Tag Archives: IT recruiting companies

Seating at IT Companies

IT staffing firms and IT managers know that sometimes where IT consultants sit during the day at work can have a huge impact on their performance.  IT recruiters Boston to IT recruiters CA know that Information technology can have offices that feel particularly isolating, no matter how full they are.  IT recruiting agencies have seen firsthand that staring at a computer screen for 8 hours can pre-empt contact between IT consultants very effectively.  IT headhunters are seeing an increasing interest in seating that encourages serendipitous encounters between IT contractors.  Recently in the news, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer called all Yahoo IT professionals back to the office in order to promote more of these serendipitous encounters. More articles have touted the value of a seating chart that promotes teamwork in IT jobs and IT recruiting companies are looking for IT job candidates who are more amenable to these arrangements.

 

How Young IT grads Can Impress IT Recruiters Quickly

Technical recruiters and IT managers alike love working with young IT professionals.  However, IT staffing firms can only work with IT consultants that act as polished and professional, rather than young and inexperienced.  IT contractors whose resumes reflect little more than a recent graduation from school can do a few things to make themselves stand out to IT headhunters trying to fill IT jobs.

Recent grads starting in the information technology field will really wow IT recruiting agencies and IT headhunters by doing ample research before any interviews.  This means research about the company and interviewer if you happen to know their name. Another move that will really impress IT staffing agencies is to make sure one comes to an interview professionally dressed with no visible (or audible) cell phone (and no parents!!).   Lastly, IT recruiting companies look for candidates who have practiced their “elevator pitch” and answering tough interview questions.  Doing all of these things will make IT staffing firms take notice of a candidate—in the best way possible.

Eye Contact in the IT Workplace

A big way to make an impact at IT jobs is to correctly utilize a seemingly small thing: eye contact.  IT staffing firms and IT managers work with more than just resumes; they work with people.

IT recruiters Boston to IT recruiters CA would all agree that a personable employee who makes a connection is preferable. IT consultants can make a big impression by making sure to maintain comfortable eye contact with co-workers and supervisors.  Especially in the information technology field, where IT contractors might constantly have a screen nearby, keeping their eyes on the person they’re talking to will be deeply appreciated. IT recruiting companies love to work with IT professionals who are especially adept at maintaining the right amount of eye contact: not too much (which can feel creepy) and not too little (which can feel rude).  IT staffing firms also appreciate working with job candidates who can correctly interpret eye contact.  Managers tend to look most at the people who perform well and are reliable in the office.  IT recruiting firms certainly want to work with the kinds of people who work hard to get that approving, interested gaze from management.

Does the Ivy League Matter in IT?

Do IT recruiting companies and IT managers hire based on what school you graduated from?  Does any school name carry value for IT contractors, even an Ivy name?  The New York Times recently published a column suggesting the answer to both these questions may no longer be a vehement “Yes.”

While the column has its own issues, IT staffing agencies have certainly noticed that there is a debate in information technology as to the value of a school’s name on resumes, let alone a degree itself.  Getting IT jobs today requires getting the attention of IT staffing companies as they are inundated with resumes. Sometimes a college name stands out to IT recruiting companies, but sometimes IT consultants are noted more for their skill sets or a demanding recent job. IT recruiting agencies are also finding that more and more IT contractors are attending college than previously.  This makes most college degrees, sometimes even Ivy League ones, seem somewhat devalued to IT recruiting companies.  These IT staffing firms would rather see an advanced degree from almost anywhere than a BA from Dartmouth or Harvard. Then of course, there are always the IT recruiting firms that skip the entire formal education requirement altogether and would prefer a Mark Zuckerberg type instead.

 

IT (and the Rest of the Nation) See a Rise in Women at Work

Like the rest of the nation, IT staffing companies are noticing the increasing growth of women in the workplace.  Information technology has long been a field dominated by male IT contractors and IT mangers, but as the economy slowly recovers, more and more women are showing up for IT jobs.

IT recruiting agencies could cite many reasons for this trend.  Women are becoming IT consultants as education becomes more and more accessible to everyone.  IT headhunters could point to the boom of IT-focused education programs in particular, which show up quite often on resumes.   IT staffing agencies would also note that in a recession, companies will attempt to save money by hiring IT professionals who cost less.  IT recruiters Boston to IT recruiters CA can all agree that women are still cheaper to hire than men.

Overall, IT recruiting companies can’t point to one particular reason, but women are definitely breaking into the workplace in significantly bigger numbers.

