Where are the IT Jobs? In the Mobile Applications Industry!
As many are already aware of, the smart phone market is relatively new, but growing at a rapid pace. New high-tech applications are being developed daily due to the increased popularity of the iPhone (and to a lesser extent the Droid). So what does this mean for IT professionals who are currently on the lookout for IT jobs? It means that there will be an emergence of development opportunities in the mobile applications industry.
Last week at “Tech Tuesdays” in Boston, MA, many of the local video game development companies showcased some of their new games that will run on smart phones. A few companies made announcements that they were on the lookout for android developers, but admitted they were tough to come by.
In conjunction, IT recruiting companies have seen an increase in this very demand. Subsequently, IT staffing firms have begun to have their IT recruiters build a network of smart phone application developers.
Knowing this, regardless of economic conditions, it appears as though the smart phone application development market is in high demand. Therefore, for all high tech programmers looking for their next IT job opportunity, look no further than the mobile phone application industry.
Keeping Track of Your Experience
If you currently have or have had an IT job, then it’s a good idea to keep track of all of the different technologies that you become exposed to. In an ever-changing industry such as Information Technology, it’s critical that you list as many technologies as possible on your resume (of course, without fabricating experience). This not only helps your chances of having your resume found by IT recruiters and IT staffing firms, but it also makes you more marketable.
Additionally, the more technologies that you have experience with, the more you are worth from a compensation standpoint. Finally, tracking all of your IT skills will allow you gauge your experience level and help you identify what additional skills you need to hone.
Be sure to keep a log of every technology in each of your IT jobs. Also keep track of your job responsibilities. It’s critical that you accurately track both and include this information on your resume, as you never know what skills or experience your next employer is looking for.
Non-Competition Agreements
In a recent investigation, the Justice department was looking into why companies such as Google, Apple, and Intuit were including employment non-competition clauses when working on collaborations with one another. Although the employees are exposed to sensitive information, it seems unfair to prohibit a high-tech professional from gaining employment.
If the non-competes are upheld, then there will be fewer qualified candidates available for these clients. Therefore, these companies will soon need to IT recruiters. The quickest and easiest solution is to utilize an IT staffing agency. Therefore, make sure that you as a job seeker are keeping up with job postings from IT recruiting firms. Your next IT job might be at a large corporation like Google.
If the non-competes are upheld, then there will be fewer qualified candidates available for these clients. Therefore, these companies will soon need to IT recruiters. The quickest and easiest solution is to utilize an IT staffing agency. Therefore, make sure that you as a job seeker are keeping up with job postings from IT recruiting firms. Your next IT job might be at a large corporation like Google.
Why most people do not think of using an IT staffing agency?
Many IT recruiters may think that job seekers would naturally choose to work with IT recruiting firms when looking for new IT jobs. Unfortunately this is not the case. Most people do not know how IT staffing companies work. The worst part is that they think that they would need to pay a fee!
IT recruitment companies collect their fees from the clients. In a permanent placement scenario, IT staffing firms typically charge the client anywhere from 15-25% of the candidate’s first year annual salary. In a contract IT staffing situation, IT recruiting agencies will pay the consultant their market rate, then bill the client a higher amount. Minus overhead costs (which can be significant), the difference/margin is how the IT recruiting firms make their money.
Therefore, there is no cost to you, the IT job seeker. Utilize as many IT staffing companies and IT recruiters as you feel comfortable with. It will only provide you with additional resources to help you land that next IT job.
Contract IT Job Positions
Most job seekers are looking for permanent position in the Information Technology industry. However, contract IT staffing is a widely popular alternative that could also lead you to a full-time opportunity. Additionally, in this economy, contract IT jobs provide you with that ever-important foot in the door.
There are many benefits to working a contract IT job. First, from the client’s perspective (or IT staffing firm), they can get a look at your work ethic and how well you mesh with the company. Conversely, from the candidate’s side, they can get a taste of the company to see if it is an environment where they would like to work. Second, contract IT job opportunities typically pay higher than full time positions. (Additionally, consultants are paid for every hour they work whereas permanent employees are typically salaried).
Another upside of choosing a contract IT job is that it gives you flexibility to move around from one company to another. Utilize IT recruiting companies to help open up additional opportunities. Also if you have plans to travel, you know that after a certain time period you will be finished with your contract IT job and can enjoy your time off.
If you are curious about what kind of position you are looking for, then contact an IT recruitment company like AVID Technical Resources. Our IT recruiters are always willing to lend you a hand.
