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Telecommunications Staffing & Recruiting

Do You Have to Write Thank You Notes When You Use IT Recruiters?

Many IT staffing firms find that candidates will assume they don’t need to write thank you notes after interviews when they work with IT recruiters.  This is absolutely not true.  Technical recruiters nearly always ask for their candidates to send along a thank you email. Here’s why, as well as how you can write a great thank you note for your IT staffing agencies to pass along to interviewers.

Firstly, here’s why your IT recruiting firms will likely ask you for a thank you note to give to your interviewers.  A thank you note is one of the best ways to strengthen your candidacy.  These notes are not only polite (though that’s a plus) but well-written ones let you provide a lasting, written impression of you as a great candidate.  IT recruiting agencies have seen notes that do powerful things like reiterate why the candidate is a great fit for the role or expound upon an interesting question from the interview.  Skipping a thank you note is like skipping the end of your interview:  you’re skipping a prime moment to strengthen your candidacy.

So now that you understand why you need to give your IT staffing companies thank you notes to pass on to your interviewers, how do you write a stellar one?  Start by making sure you take notes during your interview.  Don’t trust yourself to remember a moment when you connected well with the interviewer or to remember a question you could have given a longer answer on.  Take a note about it so you can use it in your thank you note later.

Secondly, IT recruiting companies would suggest you keep brevity in mind.  Don’t write the interviewer a novel and try to turn the note around as quickly as you can.  A great thank you note will be written promptly and will use every word to remind an interviewer why you’re a uniquely perfect fit for the job.  Don’t waste the interviewer’s time with a generic template, either.  This doesn’t do much to show how you are uniquely qualified for the role.  Every word in a generic template is a word wasted!

Keep these tips in mind and you may just land the job next time!

 

thank you notes job interview
Even when you’re working with IT recruiters, you still need to write a thank you note! Photo credit: condesign via Pixabay.

 

 

Make Time To Practice This Before IT Job Interviews

As you prep for job interviews, here’s one way to give yourself an advantage: practice speaking about a professional achievement in a brief, but comprehensive way.  Here’s how IT staffing firms would recommend you do this.

  1. IT recruiting agencies would suggest you start by identifying some of your major professional achievements. These might be obvious, but they could be things that seem smaller, like putting in extra work to make sure a project was delivered on time for end users.  Make a list for yourself.
  2. Go over the descriptions your IT recruiters gave you for the IT jobs you’ll be interviewing for. Try to pinpoint if any of the achievements on your list will be especially pertinent to these jobs.
  3. Once you’ve selected the best achievements, think about them in terms of three things. Figure out what exactly you did, what the impact was, and if there were any particular groups that benefited (like end users, clients, your team, etc).
  4. Now practice talking about each achievement in these terms. IT recruiting firms would suggest you practice speaking with a friend, family member, or in front of the mirror.  Use a timer and try limiting yourself to 2-4 minutes at most.  The reason IT staffing companies would suggest you limit your time here is that it will keep you from making a few mistakes.  You won’t be able to get too technical (something that technical recruiters have certainly seen ruin interviews), nor will you be able to sound too arrogant or take the interview off track.
  5. When you find an opportune moment in an interview, don’t be afraid to pull this ace out of your pocket. You don’t want to sound rehearsed, but practicing and thinking about how to talk about your professional achievements ahead of time will make you much more succinct and effective!

 

IT Job Interview Prep
Use a timer as you practice speaking about your professional achievements in past IT jobs. Photo credit: Nile via Pixabay.

 

Boost Your Confidence in IT Job Interviews With This Tip

IT recruiters find that many candidates are nervous when they interview for IT jobs.  If you usually feel a little anxious before you go on the interviews your IT staffing companies set you up for, here’s one way to feel more confident: have an anecdote ready that highlights a skill or two listed in the job description.

Here’s how to implement this technique.  Firstly, make sure you get at least a basic job description from your technical recruiters.  Read this over closely and try to pick out something beyond the technical requirements.  Your interviewers know that your IT recruiting firms have already had you brush up on these skills.  What will really impress your interviewer is if you look for the more intangible requirements.  For example, look for statements in the job description that mention the ability to juggle multiple projects at once, or highlight customer service skills.

Now, think about a time you demonstrated these skills.  Craft a short anecdote that you can easily recount (without sounding like you’re reading from a script).  Your IT staffing agencies are very likely to get positive feedback if you can speak directly to the job description and do it in a concrete way.  Your story will demonstrate you have the skills they need.  This helps your interviewers picture you succeeding in the role.  Practice telling this anecdote a few times in the mirror or with a family member or friend.  When you get to the interview, you can feel confident that you have this ace in your back pocket—and your IT recruiting companies may just call you with a job offer!

