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Don’t Let This ‘Surprise’ Mess Up Your IT Job Interview

IT recruiters hear about a lot of things that throw IT professionals off in an interview.  No matter how diligently candidates prepare, surprises can still pop up that your IT staffing agencies couldn’t have predicted for you.  Here’s one potential surprise that you can prepare yourself for: a grumpy or disinterested interviewer. It’s easy to see why IT recruiting companies hear that a grumpy or disinterested interviewer really throws candidates off.  At best, it’s uncomfortable.  At worst, it’s a sign of a difficult boss or work environment.  If you encounter an interviewer who isn’t very friendly or enthusiastic, here’s how to deal with it gracefully.

Firstly, try not to take this personally or as a definite sign of a bad work environment.  IT staffing firms work with plenty of employers who have good reasons why they’re unenthused about an interview.  Perhaps they’re already slammed at work and don’t have time to do interviews on top of that.  Maybe they’re dealing with personal issues outside of work.  Your interviewer may just be having a terrible day.  Keep in mind that interviewers are people and they deal with the same issues as the rest of us.

Secondly, IT recruiting firms would suggest that you complete the interview cheerfully and to the best of your ability.  Try to pretend the interviewer isn’t in a bad mood.  This also means not showing concern or asking what’s wrong.  In any other circumstance, a little sympathy would go a long way.  In an interview, you don’t want to be cold, but you do need to stay on track.  Trying to cater to your interviewer’s emotions could distract you, your interviewer, or just make things awkward.

The last thing IT staffing companies would suggest is to reach out to your technical recruiters after your interview.  Let them know how it went.  Ask them if they think this is a sign of other issues for the team or if it’s more of a temporary thing that you can just disregard.  Your IT recruiting agencies want you to land in a job that you’re happy– it’s hard to be successful otherwise!

 

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Don’t let a grumpy interviewer throw you off at your IT job interviews. Photo credit: Aquilatin via Pixabay.

 

 

2 Strong Questions to Ask in IT Job Interviews

If you’ve worked with IT recruiters before to find new IT jobs, you already know that strong questions can be your best assets.  Here are two strong questions that IT staffing agencies would recommend you ask.

Firstly, your IT recruiting firms would suggest that you ask about how the company or team does performance reviews. Since this is the kind of in-depth information that your technical recruiter doesn’t include on the basic job description, it shows that you’re considering the position a bit more deeply.  It also shows that you’re considering how success is measured in this position.  This is the kind of candidate that IT recruiting companies have no problem placing in jobs.  You can show that you’re the kind of candidate who doesn’t just want to land any job; you want to land a job you can succeed in.

Secondly, IT staffing companies would recommend that you ask if the interviewer has any ballpark ideas of what they’d like the person they hire to achieve in the first month or the first quarter.  Sometimes interviewers won’t have any estimates about this, but often in IT your interviewer could have specific ideas of what they’d like done on a project and deadlines.  If you show that you’re already interested in these deadlines and expectations, you can demonstrate that you’re a conscientious employee.  You can also gauge for yourself if you think the company works at a pace that’s compatible with your work style.  If they expect too much to be done too quickly, you’ll know that you should tell your IT staffing firms the role isn’t a good fit for you.

 

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Asking how the company does performance reviews strengthens your candidacy. Photo credit: geralt via Pixabay.

 

Don’t Get Too Technical in Your IT Job Interviews

One question IT recruiters find that you’ll usually be asked in interviews for IT jobs is something along the lines of ‘tell us about your professional achievements.’ Most technical recruiters find that their candidates do well at this question.  It’s not tricky and doesn’t require you to speak candidly about your faults or failures (these are things IT staffing companies find that candidates do have a hard time with).  Here’s one way that IT recruiting firms find that their candidates sometimes run into trouble with this question, though: you give too many (or too few) technical details to your interviewer.

What exactly does this mean?  Unfortunately IT recruiting companies can’t give you a hard rule, but your best bet is to check with your IT staffing agencies and read your audience.  Firstly, before going on the interview, ask your IT recruiting firms to let you know who you’ll be interviewing with and how technical they are.  They may be able to help you gauge how detailed you should get when describing your professional achievements.

In addition to checking with your IT recruiting agencies, you should also read your audience as you interview.  They’ll probably give you hints – either direct or subtle about whether they’re interested in the technical details of past professional successes.  If you can read these hints, especially if they’re subtle, you’ll demonstrate another desirable skill: communication.  The ability to communicate well and read you coworkers, managers, clients, and/or end-users is often prized in IT.  So if your interviewer looks bored as you describe how you debugged some complicated code, take a step back and try to give a less detailed answer.  You may just impress them with your technical skills and your communication skills!

 

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Don’t dive into how elegant your code is until you know your interviewer wants to hear about it! Photo credit: lmonk72 via Pixabay.