 

Pull Your Head Out of the Sand and Get in the Social Media Game

Information technology, more than in any other field, is not the place to lack presence on social media.  Whether you are IT professionals or a company with plenty of IT jobs, it’s imperative to make sure you put forth an image of yourself on social media.

IT recruiting companies, IT consultants, and IT managers cannot afford to leave their presence on social media to be defined by others.  By not creating your own profile, you are giving up the right to respond to criticism, harness praise, and present your own marketability to IT recruiting firms. IT recruiters CA to IT recruiters Boston use social media and the likelihood that somebody has already said something about you is high.  It’s important to create an online presence that clearly and concisely defines you as IT contractors or your company for IT staffing agencies.  Profiles are not resumes alone, though.  They also list praise from others and competently and cool engage any criticism.  The beauty of social media is that it lets you speak for yourself and add in relevant and flattering voices from others, thus creating the best possible profile for technical recruiters to see.

 

Being a “Yes Man” in IT

Rarely is it desirable to be labeled the “Yes Man” at in IT jobs.  However, IT professionals could gain by leaps and bound in their careers by doing their best to follow the code of the “Yes Man” with their IT recruiting agencies and IT managers.

IT staffing companies are not looking for IT contractors who are obsequious.  IT headhunters do value those who aren’t afraid to say yes– to more work, more risks, more leadership and responsibility.  IT recruiting companies love to come across resumes full of varied, rich experience with increasing responsibility. Being a “Yes Man” in information technology is more about playing the career field than playing it safe—and this is very attractive to IT staffing agencies. IT recruiting firms not only love IT job candidates with varied experiences, they also love those that are easy to work with.  “Yes Men” are great team players who round out their teams well and reflect well on the IT staffing firms that place them. If you aren’t a “Yes Man” yet, what are you waiting for?

 

What to Wear to an IT Interview

What should IT professionals wear to an interview with an IT manager or their IT recruiting companies?  There is no “one size fits all” answer for the information technology field.

IT recruiters CA will try to fill IT jobs for companies with very different dress codes than IT recruiters Boston.  The differences don’t just vary from coast to coast, either.  Different departments within the same company will require different dress codes.  IT headhunters may interact with IT managers who dress in business casual, while company account managers or CEO’s may wear business professional.  IT contractors, meanwhile, might wear jeans to work every day.

Though the dress codes vary greatly from company to company, there is one rule of thumb that IT staffing agencies would advise IT consultants to follow when going on IT job interviews.  The best way to project a successful image is to dress at the highest level of dress in the company.  IT staffing companies can enlighten you on this, but you can never go wrong dressing as well as the CEO.

 

What College Grads Should Do As They Enter IT

With recent graduates getting ready to step into the information technology field, IT recruiters can be a great source of advice for how to be the best IT contractors they can be.  IT recruiting agencies would prefer to work with IT professionals who embrace the professional, 9-5 life.  This means IT headhunters look for people who don’t try to live the college life while attempting to perform well at their IT jobs.  IT managers want employees that are well-rested and take care of themselves so they have the energy to put their job performance first Monday through Friday.

IT staffing companies also want to work with IT consultants who are ready to work them—and many other people.  Recent college graduates are used to the luxury of choosing their company all the time.  IT recruiting companies need job candidates who are flexible and willing to spend time and work with people (including IT staffing firms) they don’t always have a lot in common with.

While there are plenty of other pieces of advice that could be given, all of it comes down to this: IT recruiting firms want IT job candidates who are not just nice resumes.  They want people who are ready and willing to commit themselves to their jobs and companies.  This means letting go of the college lifestyle—at least Monday through Friday.

Cyclical Happiness in IT

Information technology is certainly stands apart from most fields in most ways.  However, there is one commonality that it tends to share with other professional fields: its happiest employees are generally its most valuable.  Happy IT consultants are not just pleasant to work with, they also get a lot more work done for IT managers and reflect well on their IT staffing companies.  While studies are somewhat inconclusive, they tend to suggest what we already know: happy IT contractors want to not only meet the expectations of their IT jobs, but exceed them.

IT recruiting companies know they can make a decent match when they find among stacks of resumes the IT professionals who can do the requirements of a job.  When IT recruiting agencies place a candidate in a job they truly love, though, they have made a truly spectacular match.  Technical recruiters can generally count of a candidate who loves their job to want to really prove their worth to a company.  People who love their jobs tend to be easier to manage and attempt to expand and grow in their roles.  And of course, the more somebody does to please their manger and IT staffing firms, the more a company will do to keep that employee happy.  This is the best kind of cycle IT headhunters can hope to implement in an office: a cycle of happiness and productivity.