Tag Archives: IT staffing companies

Don’t Forget to Bring These Items to Interviews

There are a lot of ways to prepare for your IT job interviews.  You can role play answering important questions.  You can study up on the technologies that your IT recruiters say you’ll be quizzed on.  You can do research on the companies your technical recruiters send you to interview for.  But here’s one thing that IT staffing firms find candidates often forget to do: bring a pen and notepad.

In a digital age, especially in the tech field, why would IT recruiting firms suggest you really need to bring a pen and notepad with you to interviews?  There are 2 reasons: it helps show that you’re engaged and interested and it helps you write a killer thank you note after the interview.  To start with the first reason, IT staffing agencies want you to take notes because it helps a manager see you as organized and engaged in your interview process.  Perhaps more importantly, taking notes helps your interviewers picture you bringing these qualities to the IT jobs you’re interviewing for.

The second reason IT recruiting agencies want you to bring a pen and notepad to your interviews is to make sure you take down the information you’ll need to write an excellent thank you note.  IT staffing companies see too many candidates underestimate the power of a great thank you note.   You’ll want to bring a notepad and pen to write down details that you can use in your notes.  You could jot down are reminder of important topics you discussed, perhaps a question you wanted to expound on a bit more, or maybe just something that you really liked about their team or corporate culture.  Considering how long, stressful, and overwhelming a job interview can be (especially a technical one where you might whiteboard an answer, get quizzed on technical skills, etc) it’s a bad idea to assume you’ll remember these kinds of details.  Bringing your notepad and pen lets you prep to write thank you notes that go beyond the generic ones that IT recruiting companies are too often given to pass on to interviewers.  Why not take this chance to differentiate yourself?

 

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Don’t forget this item on your list of steps to prep for your IT job interviews. Photo credit: inspirexpressmiami via Pixabay.

 

Unconventional Titles on IT Resumes

IT recruiters come across plenty of candidates who have odd job titles in IT.  IT staffing companies find that especially in the tech field (and particularly startup companies) titles can include words like ‘ninja’ or ‘rockstar’.  If you have one of these creative titles, here’s how to handle it on your resume so you attract IT staffing firms and hiring managers.

Firstly, try to figure out what your title would be at a more conventional company.  If you’re having a hard time coming up with this, IT recruiting agencies would suggest you check out the titles other people use on LinkedIn, reach out to people in your network, or consult with your technical recruiters. Next, list your official title on your resume.  Then in parentheses, list the conventional title next to it.

The last thing IT recruiting firms would suggest you do if you have an unconventional title is to make sure the bullets below that job represent your duties and accomplishments clearly.  Good bullets will work with that conventional title to clear up any lingering confusion about your title and role.  As your write your bullets (under this and all other IT jobs on your resume) keep in mind that sometimes IT staffing agencies might be sharing your resume with less technical hiring managers.  Try to write your bullets so they can be understood by a variety of readers.

 

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Are you a Coding Ninja? You may need to add a bit more info on your IT resume. Photo credit: OpenClipartVectors via Pixabay.

 

Will an Online Degree Help Your IT Job Search?

IT recruiters are sometimes asked by candidates if an online degree will increase their prospects for IT jobs. On one hand, online degrees used to have a certain stigma to hiring managers and IT staffing agencies. On the other, these programs are becoming more and more popular, rigorous, and respected by IT recruiting firms and hiring managers in the tech field.   So are they worth the money, time, and effort now?

If you’re considering an online degree, it may be far more useful in helping you land and be considered for more IT jobs now than 10 years ago.  You just have to be careful about how you choose your program.  Start by researching the reputation of the online degree program.  There are plenty of programs that are widely known by IT staffing firms and employers as reputable, strong programs.  There are also plenty of programs that are so worthless, IT recruiting companies would just tell you to take them off your resume.  Make sure you find out exactly where the program you’re thinking about stands before you invest and time, money, etc in it.

