportunity to be converted to a permanent staff when a headcount becomes available and companies’ decision to convert you will then depend on your personal merits, skills and commitment to the job.
For a fresher or junior executive, accepting a contract job will allow you the job experience while accessing and deciding if the job is suited to you. Leaving the job when the contract expires is usually an acceptable reason and not seen as job hopping. For candidates who tend to move around different jobs, contract roles may also be more suitable - for the same reason.
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Q: What is the pay/offer like?
This question is on the top of everyone’s mind. However, how and when do you bring up the issue of your expected salary and not look like you are too money-minded? The rule of the thumb is, let the recruiter/hiring manager bring up this question and never initiate it. Recruiters are often put off by candidates who ask this question before anything else. The general guideline for a salary increase during a job change would be between 10-20% of the previous salary package. For those skills and experience that are much sought-after in the market, a 30-50% increase may be possible. If you think that you are underpaid in your current job and would like to be brought closer to the market value, getting advice and assistance from your Recruitment Consultant may be the best approach.
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Q: Should I take the first offer that comes along?
Changing a job requires much effort. From writing that cv, applying for various positions and going for interviews. So it comes as no surprise that to end the frustration of a job search, job seekers simply accepts the first offer that comes along and refuse to look at subsequent opportunities. The best scenario will be that all jobs are offered at the same time so that you may pick and choose. This does not happen often. It is acceptable to ask hiring companies to let you have a timeframe for consideration. HR people will usually understand the need for you to ponder over the career changes and employment terms. This period usually range between 3 to 7 days. Thus don’t be afraid to ask for a window period before you commit to that job.
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