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Interview with a Recruiter, Claudia Trail, HP

Claudia, tell us about yourself and HP

I have been in recruiting for over 20 years, with the last 13 years supporting the Intelligence Community. At HP, I am a Talent Acquisition Sourcing Lead. In this role, I search and identify passive talent for our career opportunities within the Consulting & Intel Group with Security clearance of a TS and above w/polygraphs. Our contracts/programs are with the 3 or 4 letter agencies in the Washington, DC metro area, across the US and some contracts have OCONUS work.

Why do I want to work for HP

HP cares about its employees. We have amazing values and culture that is impactful to our daily environment. Being in the services industry, HP values the work that our employees do for our customers and understands the impact they make on a daily basis. HP is a global company with a technology portfolio deeper than any of our competitors. We are a leader in the “New Style of IT”. This allows our employees to grow and increase their skill set and exposure to different environments. We are in year 3- of a 5-year transformation. We are looking for visionaries that can provide new solutions to problems. Anyone that joins HP will make an immediate impact.

Tell us about the HP hiring process

Candidates apply via traditional methods such as our career site (www.hp.com/jobs), career hiring events, ClearedJobs.Net and also referrals. Our interview process can vary considering schedules and our hiring managers working in Scifs. However, the candidates can anticipate and prepare for both phone and in-person interviews. There will be HR and technical screens in addition to on-site meetings with the manager and the team.

What’s it like for transitioning military to work for HP

HP is a member of the 100K jobs mission. We along other Fortune 500s are committed to ensuring we offer our service members more than gratitude — a genuine chance with a career opportunity at HP. We have an excellent veteran hiring program that focuses on attracting and retaining top military talent. We host several workshops throughout the year to coach on personal branding, offer resume support, salary expectations and the adjustment from Military to Civilian. We attend dedicated job fairs for the military, and do targeted searches on ClearedJobs.Net for Military Personnel. Once they join HP, the support does not stop! We have excellent programs in place that are growing on a daily basis. Learn more about our Military Veterans program here.

Do you use search engines / social media to screen job seekers at any point in the hiring process

I do use search engines, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google Plus and Newsletters. I use social media to engage passive candidates. I am looking for talent that has not applied to our openings, so that I can engage them for career opportunities.

What types of cleared positions do you fill

I personally support the US Public Sector Consulting and Intel Division with a wide variety of technical opportunities all over the DC Metro area, with clearance requirements from TS/SCI to TS/SCI Full Scope Polygraphs.

View cleared HP positions on ClearedJobs.Net.

What type of certifications or training can you recommend for someone looking to get a job with your company

The best advice I can give someone in this area is pay close attention to what is going on the customer space you support. For technical positions, a minimum of a Security + and stay on top of the new technologies and certifications for your area of expertise.

What are the toughest security cleared positions for you to fill and why

Software Development candidates with Perl, Python, Hadoop, Accumulo, Spring, and Hibernate with Full Scope Polygraphs. It’s rare for these candidates to post a resume on a job board. However, they will apply to a company website directly if the position is of interest. Networking with one Developer of this caliber helps with referrals. Good People know Good People.

What do you see security cleared job seekers doing wrong

I can’t hire you if I can’t find you or reach you. Sometimes many active cleared job seekers are impossible to reach, which is understandable given their working situations. I would recommend to any job seeker, to do their best to stay connected with their recruiters. A short call or email during lunch or after hours will help build a relationship, or send a quick email with when a good time to connect would be.

What’s the craziest thing a job seeker has ever said to you

Wow, there have been a few good ones over the years. It’s hard to pick just one. The one that sticks out in my mind is a candidate who said they had the clearance needed for the position, and during our conversation I asked specific questions about his clearance and he said “No I don’t have one, I put it on my resume so I would get contacted. But, just tell me where I can go get it and I will buy one.”

What do job seekers need to know about your job as a recruiter

I take a lot of pride in my role with HP. When I find or if I am working with a candidate trying to help them obtain a position in HP, I get so excited. I want to make sure the position is a fit personally and professionally. I am not a recruiter who will pigeon hole you into a position. I would rather say it’s not a fit now, and help them find another position that is a better fit. I want the candidate to be happy in their role, succeed and stay with HP for a long time.

What’s the most inappropriate thing you’ve seen on a resume

There are few things, but the first is your email address. Set up a professional email address. An email of [email protected] may be cute to friends but not to a potential employer. The other thing that cleared candidates need to be aware is do not mention program names and the government customer in one area. This is a big NO and frowned upon in the intelligence community. All agencies have a pre-pub for approving resumes. It’s free and I encourage job seekers to take advantage of this.

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