 

 

Ace your IT Job Interviews with Nonprofits

More and more nonprofits are hiring IT professionals.  While the nonprofit sector may not be the first place you’d think of for IT jobs, there are plenty of benefits to working with these organizations.  IT recruiters fill jobs like this with benefits that include a more comprehensive health insurance package, increased vacation and PTO time, and flexible hours or work from home policies.  If your IT staffing agencies offer you an opportunity to interview for nonprofit roles, here is one important tip to consider: remember to emphasize your connection with their mission.

While technical recruiters will always want you to show enthusiasm for the mission of a company—nonprofit or for profit—it’s especially imperative for nonprofits.  These organizations are mission-driven.  Thus they are counting on IT recruiting companies to help them hire people who are not only able to do the job, but also care deeply about its goals and values. How do you make sure you convey this?

Consider this the second part of your interview preparations (in addition to your usual interview preparation and practice).  Ask your IT recruiting firms for as much information about the nonprofits mission as they have.  Google their website and research it extensively.  Become well-informed enough on the work they do that you can easily talk about it with your interviewer.  Next, try to think about your personal connection to this work. If you’ve volunteered for similar organizations or have some other connection, this is something to bring up in your interview.  Don’t reach for answers here or make something up.  Neither will impress hiring managers.

Lastly, pull all of this work together and practice talking about why you’d want to work for this organization.  Focus on being sincere and well-informed.  You don’t want to give a completely rehearsed monologue, but you’ll increase your odds of success if you can genuinely speak to an interest and familiarity with the organization.  Take these steps, and your IT staffing companies will be more likely to tell you that you got the job!

 

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Speaking to a nonprofit’s mission is just as important as proving your competency. Photo credit: AmberAvalona via Pixabay.

 

Tips for Second Round IT Job Interviews

Sometimes when you’re working with IT recruiting firms to find new IT jobs, you may have to go through a second round of interviews.  IT staffing companies find that IT professionals may not necessarily be as well-prepared for a second round of interviews.  Here are some things IT recruiters would suggest you keep in mind as you complete second (or third, etc) rounds of interviews.

  1. Be patient. Your technical recruiters are sending you for a second round of interviews for a good reason.  Even if you wind up answering questions for a second time, the hiring managers may need this information to make their decision.  You wouldn’t want to be hired for a job you’re not a good fit for anyways—this almost always ends in a firing, quitting, or just general discontentment and discomfort on one or both sides.  You want your IT recruiting agencies to place you a job you can succeed in and enjoy.  It might take a couple interviews for hiring managers to be sure about that.
  2. Prepare again—and this time bring some new material. Be ready to answer questions or show off your technical proficiencies.  Prepare some new questions or anecdotes to share with your interviewers.  Treat this interview as thought it was just as important as the first.  IT staffing firms would suggest that it’s almost helpful to think of this as a first interview—just don’t forget what you learned at your last one!

 

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Don’t slack on second round IT job interviews. Prepare for these, just like your first ones. Photo credit: Unsplash via Pixabay.

 

 

 

2 Ways to Relax Before IT Job Interviews

IT staffing firms see firsthand that plenty of IT professionals get nervous before interviews— no matter how many IT jobs they’ve had. Here are two tactics that might help you relax before your IT recruiters send you to your interviews.

1. The first tactic that IT recruiting agencies would recommend is to stop playing the ‘what if’ game. You don’t have to be in IT to know what this means, because most people play the ‘what if’ game at some point in their lives. This involves letting your mind wander to all the negative possible outcomes of a circumstance. It’s particularly easy to think this way before your IT recruiting firms send you on an interview, as you need to perform well. You’ll actually do much better, though, if you don’t allow your mind to winder as much. Remember that your IT staffing companies wouldn’t send you for the interview if you weren’t qualified for the job. Remember the preparation and practice you’ve done for this interview. You may even want to try meditating for a bit before the interview, as this is shown to reduce stress. Focus on performing in the interview, rather than anticipating all the ways you’ll mess up.

2. Remember that the worst case scenario still isn’t that bad. Your IT staffing agencies will continue to send you for interviews if you don’t land this job. Your IT recruiting companies don’t want you to approach interviews too casually. However, it’s easier to relax and perform well when you remember that you won’t land every IT job you interview for—and that’s ok.

 

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Consider trying mediation before IT job interviews to reduce stress. Photo credit: Meditation geralt via pixabay.

 

Delete These 2 Words from Your LinkedIn Profile and IT Resumes

One strong tactic you can use is to polish up your LinkedIn profile and resume is deleting words that will turn off technical recruiters and potential employers.  Here are two words that won’t attract IT recruiters or hiring managers if you have them in your LinkedIn profile or resume – particularly in a summary or objective section.

