Getting That Reference
When you are a job seeker, you will be applying to many IT jobs. IT recruiters and hiring managers will want to know about the various experiences you have had during your career. They will also want to know about how well you worked with others and interacted with your previous employers. This is when your references and referrals will come in handy.
When choosing your references, make sure that the person will be able to evaluate your performance accurately, and of course, communicate your experience in a positive light. Put together a list of the references you want to use. When you create this document, you will want to put their name, the company where you worked together, the date/timeframe when you worked there, his or her role, then your IT job as well. In addition, you will need to write down their phone number and possibly an email address. To be considerate, you should be sure to ask them about their preferred method of contact.
Once you identify who will be a suitable reference, contact them and give them the courtesy of a heads up. They need to know that they may be contacted – you never want to give out a reference without getting their permission ahead of time.
During your interview, you will then appear prepared when you’re able to give IT recruiters Boston or hiring managers a complete list of references with everything they will need to know in order to get a better understanding of your work ethic. It will allow you to impress the technical recruiters or hiring managers and possibly give you a better chance of impressing them for that IT job.
How to Prepare For IT Job Fairs
It is that time of the year again, where career fairs are popping up everywhere. If you are back at school finishing up your MBA or your bachelor’s degree, you may need to start looking for that IT job. There are a few things you will need to keep in mind when attending these IT recruiting events.
First of all, make sure you research the IT recruiting agency or company beforehand. You as a prospective candidate need to show a keen interest in the firm. Learn a little about the IT recruiters or hiring managers representing the company. Find out what their role is and even where they were prior to joining the company. All this can be found on Linkedin. Where knowledge is power, and hitting it off with a prospective employer is critical, use the information that is at your fingertips.
Second, you should think about your ideal role and what additional positions that you’re qualified to fill. Even if the various IT recruiting agencies Boston or client companies are not advertising your desired position, leave them with a resume. You never know when an IT job position will open up. If the Boston recruiters already have your information, you may be one of the first prospective candidates on their list when that high tech job opens up.
Next, come prepared. As an information technology professional looking for a new job, you need to dress the part. Do not go in jeans and a t-shirt. Try business casual or business formal. First impressions are critical. In addition, make sure you have enough copies of your resume and of course do not forget to proofread it to make sure all the necessary technology keywords are on there.
Finally, break out of your comfort zone. IT job fairs are useless unless you talk to IT recruiters and/or prospective employers. If there’s a long line to speak with technical recruiters, then wait in it. If you feel awkward about approaching a potential employer, walk up and introduce yourself. The more people you meet, the better your chance of making a connection that will help you find that next IT job.
The Importance of Providing Incentives for IT recruiters
I’m a firm believer that everyone should be tied to an incentive in the work place. At AVID Technical Resources, an IT recruiting company headquartered in Boston, MA, our technical recruiters and IT staffing salespeople all have an aggressive commission plan. The plan is tiered to fuel their incentive and ensure there’s not a chance for complacency. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned owning an IT recruitment company is that complacency kills your potential for growth.
Outside of our commission plan, we also provide other incentives. While some are monetary (quarterly contests and additional annual bonuses), others are simply meant to help mentally recharge our team’s batteries. Throughout the summer, we have weekly incentives that result in closing the office early on Fridays to enjoy the weather. We have an office goal, and then celebrate the victory upon achieving it. The rewards range from tickets to sporting events to booze cruises on the Boston Harbor. We have office plaques, trophies and a board that ranks employee production that recognizes top IT staffing performers among their peers.
In addition to our IT recruiters Boston and salespeople, our technical recruiting manager has an incentive based on the company’s growth and revenue. Same holds true for our IT staffing sales manager. Our customer support representative is also bonuses based on a component of her job.
Therefore, regardless of the role, AVID Technical Resources provides incentives to push each of our employees to continue to strive for excellence. This is what has helped fuel our growth over the years(earning us a spot on the Inc. 500/5000 list of fastest growing private companies) and what will help catapult us in the future. Our incentive programs will be the vehicle that helps our company leapfrog other IT recruiting firms – many of which that are stunted by complacency.