  [Context] The growing software development market has increased the demand
for qualified professionals in Software Engineering (SE). To this end,
companies must enhance their Recruitment and Selection (R&S) processes to
maintain high quality teams, including opening opportunities for beginners,
such as trainees and interns. However, given the various judgments and
sociotechnical factors involved, this complex process of R&S poses a challenge
for recent graduates seeking to enter the market. [Objective] This paper aims
to identify a set of anti-patterns and recommendations for early career SE
professionals concerning R&S processes. [Method] Under an exploratory and
qualitative methodological approach, we conducted six online Focus Groups with
18 recruiters with experience in R&S in the software industry. [Results] After
completing our qualitative analysis, we identified 12 anti-patterns and 31
actionable recommendations regarding the hiring process focused on entry level
SE professionals. The identified anti-patterns encompass behavioral and
technical dimensions innate to R&S processes. [Conclusion] These findings
provide a rich opportunity for reflection in the SE industry and offer valuable
guidance for early-career candidates and organizations. From an academic
perspective, this work also raises awareness of the intersection of Human
Resources and SE, an area with considerable potential to be expanded in the
context of cooperative and human aspects of SE.