The second thing to consider is how much interaction with clients, end-users, managers, etc your ideal roles require.  When you’re getting a degree to increase your options for roles with a lot of communication, you probably want to avoid an online degree program.  Doing real classes that help you practice working with others will be far more useful to you.  (This will also be something you can bring up in interviews.  You can demonstrate that you’ve not only studied certain technologies or skills, but you’ve also gotten to hone valuable communication skills.)  For certain positions, IT staffing companies have the easiest time placing candidates who can boast both a strong arsenal of technical skills and communication skills.  Why not pick a degree program that helps you develop both?  When you’re not seeking roles that require a lot of communication and interaction with various people, an online degree may be just as valuable to your job search as a more traditional one.

 

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Thinking about an online degree? Make sure it’s a program IT recruiters and hiring managers will respect.

 

 

Avoid This Mistake in Interviews for Cool IT Companies

IT staffing companies find that sometimes candidates will get hung up on the companies they work for, rather than making sure they land in IT jobs that are good fits for them.  Especially in the tech industry, IT recruiting companies find that candidates will be dazzled by a company’s name, reputation, or cool benefits.  While IT recruiters certainly understand the appeal of working for a company known to provide free snacks or fun company outings, it’s important not to lose sight of the most important thing in your interviews: making sure the job is a good fit for you and selling yourself as a great fit for the job (if that’s the case)!

So what does this mean, exactly?  Basically, IT staffing firms suggest that you approach an interview with a really coveted employer as though it was a normal job interview.  Focus on sussing out whether the position would be something you can succeed in.  Make sure to highlight the aspects of your candidacy that speak to the role.  You can certainly make a few remarks about why you’d be excited to work at this company or on this team (this is something IT recruiting agencies want candidates to do anyways), but don’t let these remarks dominate your interview.  Hiring managers don’t want to hire somebody who doesn’t seem like they can do the work, nor do they want to hire somebody who is too focused on the perks and benefits, rather than the job itself.

It’s also worth noting that the more interesting perks or reputation a company has, the more challenging a role will likely be.  Technical recruiters find that companies use fun incentives as a way to compensate employees for long hours or to retain very skilled IT professionals.  You wouldn’t want to be hired for a role you couldn’t succeed in, even if the perks were amazing.  You’d still wind up leaving or being let go if you couldn’t meet your manager’s expectations.

So if your IT staffing firms set you up with an interview at a really cool company, play it cool.  Make sure the job is a good fit for and you and interview the way you would anywhere else!

 

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Don’t get caught up in the cool reputation of company when you’re interviewing for IT jobs. Photo credit: PublicDomain via Pixabay.

 

 

3 Reasons to Take an IT Recruiter’s Call, Even if You Don’t Want To

There are a fair amount of IT professionals that prefer not to take calls from IT recruiters.  Some even add this to their resumes.  However, even if you’re not currently searching for new IT jobs, you should consider taking that call anyway.  Here are 3 reasons why you should take calls from IT staffing companies:

  1. It can be helpful to establish a relationship with technical recruiters you trust before you need them. Finding IT recruiting agencies that you like working with makes things much easier when you actually do want to search for a new role.  They’ll know you, what you want, and probably have an old copy of your resume on file.  When you’re actually ready to work with IT staffing firms, it will be an easier, more stream-lined process.
  2. IT staffing agencies have connections with hiring managers. Ever applied to jobs online and just felt like your applications were getting lost in cyberspace?  This may have been true.  Hiring managers often receive far too many submissions online to be able to adequately consider them all.  When you work with IT recruiting companies, your resume is the only one submitted or one of a very small set.  Your IT recruiters also often make a case for you to the hiring manager.  The advantage you have as an applicant when you work with IT recruiting agencies is hard to beat.
  3. IT recruiters hear about jobs you may not. Since IT recruiting firms have relationships with various employers, this means they are alerted to a myriad of jobs.  They’re also made aware of jobs before they’re even posted online.  Taking that call with a recruiter might take 5 minutes, but it will open you up to a much larger amount of potential IT jobs.

