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The Golden Rule for Success in Your IT Jobs

So you’ve worked with some IT recruiters and IT staffing agencies to land your dream job.  How do you excel at your new gig so your boss and coworkers notice and IT staffing companies fight other IT recruiting companies to place you for your next IT jobs?  There are a lot of ways to ensure success, but there is one golden rule everyone should try to follow: Bring your boss solutions, not problems. 

How can you do this?  Make sure you think one step beyond issues that arise or you’re concerned will arise.  IT recruiting firms have an easy time placing the kind of employee who not only notices a problem, but can then anticipate for his boss what some possible solutions would be for it.   Employees who make solutions, not just identifying problems, their focus are easy to manage and work with.  These are the kind of people IT recruiting companies get requests for—employees that make life easier for their teammates and bosses.  Take a shot at this the next time you spot a problem—you’ll be surprised at how well this habit will impact your job performance and career.

 

 

IT Job Hunters: Check Online for Info About Corporate Culture!

In the past, IT contractors have to ask their IT recruiters and IT staffing companies about the corporate culture of the IT jobs they’re interviewing for.  Things are changing now, though.  IT recruiters are no longer the only source of info about a company’s corporate culture—now the companies themselves are posting videos, pictures, and more info about their corporate culture online.

If you’re up for an IT job, ask your IT recruiting agencies if they know about any online info about the company’s corporate culture.  It’s worth looking into this info for yourself so you can decided if the company is a place you could be happy.  While corporate culture is often mentioned secondary to the actual job description by IT recruiting firms, it’s still very important.  IT staffing firms that can place people in jobs they love and corporate cultures they love, find the most success and longevity in the placements.  This is because happy workers have been proven to be more loyal and productive workers.  So don’t hesitate to ask your technical recruiters if there is info online about the corporate culture of companies you’re interviewing with.  This information is important!

 

IT’s Next Best Employees: Veterans

IT recruiters and IT staffing firms tend to see plenty of resumes from recent veterans, but not all of them value the military experience.  While there plenty of IT staffing companies that do think about it, not all technical recruiters understand how military experience translates to most IT jobs.  Though the skills can be different, sometimes this is a good thing.  IT recruiting companies and the companies they work for are starting to realize that military experience can translate to special skills that not all IT contractors have.

This trend isn’t currently growing fast enough to accommodate the number of unemployed veterans in the US.  However, the good news is that it will likely grow in the future.  The military relies on technology more and more every day.  Soon IT recruiting agencies will be able to see a plain link between the jobs IT professionals have done in their military past and the civilian jobs they’d like to be considered for.  In the interim, it’s up to IT staffing agencies to be creative enough to start to see how well veterans are often prepared for civilian IT jobs.

Avoid These Issues in IT Job Interviews

IT recruiters can often give IT contractors direct feedback on why they don’t get IT jobs, but sometimes the reason is more nebulous.  Technical recruiters may not even hear from the company about these reasons, but sometimes companies will disqualify a candidate for things that are hard or awkward to explain.  While IT staffing firms can prepare you for the basic requirements of IT job interviews, only you can try to prevent yourself from disqualification for one of these reasons.

You were desperate.  If you reek of desperation, interviewers will unfortunately be turned off and question whether you could do a great job.  This is a hard thing for IT recruiting companies to help candidates avoid, but you can do a few things on your own to mitigate coming off as desperate.   Try relaxing and focusing only on the questions at hand.  Make sure to take a breath before you speak and speak slightly slower than you may normally.  Most people speak quickly when they’re nervous.  Lastly, if you’re feeling desperate, try to hold yourself back a bit and really edit what you say or do.  Showing enthusiasm is fine and IT staffing companies certainly want you to look interested in the job.  However, you want to avoid seeming like you think the job is too good for you.  Your interviewer will pick up on this and wonder the same thing!

You weren’t  likeable.  Again, this is hard thing to even begin to qualify, let alone for IT recruiting firms to help you avoid.  But, you can do a few things to make yourself more likeable.  Smile, try to relax, and engage in small talk if your interviewer does.  Hold back any possibly controversial opinions, stories, or speech.  Offending your interviewer is the easiest way to destroy your image as likeable.

You smelled or looked odd.  This seems like a small thing, but it really is important.  IT staffing agencies will likely not be able to tell you that you smell, but this is something to think about before you go to the interview. Make sure to shower and avoid wearing any strong cologne or perfume.  Sometimes people are allergic , or simply don’t like these things.  Wear clothes that are conventional for the industry.  Check in with your IT recruiting agencies if you’re unsure, but usually a simple, conservative suit that fits well will work.  Bright colors or patters aren’t your best bet here.

 

Could You Do an IT Job From Home?

IT recruiters all over the US are pretty familiar with one request when it comes to IT jobs: IT professionals very often want the option to work from home some of the time, if not all the time.  IT recruiting agencies certainly do get their fair share of jobs that allow at least some flexibility to work from home.  However, technical recruiters can’t just fill these jobs with anybody.  IT recruiters search for somebody with some particular skills and a set-up at home.  This is what IT staffing firms will look for if you want to talk about jobs that allow you to work from home.

Firstly, IT recruiting firms look for a proven ability to work with little-to-no supervision.  This is might seem simple, but it requires real discipline and problem-solving skills.  IT staffing agencies need to know that the people they submit for work from home jobs will be able to stay on track with their work even if they don’t have their boss checking in every 5 minutes.  They also need to know that these people can direct their own work, solve problems on their own, and generally save their bosses the burden of having to do much managing.

Secondly, IT staffing companies need to know that the people they submit for work from home jobs have a good setup to get their work done.  A home office is optimal, but not entirely necessary.  However, childcare arrangements are necessary.  Workers need to be able to focus entirely on their jobs, and childcare will almost always conflict with this.

