Monthly Archives: October 2010

Differentiate Yourself From Other IT Job Seekers

In the IT staffing industry, IT recruiters are constantly looking for those candidates that will stick out to a hiring manager.  Our technical recruiters will rummage through applications and search resume databases (like Monster or Indeed) for prospective candidates who appear to have the skills needed for the IT job.

Once our IT recruiters compile their list of prospective candidates, they contact each one, verify their experience, and make sure they’re interested in the particular IT job.  Subsequently, to differentiate themselves from the competition, the prospective IT job seekers need to articulate why they are different from other applicants.  The tech industry is extremely competitive, so the more each candidate can sell themselves, the better odds they have at landing IT jobs.

Therefore, before you apply to that next IT job or send your resume to IT recruiters, take a look at your skills and experience.  Analyze them and cater your specialty towards the technical position that you’re applying to.  Help differentiate yourself from the competition.

New IT Job Interviewing Strategies

Many prospective IT job seekers are very similar in their technical ability.  Additionally, with so many candidates on the market to choose from, the hiring process has become increasingly difficult for managers.  IT recruiters often debrief prospective candidates after they interview to try to get insight into what hiring managers are looking for.  Recently, IT recruiting firms are reporting an increasing trend in some alternative interviewing strategies.

One in particular is the personality test.  The goal of the questionnaire is to find out how you react to different situations.  This is something that hiring managers cannot get from an interview, and is imperative to help ensure you fit with the company’s culture and dynamic.

Another interview strategy that IT recruiters reported was logic tests. The interviewer uses this test to get better insight into the IT job seeker’s problem solving skills.

Therefore, if you are currently searching for new IT jobs, make sure to practice some problem solving tests.  Feel free to contact one of our IT recruiters at AVID Technical Resources.  You never know when a hiring manager will surprise you with a pop quiz!

Where are the IT jobs? In the IT Healthcare Industry!

The healthcare industry has been updating and improving many of their EMR and PACS systems within hospitals and doctors’ offices.  Workers within these facilities have to adjust to new machines and programs that will help them improve as a healthcare professional.  Therefore, the healthcare space is yet another growing field within the information technology industry.

Getting your start in the Healthcare IT field can prove to be challenging.  When we asked a number of our IT recruiters, their recommendation was to look for contract IT job opportunities with hospitals.  If a high tech professional is able to get their foot in the door within a hospital, it could lead to exposure to additional healthcare IT technologies or even headway directly into EMC or PACS (both of which are at the forefront of healthcare technologies).

Keep your eye out for contract IT job opportunities with hospitals.  Be sure to let IT recruiters know if you’re willing to relocate or travel, as it will obviously open up more opportunities for you.  Finally, look for healthcare IT certifications.  The more  relevant experience and certifications you can put on your resume, the better chance you have of being identified by an IT recruiting company or client directly.