Matthew Wallace
As a developer in the industry I have seen my opportunity for work grow over the past few years. If any of you have found yourself scrambling for work and you post your resume online you know as soon as you do you almost instantly get hit with complete bullshit, template based emails from recruiting companies. If you don't know how to spot these type of emails it's pretty simple. They usually start with Dear job seeker or candidate, and they usually "might" say something about the programming language or technology you work in along with a list of job opportunities that require you know every other technology in the industry.
Luckily I have been able to filter most of the over the years and most of them hit my spam folder.
I have heard many complaints from developers over the years about the recruiting industry. It's for sure taken on an "Us vs. Them" mentality, and in most cases, rightfully so.
I am invited to be on a panel at SXSW that will be covering topics about Recruiters in the tech industry. I am hoping to shed some light from a developers perspective on when to seek contracts by using a recruiter and when to run the other way, and guess what ...... 99% of the time I run the other way. Believe it or not there are a few situations where I would not be where I am today without the couple of situations that I have found myself working through recruiters.
The panel is not meant to be an advertisement for the current company / recruiter that I work with at all. Rather it's meant to get real with this shit. We all can benefit in our industry if we form real relationships where we need too and create the "win / win" for everyone involved. This may or may not involve a recruiter or recruiting company.
I am really looking forward to SXSW and meeting a lot of great people while I am there. Please let me know if you're going to be there. I would enjoy meeting up with some cool people and most importantly .... if you are a developer please find yourself sitting in this session because this will be your chance to voice your concerns and ask questions.
In the wake of one of the worst economic disasters in our lifetimes, recruiters/headhunters can hold the golden ticket to finding a dream job. Mega corporations are moving to vendor managed processes that silence the average job seeker and all but force them into the waiting arms of a headhunter. Job seekers new to town and new to a job market rely heavily on the knowledge of recruiters to shine a light on who's hiring. What's not mentioned are the massive turnover numbers inside the "search industry". 70% quit within the first year and then those that stay wonder why job seekers despise working with them. This panel will feature both sides of the coin. (1) Recruiters (technical) that have proven successful in their respective industries but had to battle to achieve independence among the masses of greasy sales folk. (2) Job seekers (software developers) that have gone through horrible processes and are not only unafraid to share the horrors but can speak intelligently about what the loved and hated. A no holds barred session of what works and what doesn't and more importantly why and why not. In the spirit of SXSW, ample time will be given to dauntless dialogue from those in attendance. The veil of secrecy will be dropped.
Presenters
David Sidlinger Code Craftsman N/ADavid Sidlinger is a husband, father, all-around swell guy, and code craftsman from Nashville, Tennessee. David has a deep love for his wife, his son, and beautiful code and a hatred for null that burns brighter than the brightest star. He has been bending computers to his will for 25 years, 12 professionally, and is currently working for a healthcare company. A team member and builder, he has dealt with all sides of technical recruiting.
Matthew Wallace Owner/Software Dev Wallace DevelopmentI am a Software Developer who primarily uses the Flash Platform for the development of Web, Desktop, and Mobile applications. My clients are/have been Adobe Consulting, Yahoo, Digital Reasoning, Moontoast, and Healthways. I am also the manager of the Nashville Flash Platform User Group. My latest endeavor is an application dubbed Venueblast due to release in early 2011. Signup to be a part at http://venueblast.com. I have a passion for problem solving and creativity creativity relative to software development centered around multi-media experience. Everything that I do is driven by loving what I do and creating kick ass experiences for users.
Scott Gordon Partner Vaco LLCNashville, TN's 2010 Blogger/Social Media Person of the Year, Scott Gordon, the “Anti Pimp” (www.TheAntiPimp.com) himself, is a nationally renowned speaker on the mechanics of unlocking the power of putting your money where your mouth is. He brings his 14 years of experience in “buying and selling people” for some of the nation’s most successful technology consulting and placement firms, mixes in unbridled enthusiasm and a healthy dose of sarcasm to deliver some real “ah-ha” moments. Scott’s real-life examples and insights will demonstrate how existing relationships can go miles deeper through the use of social networks and social media. He’s a lover of the game, a diligent student and an excellent communicator. Top exec’s at companies like Publix, Disney, Universal Studios, Sears, Gaylord Entertainment and Electronic Arts have learned from Scott. He’s not for the faint of heart, though. His in-your-face views of the misnomers and best practices of the world will leave you smiling and nodding. He literally escaped the Fortune 500 company in 2004 to assist in opening an office for a now national consulting firm, Vaco. (www.Vaco.com) Vaco has grown over 2000% in just 8 years and recently named as one of the fastest growing companies in the United States by Inc. magazine. Scott has been a Partner with Vaco since joining in 2004
Tiffany Jennings Interactive Acct Mgr AquentTiffany Jennings has been recruiting in Portland for almost 8 years. Largely focused on the Interactive Design/Development and User Experience space for Aquent. She is part of the Learning Services Team coaching and mentoring new recruiters on building positive talent relationships and staying abreast to changing skill sets and technology trends. Tiffany’s unique (and bad ass) recruiting perspective has helped land her talent positions with Nike, Adobe, Intel, T-mobile, Microsoft and Razorfish locally and globally. V,O,W,L- Recruiting everything from .Net Developers, CNC Machinist to Graphic Designers over the last 8 years, her recruiting experience comes from a variety of industries. Being an opinionated female, Tiffany brings a totally new element to this panel. Currently located in Portland, OR but working with international clientele, Tiffany will be able to contrast and compare mega corps to smaller regional processes
whurley (william hurley) Chaotic Moon Studios