Lastly, IT headhunters are looking for people who will make themselves available to their coworkers, clients, managers, etc.  Working from home requires a lot of independence, but the best employees who work remotely make themselves easily accessible for work questions.  Being physically absent from the office is no excuse for being difficult to reach—in fact, it makes this quality all the more imperative.

 

IT Professionals and Ebola In the Workplace

The latest hot news topic- Ebola- has made its way into employment quandaries for IT jobs, IT staffing companies, and IT recruiters.  While it may not seem like a relevant topic for IT recruiting firms and technical recruiters, IT professionals wind up working in all sorts of settings.  These include places like hospitals, airlines, and news publications—all places that have already, or likely will, see a risk of exposure to people actively suffering from the virus.

While Ebola can’t be contracted from casual contact, there are still plenty of questions flying around in industries that may have contact with it.  People are debating the necessity of hazard pay, training, additional safety equipment, insurance, and when it’s acceptable to say no to a potentially dangerous task.  There won’t be any obvious answers to these quandaries for IT recruiting companies any time soon, but the conversation isn’t a bad one to start having.  Whether Ebola becomes a large threat or not in the US, it’s always good for IT staffing agencies to be prepared.

The Best IT Professionals Have These Traits

The IT professionals that IT recruiters love working with, the ones that land IT jobs over and over again, have at least a few traits in common.  Technical recruiters look for great resumes, excellent references, and strong interview skills.  But there are some things that IT staffing firms look for in an IT consultant that are a bit more intangible.  One of the most important things IT recruiting agencies like to find in a candidate is an ability to work well with IT managers.  How can you make sure you’ve got this ability?  Here are some tips.

Firstly, be easy to manage and coach.  IT recruiting companies look for people who make a manager’s job easy.  Take feedback well and be proactive with it.  Think about things from the manager’s, company’s and team’s perspective.  Acting with these things in mind will make your work meet and exceed a manager’s expectations.

Secondly, take up as little of your manager’s time as possible.  Managers are busy and they don’t need employees who require any more of their work day than absolutely necessary.  Keep emails, phone calls, and face-to-face conversations short and to the point (unless it would come off as rude).  Solve as much of your problems on your own as you can.  These are the things that really endear an employee to an IT manager—and to the IT staffing companies they work with.

 

IT Professionals: Don’t Make These 2 Resume Mistakes

Information technology work is often project-based and IT contractors usually have to have their resumes polished and ready to present to IT recruiters and IT staffing companies.  Most IT consultants are well-versed in what makes a great resume—or if they aren’t, technical recruiters usually set them straight pretty quickly.  However, there are some mistakes that people always seem to make in creating their resumes—and they’re not inconsequential.  Avoid these mistakes at all costs, because they’ll sink your chances of getting IT jobs!

Don’t use gimmicky formats.  It may seem like a great way to make your resume stand out, but the truth is that IT managers want to see pretty conventionally-formatted, clean, concise resumes.  If you are the right person for the job, you’ll stand out.  Don’t let a weird format throw off your potential employer and distract them from all your great qualities and experience. 

Don’t give away confidential information, including your references.  If your resume is the first impression a manager or IT headhunter has of you, don’t let it suggest you’re disloyal or untrustworthy.  Putting confidential information on your resume, including the contact info for your references, demonstrates that you’re not willing to or capable of keeping sensitive information to yourself.  Nobody wants to hire that person, so make sure that’s not who your resume suggests you are!

 

Say This at Your IT Job The Next Time You’re Stumped

In a field like information technology, there are plenty of reasons why IT contractors might have a reason to say “I don’t know” to their IT managers or coworkers at their IT jobs.  Technologies are constantly being updated or new ones are being created and IT consultants can only do their best to stay current with them.  There is a better way to deal with a question you don’t have the answer to, though, a way that will keep your reputation stellar with your employer, IT recruiters, and IT staffing firms.

Next time you’re tempted to say “I don’t know” stop and take a breath.  Think about what you do know that could be useful and proved that info.  Then finish by saying that you’ll look into this matter and get back to the person who asked you the question.  You may even mention that you think you know, but you’d like to confirm the answer first.  The reason this kind of response works better is that it demonstrates a few good qualities about you—qualities that make IT managers, technical recruiters, and IT recruiting companies want to work with you.  Firstly, answers like this demonstrate that you’re willing to be helpful—possibly even if it’s above and beyond your job description.  Secondly, giving a partial response, or showing that you’re able to get one, shows that you’re both competent and resourceful.  Remember this trick the next time you get a tough question—it can turn an ordinary moment into one that reflects well on you.

 

Ask These Questions In Your Next IT Job Interview!

IT contractors usually know that it’s imperative to ask questions in interviews for IT jobs. (If they don’t, IT recruiters and IT staffing firms usually set them straight!) What IT consultants may not know is that there are some questions you should always include in the ones you ask.  The following questions aren’t just helpful for you, but also for forming a great impression with your interviewer (and that will help form a great impression with your IT recruiting agencies and technical recruiters).

What defines success in this role? What would the ideal candidate contribute to this company and team?  This is the kind of question that shows you have your priorities straight and you’ve got an organized, focused approach to your work. Employees who care about carrying their weight in a company and have the foresight to request their goals before they’re given are the ones people want to hire and keep.

What are attributes you’d like to see in the person who fills this role?  What are attributes you would NOT like to see in the person who fills this role?  These questions are important for the prospective employer and for you as the prospective employee.  You need to know if your work style, personality, and experience are a good fit for this job.  If they aren’t, these questions will quickly reveal that.  For the employer, asking this question lets them know you are looking at the bigger picture: the company’s needs.  Asking questions like this is far more effective than saying cliché things like ‘I’m a team player!’