Monthly Archives: March 2014

Why IT Professionals Should Write Short Emails

IT recruiters, IT contractors, and IT managers are all too aware of the frustrations of receiving long-winded emails at their IT jobs.  IT professionals in any part of the Information technology field know that long emails not only take up too much time in a fast-paced industry, but also tend to be less effective in communicating the point.  There is even an official five sentence maximum email movement (called simply the Five Sentences movement).  Here are a few ways for IT consultants and IT headhunters to shorten their emails.

  1. Before writing, figure out your purpose.  What are you trying to say?  Encapsulate that in a few sentences.  Don’t spend the email trying to figure out what needs to be said.  Do it before you start typing.
  2. Cut pleasantries.  You don’t have to be rude in an email, but it’s also unnecessary to say things like ‘Hope you’re doing well.’  You can safely assume people already know you wish them well, especially if you talk to them often.
  3. Be confident.  It can take a little courage to send shorter emails, but short, clear emails are the calling card of some very successful people.  Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos are some great examples in the IT field.

 

Security in IT: Tenuous Ground

Information technology companies today are able to start up quicker than companies in many other fields.  The IT contractors and IT managers in these companies are also rapidly facing some very serious consequences for their work: security issues.  IT recruiters Boston to IT recruiters CA can attest to how imperative security is for IT professionals.

However, as some of these companies try to quickly blossom and meet a need, sometimes they have been forced to partially or completely forfeit a focus on security as they perform their IT jobs.  The situation is certainly gray enough to make it hard to decipher who might be negligent, who might be at fault, or who might be just a victim.  As technology moves at lightning speed, laws and regulations for this sort of issue struggle to keep up and IT contractors must make their own best judgments on how much attention they will pay to security.  The lesson for buyers of these shiny new-born products is clear: consume with caution.

Handling Bad Days Gracefully in IT

Just as in any industry, a few bad days here and there are inevitable at IT jobs.  IT recruiters, IT contractors, and IT managers alike all have tough days at work now and then.  The thing that separates truly great IT consultants from average or poor ones is how they handle these bad days at work—particularly if they have reports. Tackling bad news or a lost client gracefully is the kind of thing that almost beats out sparkling resumes.  Here’s how to do that:

1. Keep it quiet.  Venting about a problem at work won’t do you, your reports, or your managers any favors.  Better to save the venting for home and focus on just getting the issue resolved.  Keeping a positive attitude in the face of hardship will absolutely get noticed by IT headhunters, coworkers, reports, and managers, so why not do it?

2. Take a quick mental- or physical- vacation to calm yourself if needed.  Keep a few funny videos, articles, or websites stored in your phone or on your computer (depending on office policy) for some comedic relief.  Use them when you’re having a rough time.  Or go for a walk outside if you can.  Whatever method you use, calming yourself will make it much easier to focus on fixing the problem, rather than fighting through your own emotional response to it.

3. Avoid others until you are no longer NSFW- particularly any of your bosses.  Better not to risk taking frustrations out on others, because this will be remembered, too.  (Take this advice into consideration if you ever notice others at work having a bad day, too!  If a coworker or boss has some kind of personal or work-related issue going on, try to tactfully steer clear until it’s resolved.)