Elevator Pitches
One of the most essential things you need as an IT job seeker is an elevator pitch. This tool is used constantly wherever you go. A job seeker never knows when they will meet an IT recruiter or hiring manager who can help connect them with that perfect IT job.
During IT job fairs and interviews a job seeker may be asked to quickly tell IT recruiters or hiring managers about themselves. By having prepared you pitch with all the IT experience you have beforehand, you will be calm and not have to stress about what you may say. Your impression on the hiring manager would be seamless.
Elevator pitches should be short and concise hitting all of your major selling points. Who you are, your past success and why you’re a fit for the particular IT job or organization. Most importantly, sell yourself.
So the next time you have some free time on your hands, make sure to work on your pitch to help you land that perfect IT job.
IT Job Fairs and Why They’re Important to Job Seekers
As an IT job seeker, it is important to put a face to a name on a resume. A great place to connect with companies that you’re interested in is by attending job fairs held for IT professionals. Many corporations will send out their hiring managers or IT recruiters to find prospective candidates who seem like a good match. In addition, a large number of IT staffing agencies typically attend as well. Combined, this gives you a great opportunity to meet and network with a number of contacts that can help land you that perfect IT job.
IT job fairs give hiring managers a chance to mingle with IT job seekers in a non-interview environment. You can casually mention what you know about the company and what you would like to know. Speaking with a hiring manager at an IT job fair is less threatening, but at the same time you need to make sure that you pitch yourself correctly. You want them to remember you…in a positive way.
So when you go to that next IT job fair, make sure you practice your elevator pitch and include a unique fact about you so that hiring manager will remember you when they have hiring needs.
Proofread
As a job seeker actively looking for an IT job, you are constantly sending out resumes and emails to hiring managers or IT recruiters working for IT staffing agencies. In order to make sure that your email or resume is not disregarded, make sure that you proofread for any typos and grammatical errors. Hiring managers want to go through a resume quickly without having to interpret what you meant to write.
By proofreading everything you send to a hiring manager or IT recruiter, they will be able to get through your documents and better see what IT skills you have. The IT staffing industry is fast-paced and IT recruiters want to find the right prospective candidate for the IT job quickly. By facilitating the process, you are giving yourself a better chance at that IT job.
Most importantly, by not proofreading your resume, you hurt your chances of landing that perfect IT job. Take it from this IT recruiter who has had more than one client disqualify one of our candidates due to errors in the resume, proofreading is critically important. Always put your best foot forward during the IT job search. Don’t let someone disqualify you because you didn’t take the extra couple of minutes to proofread.
Tips on Submitting your Resume to Databases
Although it’s frustrating to submit your resume to IT staffing firms or direct clients without hearing back, it’s critical to get your information to as many databases as possible. Searching for an IT job is a numbers game, the more databases you submit your resume to, the better odds that you’ll receive a call one day from an IT recruiter with that perfect job.
When IT recruiters are looking through databases, they typically search by keywords. If you check one of our earlier articles, you can check out the tips our IT recruiter gave on putting the right skill keywords in your resume. Therefore, before you submit your resume to that next database, make sure you list as many technical key words that you have experience with as possible (without fabricating of course).
Finally, make sure that all your information is accurate and consistent. One pet peeve IT recruiters have is searching through a database and finding the exact same resume with a slightly different name. By having different names you will obviously confuse IT recruiters, it could hurt your credibility and subsequently your chance to land that perfect technical job.
Finding a Job in the Recession
Recent reports have concluded that the US recession will continue until 2011. Therefore, how are we going to get IT jobs for all those unemployed workers in the US? One option that seems to be working for many is turning to IT recruiting agencies.
As an IT recruiter for an IT Staffing Company, you will hear about new IT job positions that need to be filled. Most of our clients will turn to an IT recruiting company for prospective candidates before advertising the position to the outside world. They know that if they immediately post that job online, they will receive hundreds of resumes from job seekers. Subsequently, the IT manager will have to dedicate hours to sorting through resumes. Typically there just aren’t enough hours in the day.
Instead, IT recruiters put in long hours and typically review hundreds of resumes for each position. This is their job and their days are dedicated to doing such. Additionally, IT recruitment firms typically have robust databases of passive and active candidates that might not have responded to a client’s IT job posting. This helps ensure the client is getting the best possible candidate for their position.
So next time you are looking for an IT job position or need to fill one, contact an IT Staffing Agency like AVID Technical Resources.