 

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Pick up that call from an IT recruiter. It could help you land a job! Photo credit: skeeze via Pixabay.

3 Easy Tips For Better References

IT recruiters usually find that candidates have references lined up by the time they start searching for IT jobs.  Unfortunately, technical recruiters find that some candidates haven’t prepped their references well.  Here’s a few tips to make sure that you’re not only providing your IT staffing agencies with references, but references that are primed to really help your candidacy.

  1. Start by making sure you’ve spoken to your references recently and notified them of your current job search. Do this to make sure they’re prepared, but also because it’s simply the polite thing to do. (IT staffing companies are surprised by how many people skip or forget this step!)
  2. Prep your references with your current resume, the kinds of positions you’re looking for with your IT recruiting agencies, and a suggestion of what kinds of qualities and/or technical skills and experience will be pertinent to mention. If you give your references more and better information about what you need from them, they can do more to make you look good!
  3. Make sure to say thank you to your references! Unfortunately, this yet another step that IT staffing firms see skipped over or forgotten too often.  If you want your references to continue to be enthusiastic in helping you in your job searches, you need to make sure they feel appreciated!

 

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Don’t forget to call or email your references before your IT job search begins. Photo credit: E1N7E via Pixabay.

 

 

Take Notes During Your IT Job Interviews

Even if you’re completely engaged during your interviews for IT jobs, there are still little details you could miss or forget later.  IT recruiters would absolutely suggest taking notes as you interview.  Here are two guidelines IT staffing agencies would suggest you follow to take notes for your own reference later.

  1. Write down info for your thank you note. IT recruiting companies have seen time and time again how powerful a good thank you note can be.  To write a good one, you’ll probably need to have some things written down to refer to after the interview.  Start with the names of all your interviewers.  (Your IT recruiting firms may not know who your interviewers were if you can’t remember their names—and this will make it impossible to deliver a thank you note!)  Then make sure to note any major concerns that are brought up about your candidacy, any questions you feel you may be able to answer better or expand upon, or just any particularly good moments/connections you may have had with your interviewer(s).  These are all the kinds of things that you want to address in a thank you note.  They will show that you were deeply engaged in the interview.
  2. Write down any questions you have for your technical recruiters. These are the things you don’t feel comfortable asking your interviewer.  Or  perhaps these are things you think may not help you give your best impression to the interviewer.  This is exactly what IT staffing companies are for.  If you have concerns about the job, it’s best to talk with your IT recruiting agencies about them so you can be more candid.  If you have questions about compensation, perks, vacation time, benefits, etc then save them for a conversation with your IT staffing firms.

 

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Great thank you notes start with great notes taken during IT job interviews. Photo credit: Condesign via Pixabay.

Why You Need To Do Research On Your IT Salary Expectations

Many IT recruiters find that the candidates they work with don’t always have realistic (or sometimes any!) salary expectations when they’re looking for new IT jobs.  This can actually make it harder for candidates.   Perhaps you might be consistently  (and erroneously) disappointed in the salaries/rates you’re quoted by IT recruiting agencies and turn down jobs that would be a good fit for you otherwise.  Or perhaps you’ll undersell yourself to IT staffing agencies and wind up being paid significantly less than you had the potential to earn.   If you’re ready to start working with IT staffing companies to find a new role, take 15 minutes or so to do a little research before you post your newly polished resume or before you reach out to IT recruiters you already have a relationship with.  Here’s how to direct your research:

1. Take into account not only the job titles you’ll be working with technical recruiters to find, but also the location.  A Java Developer in Boston will hear far different salaries/rates from their IT staffing agencies than a Java Developer in the Midwest.  You’ll be likely to hear about jobs that pay higher salaries if your IT recruiting agencies submit you for jobs in busy, metropolitan areas with higher costs of living.

