The SODA Squad’s very own Antonia Otter caught up with the marvellous Felipe Alemany recently for a chat about tech recruitment (our favourite subject). Felipe is the Tech Talent Acquisition Team Lead at Smava, and we thought it was about time we picked his brains for some expert tips, thanks Felipe!
Check out the conversation below:
Tell Me About Your Journey Into Tech Recruitment
I landed here by sheer chance! I started with a sourcing job and realised I was very passionate about the experience. This moved to recruitment until I did the full life cycle at Wayfair, Widmu, and finally Smava! Very passionate about people, being able to invite people into a positive environment, and be part of that onboarding. I have done both commercial and tech roles over the years and now lead a team of two!
What Advice Would You Give to Job Seekers Regarding Their CV?
Keep the formatting easy to read in chronological order. Make it easy for us. Seeing a list of techs is okay, it’s better to have more context to where you might have used a tech, and to what extent.
When Job Seekers Are Applying, What Top Tips Would You Give Them?
I don’t think writing a cover letter is necessary, but if you are going to do this, make sure it’s obvious why it’s addressed to us and it tells something the CV doesn’t showcase already. Make it genuine and do not use ChatGPT! And if you are reaching out to a recruiter on LinkedIn, we have lots of messages, so make your outreach specific as to what you want. Also, don’t be afraid to follow up after a few days if you are waiting for feedback, but 24 hours is too quick!
What Top Tips Would You Give to Candidates Interviewing?
Be specific with what you are saying, don’t be wishy-washy. I.e., if you want to be a manager, tell us what that means to you. If you want growth and progression, tell us what that specifically is as well. We don’t want to bring you on and not be able to give you what you want, or feel you haven’t really thought about what this means to you.
Think about where you have owned projects and have added value, and tell us about it. Try to understand what your impact was in your role. If you move often, explain why.
Always research the company! Ensure you can explain what the company is doing in basic terms to a friend, and research who you are speaking to, and what sort of information they can provide to you. Finally, be relaxed!
What are Your Final Tips for Job Seekers in 2023?
Make sure you research before you get to the interview – the market in 2023 has changed a lot. There are fewer roles, and there is no excuse for not researching a company!
.png)
.png)