 

ITJobInterviewPrep
Check the IT job description for qualities that you can create a powerful anecdote about. Photo credit: janeb13 via Pixabay.

 

Why Saying ‘No’ Is Important for Your IT Job Search

When you’re working with IT recruiting agencies to find new IT jobs, you may feel as though you should say you’re very interested in every role your IT recruiters want to submit you for—even if you’re not.  Maybe you’re concerned that your technical recruiters won’t work with you if you say no to role.  Perhaps you are anxious to land a new job and think you should take anything your IT staffing companies offer you. The truth is, it’s important to say no to roles that you’re not interested in. Here’s why you should take a deep breath and curb this instinct to just say yes to every role your IT recruiting firms present.

Ultimately, it’s not good for you or your IT staffing agencies if you land a role that you’re not happy in or not adequately prepared for.  There are plenty of reasons IT professionals might take a job they’re not a hundred percent interested in.  Maybe they are desperate for a new job.  Maybe they’re desperate for a new job with a higher salary.  Whatever the reason, you won’t really gain much when you land a job that you don’t feel at least reasonably comfortable in and can succeed at.  When you’re in a job you hate or are ill-prepared for, you’re almost guaranteed to need to leave it quickly—or possibly be fired.  This isn’t ideal for you or your IT recruiting companies.  When you’re searching for a new job, you want something you’ll enjoy, be great at, and be able to stay in for a year at least (unless it’s a set short term contract).  Anything you stay at for a shorter time will probably just cause you more stress, unhappiness, and mar your resume.  Your technical recruiters don’t want to place you in a job you leave quickly or are fired from.  This damages their relationship with the company that employs you.

The moral of the story?  Be honest with your IT recruiters and don’t tell them to submit you for jobs you don’t think you can do well and be happy in.  Even if you have to wait for a job that you are happy with and can excel at, this will yield the best outcome for you (and thus your IT staffing firms, too).

 

ITJobsUnhappy
You don’t want to land an IT job you don’t think you’d be at least reasonably happy doing.

 

Go Beyond Basic Questions in Your IT Job Interviews

The IT professionals who perform best at interviews for IT jobs are often the ones who ask great questions.  IT recruiters understand why you want to ask some of the basic questions.  You shouldn’t hesitate to ask the (appropriate) questions that you are genuinely interested in answers to.  However, technical recruiters would absolutely recommend that you ask some questions that go beyond this information.  Here’s one that will make a great impression on your interviewer: Do you have a busy season or seasons?  Are there any major deadlines coming up that you can anticipate for projects, etc?

Why do IT staffing agencies recommend you ask questions like this? Firstly, it shows that you’re considering the role in a more comprehensive way.  IT recruiting companies have the best luck placing candidates who are thinking about every aspect of the role and if/how they could succeed in it.  Asking about busy times and deadlines shows a more detailed consideration of the expectations for this role.

Secondly, IT staffing companies would suggest that asking a version of this question shows foresight and an ability to plan.  It helps your candidacy to show that you’re the kind of person who is organized, plans things out, and pays attention to other people’s schedules.  IT recruiting firms find that candidates who can show initiative and manage their own time are especially valuable, as they can do things like meet deadlines in big projects or respond to client or end user inquiries quickly with minimal oversight.

 

timelines IT job interviews
Asking about busy times and anticipated deadlines makes you look like a better candidate for IT jobs. Photo credit: Unsplash via Pixabay.

 

 

 

1 Tip for Telling Interviewers Why You’re Interested in IT Jobs

One common question in interviews is ‘Why does this role interest you?’ IT recruiters and IT staffing companies see plenty of candidates who get asked this question as they interview for IT jobs.  While everyone will answer this question a bit differently, there’s one tip that will really impress your interviewer and technical recruiters:  Make sure part of your answer addresses the company and/or team, not just your interests.

Why is this necessary?  You might have plenty of great reasons why this role fits well into your career path and interests, technical proficiencies, etc.  However, your IT staffing agencies and IT recruiting firms still need you to stress that there is something about this company and/or team in particular that appeals to you or that you feel you can be impactful in.  IT professionals that do really well at their jobs usually do so not just because their skill-sets are compatible with the job.  Their success also comes from how well they fit into their team, like the company or its work, culture, mission, etc.  Your IT recruiting companies and IT staffing firms will have a very easy time getting you IT jobs if you can make it clear in interviews that you’re interested in a role because of the company itself as well as the work.

 

IT job interviews answer
If you’re not mentioning the company or team, you’re missing a key piece of the puzzle in your answer. Photo credit: Wilhei via Pixabay.

