You said WHAT?!
At our most recent “Un-Career Fair” in Reston, Va., ClearanceJobs.com quizzed Natasha Wormley, a recruiter for Millennium Corporation, about the kind of candidates she pursued. Millennium, a Virginia-based federal contracting firm, has hired candidates directly from ClearanceJobs.com events like this one.
What positions are you looking to fill today?
Systems Security Engineers (AKA “Cyber Ethical Hackers”), Software Engineer Journeyman, Tests and Evaluation Engineers, Project Management Executives
Where does Millennium Corporation find most of its hires?
“Around 80 percent of our hires come directly from ClearanceJobs.com,” says Wormley. “Nearly all the rest are through employee referrals and the smallest portion come from general job sites.” While Millennium receives the majority of its applications from other job sites, it describes the caliber of those applicants as lower.
Do recruiters care about a candidate’s profile picture? What weight do they give it?
“First of all, it must look professional!” Wormley underscores. Surprisingly, not all of them are, and pictures can be very revealing.” Don’t think you can crop out that beer can and turn a flattering party shot into a professional headshot. “Even if we can’t see everything in the background, we can tell where it came from.”
Why should a jobseeker consider a small business over established industry powerhouses?
It’s simple, she says: “The potential for faster growth within the company.” Millennium offers the efficiency and innovative spirit of a boutique firm, with many of the perks of its big-name competitors. For example, Millennium boasts a sizable benefits package and a competitive tuition reimbursement program. “With fewer overhead expenses, we can offer greater flexibility to our employees,” Wormley explains.
What your greatest pet peeve when reading resumes and applications?
“Not reading the job description but applying for the job anyway. Most of the time if you don’t meet a specific requirement, we will remove your resume from the search. Read the job description carefully and only submit an application to a position for which you are genuinely qualified.”
The second most vexing practice? Oversharing. “I’m shocked to find applicants liberally displaying their social security numbers,” she says. Casualness with sensitive or personal information doesn’t demonstrate prudence. It’s also best to keep information like your sexual orientation and political affiliation to yourself and stick to relevant skills. “You’d be surprised what people are willing to tell you upfront.”
