I have recruited for some of the world’s most demanding technology companies. From some of the most successful quantitative hedge funds to the latest hot tech start-ups building never before imagined technology to solve problems we didn't know we had. I have gained an interesting data set borne from thousands of interviews across hundreds of technology companies.

But, what have I learnt and what knowledge can I share with job seekers?

Well let’s start by accepting that there are no hard and fast rules. Like many things in life, getting into your dream company is complicated and subject to influence from a lot of variables you just have no control over. Don’t jump out the window just yet though, I am sure we can dissect this problem a little bit and see what history can teach us.

Let’s start with you. You are a skilled Software Engineer, you did everything right, you studied, you practiced, you went to the right school, why the hell aren’t these companies calling you directly?! Well that is the first step, what you are and what you want is only half the story.

What candidates tell me that they want

I want to work with smart people!

I want to work with cool technology!

I want a decent working environment!

I want to be valued as critical, not just necessary!

I want to be fairly paid!

I want to make a difference!

This takes us nicely onto the second half of your love story, your potential employer. But I don't want to overload you so jump over to part 2, where I will be exploring what top tech companies tell me they want!