 

 

2 Questions To Learn More About an IT Company’s Culture

IT professionals tend to enjoy their IT jobs for two reasons: their work and their company/team culture.  If you’re working with IT recruiters and IT staffing companies to find a new job, there are plenty of questions you can ask about the work itself.  Your technical recruiters and IT recruiting firms will also be able to tell you a lot about the work.  However, if you want to know about the culture of a company, you need to ask some questions in your interview.  Here are two questions that will help you get more info about the company culture, yet won’t make your interviewer uncomfortable.

  1. Do team members give each other feedback? If so, how?  If the answer suggests a formal process that feels more about blaming and punishment, you may want to consider how you feel about that.  If a company uses mistakes as true opportunities to grow and fix problems, that’s a good sign.  It’s also a very good sign when a company gives a lot of public praise.
  2. Especially in IT, you’ll want to know not only how things are between you and potential teammates, but also between you and clients or end users. Your IT recruiting agencies and IT staffing firms should already be setting you up for job interviews in which you’ll do the kind and amount of client interaction that you enjoy.  Basically you can just confirm this by asking questions like ‘how often do people in this role interact with clients or end users?  What are these interactions like?’

 

IT Jobs Culture
How much would you be interacting with end users? Don’t forget to ask in your IT interviews! Photo credit: gail via Flickr.

 

Don’t Do These Things After IT Job Interviews

When you’re interviewing for IT jobs, it’s normal to feel pretty nervous, no matter how well you prepared for them with your IT recruiters and IT staffing firms.  The best way to move forward is to stay in touch with your technical recruiters and avoid making these mistakes:

  1. Don’t post anything on your social media accounts that’s offensive or that could reflect poorly on you.  IT recruiting agencies have found that candidates do get cut out of the running for IT jobs because of poor judgment with their social media use.  Also, if you hadn’t already done it before starting your IT job search with IT staffing firms, clean up all of your social media accounts completely.
  2. Don’t make yourself unreachable to your IT recruiting firms.  They may need more info for hiring managers, need to set you up for new interviews, or have an offer for you. You don’t have to pick up calls from your IT staffing agencies on the first ring, but try to get back to them within a few hours at most.
  3. Don’t halt your search. Even if you’re on a second interview with an potential employer, let your IT recruiting companies keep submitting you for other positions that interest you.  You can’t guarantee you’ll get a job, no matter how good your chances seem.  Keep the odds in your favor and continue your IT job search full steam ahead until your IT recruiters call you with an offer!
Social Media IT Job Search
Be careful about updating your social media as you look for IT jobs. Photo credit: Highways Agency via Flickr.

 

 

Go Beyond Just Polishing your IT Resume for your IT Job Hunt

When you’re searching for new IT jobs, you already know to do the basics: polish your resume, update your LinkedIn profile, and get back in touch with your technical recruiters and IT staffing agencies.  There are a few more steps your IT recruiters and IT staffing companies would recommend you do, though.  The most important is to clean up your social media accounts.

Why do IT recruiting companies recommend you clean up your social media trail?  While it’s still important not to do things like bashing your boss, team, or employers on your Facebook account or Twitter, this all becomes magnified when you’re working with IT recruiting firms to get a new job.  You want to sanitize any social media accounts you have so they are free from excessive party and alcohol-centered pictures, jokes in poor taste, and anything that indicates extreme religious or political beliefs.

The last one might seem less intuitive, but it’s basically meant to protect you from the chance that you could inadvertently offend a potential employer or hiring manager.  While IT recruiting agencies might know that you are more than your political or religious beliefs, your potential employers don’t know much about you at all.  They’re forced to draw quick conclusions from anything they learn about you.  So play it very safe until you land an IT job: delete any posts that could offend on your social media accounts.

 

Not Looking for an IT Job? Don’t Hang Up On That IT Recruiter Yet!

If you’re not actively searching for IT jobs, it may feel like a waste of time to take phone calls from IT recruiters and IT staffing companies. Don’t rush to get off the phone with technical recruiters and IT recruiting agencies, though.  Even if you’re really satisfied with your current IT job, it’s worth making good relationships with IT recruiting firms you trust.

What should you do if you get a call from IT recruiting companies about jobs you’re not interested in?  Maintain a polite, professional air.  However, be honest with the IT staffing agencies you’re talking to.  If they’re good, they’ll want to know what kind of job you do want in the future.  Finish the call by letting them know you’re not interested for now, but you’ll keep their information.  Then, when you need to search for IT jobs, you’ll be ready and have IT recruiting firms on hand that you trust and already know what you want.