Do You Know This Job Search ‘Secret’?
There are a few ‘secrets’ of job searching that IT recruiting agencies find candidates don’t always know. One of the most helpful ‘secrets’ that IT staffing firms share with candidates is that you don’t need to meet 100% of the requirements listed for a job in order to apply. Here’s why technical recruiters suggest you apply to jobs, even if you don’t meet every bullet point in the description.
1. Particularly in the tech field, things are constantly changing. Technologies change, client needs change, and the scope of projects change. This means a company’s hiring needs are constantly changing too. If a project changes, it could mean a company that needs to fill a job may suddenly tell their IT staffing agencies to seek out candidates with a slightly different skill-sets. If you meet most of the requirements of IT jobs, you may be exactly what an employer is seeking—they just didn’t know it when they posted a job description.
2. A job posting is often more of a wish list. Especially in the US, where there’s a real lack of qualified IT professionals, employers may realize that they can’t find somebody with all the skills or experience they want. Or perhaps they realize that they can’t meet the salary needs of somebody who would match their job posting perfectly. This is why IT recruiting firms suggest you apply to jobs you meet most of the requirements for: you may be the perfect candidate for this employer, even though you don’t tick off every box on their list. Your skills and experience may be enough to take on the role they’re hiring for.
3. The last reason IT staffing companies recommend applying for a job you’re not a perfect match for is that you may have the kind of personality or soft skills that make up for a technical deficit. Tech employees are becoming more integrated in companies and working more with end users or clients, people skills are becoming a paramount part of IT roles. You might be missing a few technical requirements for a desktop support role. However, if you have excellent customer service skills and infinite patience, you could still be the right person for the job.
Hire Tech Talent in a Job Seeker’s Market
If you’re working with (or thinking about working with) IT recruiters to fill your IT job openings, you’ve probably noticed that the tech job market is more of a job seeker’s market. IT staffing firms have found this to be true for a long time, and it will likely continue for a while, too. So how do you attract and retain the kind of talented IT professionals your team needs? Here are a few things IT recruiting agencies see as consistently effective for getting and keeping great tech talent.
Perks or money: Conventional advice for most fields says that perks and money can’t be the only way you attract and keep talent. IT staffing companies do find that money and perks play a slightly bigger role in the tech field, though. Because there is such a dearth of IT professionals in the US, IT professionals often wind up getting passive offers for jobs making more money. IT recruiting firms find that paying your talent market rates becomes more imperative in tech than it may be in other fields.
Management: It’s important to note that research says that perks and money can’t be the only thing you use to attract and keep great talent, though. Management is as important, if not more. Research says that people often leave jobs to get away from bad bosses. Recent studies have shown that people who feel micromanaged are 28% more likely to leave a job. People who feel overwhelmed by their workload are 31% more likely to leave their job.
Problems with management may also be intertwined with problems with compensation. If an IT professional doesn’t feel like he or she can communicate with their boss, they won’t feel like they can ask for a raise. This deprives a company of a chance to keep great talent—maybe they can provide the raise to keep the employee, but just don’t know that they should.
Company culture: Though it seems more frivolous, technical recruiters find that company culture is important when it comes to keeping and attracting great talent. Recent studies show that people who don’t like their company’s culture are 15% more likely to leave their IT jobs. Peer and boss relationships make a big difference too. If IT professionals enjoy working with the people around them, (including their team, end users and clients they may have to interact with) they’ll find a way to deal with problems they may have with their current jobs.
When it comes to attracting talent, Glassdoor is now heavily used by job seekers. So take the time to make sure your company culture is great and that it’s well represented on Glassdoor. Deal with and respond to negative reviews (especially if they have actionable feedback). Consider soliciting positive reviews. You want prospective tech employees to know that working at your company isn’t just profitable– it’s a good way to spend 40 plus hours of their week.
3 Things You Should Do the Old Fashioned Way in Tech Interviews
When you’re working with IT recruiting companies to find your next role, sometimes it can feel like technology rules the job interview process. You might do a skype interview, connect with your IT recruiters on LinkedIn, or maybe complete a coding test online. But there are some things that you really should do the old-fashioned way. Here are 3 things that IT staffing companies suggest you consider doing the more traditional way, even if you’re applying for IT jobs using the most cutting edge technologies.
1. Send a hand-written thank you note. If your IT recruiting firms can pass the note along for you or give you the address, a hand-written thank you note after a job interview can go a long way. This is especially true for thoughtful notes that go beyond a generic template. Time and again IT staffing agencies have seen that good thank you notes can be your secret weapon in a job search—they can be your last, and best, impression on an employer.