2. Take your experience, certifications, and education into account.  IT recruiters can check over your resume to guess at what you’re worth.  However, nobody knows things like what projects you’ve lead and what programming languages you’ve studied like you do.  Especially in a field like IT, the work you’ve done or the training and education you’ve received can be very complicated.  You are the expert on what you have to offer a potential employer—make sure you factor that into your salary research.

3. Take the information you find with a grain of salt.  Some sites have inaccurate or outdated information.  Don’t just use one source or do a lazy Google search.  If you come to technical recruiters with unrealistic salary expectations you’ve found via research, it will be just as harmful to you as if you hadn’t done any research at all!

4. Reach out to people in your network and be open to hearing your IT recruiter’s opinion, too.  Once you have an idea of numbers that might be realistic, it can be very helpful to reach out to people who have firsthand knowledge of what people in your field and chosen location make.  Ask them if they concur or their experience/knowledge differs from what you’ve found.  It’s also fine to ask your technical recruiters what they think of the numbers you’ve researched.  The more money you make, the more money your recruiters make.  So they will have your best interest in mind as they speak with you about compensation.

 

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Don’t just rely on your IT recruiters to give you a salary range! Photo credit: Geralt via Pixabay.

 

 

Why The IT Job Market is Better Than Ever!

Even though IT recruiters never saw the same kind of downturn that other industries experienced during the recession, the market is certainly growing now.  If you’ve been considering working with your IT recruiters to find a new IT job, now is a great time.  Here’s why you should polish up your resume and call your IT staffing companies today.

  1. More workers are retiring. IT recruiting companies are finding more and more roles open now due to a higher rate of retirees this year.  This means your technical recruiters will have even more IT roles to submit you to.
  2. Employers are having IT staffing agencies seek out more recent grads to fill their open jobs. NACE reports that employers expect to hire 5.2% more new graduates this year than last year.  If you’ve just graduated with a degree in computer science, IT recruiting firms are very likely to have jobs for you to consider.
  3. Even if you’re not a recent grad, the tech sector is still steadily growing.  Mobile communications and social media will continue to drive IT in the next year at least.  That’s good news for all candidates thinking about working with IT staffing firms to find new roles, recent grads or not.

 

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Smartphones are driving growth in the tech sector, which means there are plenty of IT jobs out there.

 

 

Ask IT Recruiters About This Topic, Not Interviewers

IT recruiters are seeing more and more IT professionals who want some kind of flexible work or work-from-home arrangements in their next roles. Due to the nature of IT jobs, this is actually possible relatively often.  However, you can safely assume you’ll seriously hurt your chances of getting one of these jobs if you ask about it during the interview.

First, why do IT staffing companies advise against asking your interviewer about work-from-home and flexible hours arrangements?  IT recruiting firms don’t want you to ask about work-from-home and flexible hours perks in an interview because it suggests that your focus is on the perks (rather than the actual work, the team, the company, etc).  Interviewers want to see that you’re assessing if (and proving) that you’d succeed in the role.  They’re working with IT staffing agencies to find candidates who are a great fit for the work, the corporate culture, etc.  If you use the little time you have with an interviewer to focus on the perks (like flexible hours or work-from-home options) you won’t help your candidacy at all.

If IT recruiting companies don’t want you to ask interviewers about work-from-home and flexible work arrangements, how will you make sure you land a job with these benefits?  You can talk directly with your technical recruiters about it.  This is a big perk of working with IT staffing firms:  they want to know your wish list for your next job.  You can speak frankly with your IT recruiting agencies about your wish list and they work to negotiate on your behalf.  This lets you focus on advocating for your candidacy and landing your dream IT job.

 

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Want to work remotely? Talk about it with your IT recruiters, rather than your interviewers. Photo credit: tookapic via Pixabay.