Advice for tech talents who have unrealistic skills sets listed on their resumes

I launched my first tech-driven startup (www.devrecruit.org) in Q4 2019 into 2020, with a focus on connecting pre-vetted tech talents to local and international employers. Based on my personal real-world experience in this entrepreneurship journey, I have decided to write this article and believe most employers can relate to it; especially startups in the serious JAPA (Relocation Abroad Crisis) season of 2023.

You would agree with me that there are so many difficulties when finding a good fit for your company who is motivated and well set out to achieve long-term goals, alongside finding those who are truly passionate about their position in the company enough to elevate and achieve these goals.

One thing I noticed with most candidates (especially tech talents) is that majority of them DO NOT understand that their CV is meant to be an advertisement for what they can offer, as well as what they would be willing and ready to deliver when employed, and not just a "Pick me" document. Most CVs are so packed with skills that they become very attractive to potential employers, but I have come to realise that most of the skills and experience portrayed on CVs are mainly designed to get the job; and to give credit to most of them, they have done their research, or might have just enough experience in those fields to get through the interview phase. However, as an employee, it is important to remember that if you don't have significant knowledge or in-depth experience of these skills, it is advisable NOT to add them to your CV (except if you want to apply and gain more experience as an intern). This is because you may be required to deploy those skills even if you were not initially hired for that, especially in a startup; there is an 80% chance that one of these extra skills is what gave you an edge over others during your interviews. This leads to employers getting frustrated when you are called upon to utilise these skills and you don't deliver adequately, thereby making the employee feel like they are being targeted or asked to do tasks or handle responsibilities that they feel are not in their job description.

One major piece of advice for tech talents is to put your best foot forward this year and be open to the “idea of an internship” to hone your skills (both hard & soft skills development) or be honest about what is on your CV to manage expectations from employers.

Staffs are a very important capital to startups as they can define the speed at which a company grows and may also create a label (good or bad) for the company. Unfortunately for employers, mostly disgruntled employees go out there to explain their side to the public when they are let go and employers most times have limited chances to explain their own side of the story.

This brings to the table the topic of a toxic work environment. Lets keep in mind that there is no perfect workplace, just different expectations, and until you can find employees/employers who align with the same goals and expectations, there will always be issues of a good staff or a good employer.

Original Content owned by: Olasubomi Jegunmah