  1. Don’t waste space in your summary or your taglines on LinkedIn with the word ‘motivated.’ Because it’s been so overused, it doesn’t mean much to IT staffing firms or interviewers.  What really carries weight with IT recruiting companies and hiring managers are demonstrations of your motivation.  Did you move up the ranks in a help desk department at a previous employer?  Did you volunteer for some extra projects at your last IT jobs? Listing actions and results like this on your profile is a much better use of space!
  2. In the same vein, you won’t be impressing any IT staffing agencies or potential employers by calling yourself ‘driven’ on your LinkedIn profile or resume. Again, the word is far too over-used to be effective.  It’s also not interesting to IT recruiting firms when you call yourself driven.  If you had a reference call you driven, it would carry far more weight.  However, since it’s a quality that’s hard to define, it’s important to consider that your opinion can’t really count here. You are, of course, biased about your own employability.  When you pronounce yourself driven on your LinkedIn profile or IT resume, you’re really just stating something that IT recruiting agencies already know: you think you’d be an asset as an employee.  Use the space on your LinkedIn profile or IT resume to tell them something they don’t know.  What’s your technical background?  What projects have you led?  What have you achieved in your career?  This is the kind of information that IT staffing companies want to see—not that you think that you are driven.

 

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Don’t leave ‘motivated’ on your IT resume! Photo credit: gustavofer74 via Pixabay.

 

How to Answer This Scary IT Job Interview Question

IT recruiting firms hear about a lot of hard interview questions.  Usually, these questions are very technical.  However, sometimes IT recruiters hear about basic interview questions that really stump candidates.  Here’s one question that often strikes fear in the heart of IT professionals as they interview for new IT jobs: Have you ever been fired?

Obviously if you’ve never been fired before, this question is easy to answer.  However, if you have been fired before, this question sounds pretty terrifying.  The truth is, though, if you answer it correctly, it can be a chance to help cement your candidacy.  While a firing is not necessarily a good thing, technical recruiters hear about it relatively often.  Most IT staffing firms have seen at least a few perfectly competent, capable professionals fired (and then hired elsewhere!).  It’s merely a part of professional life.  As you answer this question, remember that.  Don’t lie and don’t panic as you answer the question.  Your IT recruiting firms and hiring managers would much rather you honestly answer yes, rather than lie about having ever been fired.

Your IT recruiting agencies will also want you to keep your answer short and neutral.  Don’t be tempted to bash your former employers, nor should you go into a long-winded, defensive explanation of your firing.  A quick, one sentence answer should be just fine! A good answer here will demonstrate that you can be professional, positive, and honest.  These are all qualities that your IT staffing companies (and hiring managers!) would love to have you demonstrate in an interview.  Thus you can take a question that seemed designed to hurt your candidacy and use your answer to actually strengthen it.

 

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Don’t panic yet! Your interviewer probably won’t count it against you if you were fired from a previous IT job. Photo credit geralt via Pixabay.

 

A Surprising IT Resume Mistake

IT recruiters see a lot of good resumes, but they also see plenty of bad resumes.  One mistake that technical recruiters see far too often is when IT professionals include references on their resumes.  Here are a couple reasons why IT staffing firms and hiring managers don’t want to see your references on your IT resume.

  1. You’re wasting space. While IT resumes don’t necessarily have to be kept to a page or 2 pages, IT recruiting companies want to see that resumes are kept as concise and brief as possible.  It won’t help you to represent yourself with an overly long resume.  It may even turn off IT staffing agencies or hiring managers who were considering your candidacy.  They may not have time to wade through a resume that takes too long to sell your candidacy.  Keep your resume as brief as possible and just use the space on it to talk about your achievements, technologies you’re proficient with, and education or certifications.
  2. IT recruiting firms and hiring managers might assume from this mistake that you’re not aware of professional norms—and thus possibly not as professional as you could be. Including references on your resume means you’re exposing contact info for all these people unnecessarily.  It also means you’re simply not aware of correct resume formatting.  Either way, IT staffing companies or hiring managers might conclude from this resume mistake that you’re lacking in professionalism in other ways.  Don’t take that risk.

 

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It might look harmless to include references your resume, but it could hurt your job search. Photo credit: Lindsay_Jayne.

 

 

 

1 Way to Stand Out in IT Job Interviews

In interviews for IT jobs, IT recruiters can tell you a million ways to make sure you stand out to your interviewers.  Here’s one way you can make a big impression and ensure that your IT recruiting firms get some good feedback about you as a candidate: Make sure to tell a story or two about how you do things beyond your team and/or job description.

Why is this necessary?  Isn’t it enough to be able to talk about how you helped your team and succeeded at your job? Of course technical recruiters would advise you to be able to detail how you succeeded at your job and within your team.  However, a hiring manager’s dream candidate, the kind that IT staffing agencies have a very easy time finding new roles for, stretches beyond their job description.  IT recruiting agencies regularly hear rave reviews about candidates who are not only interested in succeeding in their role, but don’t mind thinking about what helps the whole company succeed, too.  You don’t have to invest much time or effort in this kind of activity to impress somebody.  Maybe you spent a few minutes on your lunch break to help somebody out from another team with a technical (or non-technical!) issue.  Maybe you volunteered to be your team’s CPR-trained employee.  What matters is that you show that you’re not the kind of employee who whines ‘that’s not my job’.  This is exactly the kind of candidate that IT staffing firms never want to represent!

 

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Want to stand out? Make sure you can talk about going beyond your job description! Photocredit: Colin00B via Pixabay.