2. Bring hard copies of your resume and any presentation or applicable portfolio materials you might use. Sometimes your technical recruiters will bring the hard copies of your resume for you, but you’ll always need to bring your own hard copies of your presentation or applicable portfolio materials. You may be showing some examples of past work on a computer or a projector, but you should also try to provide a hard copy for everyone in the interview if it makes sense to do so.
3. Wait for your interviewers quietly, with your smartphone put away. Even if you have to wait for a while, IT recruiting agencies find that it makes a far better impression if you use that time to look over your presentation materials, resume, etc. Avoid playing games, answering emails, texting, or browsing the internet on your smartphone. Send your interviewers the message that this interview is your priority at this moment—nothing else.
Hiring from a Great Candidate Pool
Most employers know that a bad hire can be very costly. Sometimes employers have a more subtle problem, though: making a final choice between a few candidates. When you have a couple of candidates who possess all the technical skills and experience you’re seeking, how do you pick the one to hire? Here are a couple of tips that IT staffing firms suggest you consider when you need to choose between great candidates.
Think about, or ask the IT recruiting firms you’re working with, if the candidates you’re choosing between have ever worked in a similar kind of company and corporate culture before. For instance, are they used to the kind of autonomy your company gives employees? Or are they used to the kind of teamwork this project or work requires? This is something you may find on their resume, but it’s exactly the kind of info your IT staffing agencies are happy to find out for you. Even if a candidate hasn’t worked in a similar corporate culture before, your technical recruiters can still help you figure out if they would fit into yours. They understand what the candidate is looking for in their next role, including work environment, so they have a more in-depth insight into questions like this.
Ask yourself, and anybody else who interviewed the candidates, a simple question. Which candidate would you, your typical end users, or clients, and the rest of your team, most like to invite to a happy hour? Sometimes a candidate has the right personality to really click with your team or, more importantly, the end users or clients they’d be serving. Maybe they’re laid-back and have a sense of humor that would serve your start-up well. Personality isn’t everything, but IT recruiters have seen time and again that when it comes to roles that support clients or end users, it can be very important. It can also make a big difference when you’re working on a small team that needs to collaborate well. The bottom line is, IT staffing companies suggest that if you’ve got a few candidates that are great technically, use personality as another factor in the decision. The most successful hires for IT jobs are usually people that you, your end users, and clients enjoy working with.
3 Tips for Choosing the Right LinkedIn Profile Picture
LinkedIn is so widely used that it has essentially become necessary to join if you want to connect with IT recruiting companies and search for new IT jobs. If you’re not on LinkedIn, it will be much harder for IT staffing companies and potential employers to find you. (It also might suggest you don’t really embrace technology, which would obviously be a problem for IT professionals.) While there are plenty of LinkedIn tips for creating your profile, it’s also important to make sure your LinkedIn picture is done well. Here are some tips to taking a LinkedIn profile picture that will attract IT recruiters and potential employers.
Make sure the picture is clearly of you. IT staffing firms suggest you avoid using pictures of you and your family, friends, etc. Just use a picture that shows you. Your LinkedIn profile is meant to showcase your professional achievements and experience. Social pictures with your family or friends aren’t really relevant to this goal. Technical recruiters find that these kinds of pictures may even detract from the professionalism of your profile to certain, more conservative, employers.
Pick a picture where you’re dressed professionally. You don’t have to be in a full suit, but take a picture where you’re at least dressed in business casual clothing. Even if your goal is to work in a start-up environment where people wear a t-shirt and jeans to work, use a picture of you wearing at least business casual clothing. Think of a LinkedIn picture as similar to how you present yourself at a job interview. Your IT recruiting firms will always tell you to go to a job interview wearing at least business casual clothing, if not a suit. You should do the same in your LinkedIn profile picture.
Pay attention to what kind of picture it is. Don’t use an artsy shot or a full body shot. Aim for something that’s closer to a headshot. Again, think of your LinkedIn picture as similar to the impression you give in a job interview. Taking a picture from far away, at an odd angle, or with a special filter doesn’t help you present yourself in a straight-forward, professional way.
Ramp Up Your Job Search Now!
If you’re thinking about looking for new IT jobs, fall is one of the best times to ramp up your search. Here’s why IT recruiting firms find that the employers have more open jobs and hire faster in the fall.
The key decision makers, the people who work closest with IT staffing companies to hire, are often in the office and available most consistently in the early fall months. This is for a few reasons. For one thing, there are fewer major holidays in September and October. IT recruiting companies also find that people tend to be just returning from bigger summer vacations in the early fall months. They’re also usually saving the rest of their vacation time for the winter and late fall holidays.
Another reason that IT staffing firms find that hiring moves faster in the fall is that they want to get new hires in the door and trained before the late fall and winter holidays occur. No employer wants to start a new hire when their managers and coworkers, who are crucial to training, will likely be out often or less available.
The last reason IT recruiters suggest you ramp up your job search now is because it’s always a good time to be searching for a new IT job. The tech field is constantly a job seeker’s market. Technical recruiters find that there are far more open positions than there are qualified IT professionals to fill them. You can tell this is true because the national unemployment rate for Java Developers, Sys Admins, etc is always so low. While the national unemployment rate for all professions last year was at around 5.7%, for the tech field it was much closer to 2.6%. These numbers mean if you’re a Project Manager, Business Analyst, .Net Developer, etc, you have a great chance of finding an IT job you’re excited about. It’s just up to you to reach out to your trusted IT recruiting agencies and get your search going!
Email Tips For Your Best Job Search
IT recruiters sometimes see candidates make mistakes that are really easy to avoid in their search for IT jobs. One area IT recruiting agencies see candidates make small, avoidable mistakes is with their email. Here are a few things not to do when you’re working with IT staffing agencies to find your next role.
Don’t use an email address that is obscene or unprofessional. When you are meeting technical recruiters and potential employers, all you have to represent yourself is your resume, your calls or meetings with them, and your emails with them. This means how you present yourself in these limited instances is all the more important for landing a great role. If you have an email address that’s not professional or is offensive or obscene, it’s worth creating a new one to use just for your job search. You don’t want to lose out on job opportunities simply because your email address offended an employer or IT recruiter—especially when a new, professional email address would be free and quick to create.
Don’t use somebody else’s email address or have somebody else email your materials on your behalf. Especially if an email address is clearly not yours or is clearly a joint email address, it looks far, far less professional to IT recruiting companies and possible employers. Again, email addresses are free and quick to set up. It doesn’t say that you’re taking your job search seriously if you can’t take the time to set up your own, personal, professional email account to use for your IT job search. It also says that you’re not a serious candidate who understands professional norms when you rely on somebody else to send your materials to employers or IT staffing firms.
Don’t use your college email address after you graduate (unless you went to a prestigious or Ivy League school). This could directly damage how potential employers or IT staffing companies see you. Particularly when you’re no longer a recent graduate of your school, it’s time to distance yourself from your college or university a bit. You want to present yourself as professional with experience in the working world. Having a college email address leads people to assume that you might still be a student—or weren’t one too long ago. Even if neither is true, this again suggests you are aren’t detail-oriented and/or taking your job search seriously. Take the five minutes to create a new, professional email address. It will be well worth it when you land a great new IT job! (Note that Ivy League graduates are usually the exception to this rule. People who wen to an Ivy League school will often continue to use their college or university email address long into their careers.)
Why You (Usually) Can’t Interview Outside of Work Hours
Sometimes IT recruiters will find that candidates are completely prepared for interviews and phone screens but there is one obstacle that makes it hard for them to land IT jobs: they can’t figure out how to schedule them. IT staffing companies find that sometimes candidates think they think they can’t take time from their workday for a phone screen or take time off for the job interviews. For most people in the tech field, though, this simply isn’t true. Here’s why IT recruiting companies suggest that you rethink this if you have a hard time scheduling a phone or in-person interview during business hours.
1. Sometimes candidates think that since technical recruiters are available to talk before work or after-hours, this means that employers will be, too. The truth is that IT staffing agencies very often work around the clock to fill IT jobs. Employers, however, usually don’t. Most employers will fit a phone or in-person interview into the work day. (Some will stay late or meet with candidates before the workday, but they are often in the minority.) If you can’t step away to take a phone interview during business hours, or if you aren’t willing to take a day or part of a day off work for a job interview, you will miss all opportunities to interview. IT recruiting firms find that other candidates usually are willing to do take time for their job search. This means employers will interview and hire them instead of you.
2. On a similar note, it’s important to understand how it looks to employers when you refuse to interview during normal business hours. There are two very bad messages you might send to potential new employers when you try to insist they meet you outside of business hours. Firstly, IT recruiting agencies find that when you demand this kind of scheduling, you can wind up looking like you don’t understand professional norms and are unprofessional. As mentioned above, doing interviews or phone interviews during the work day is pretty normal. True professionals know how to gracefully and discreetly accommodate interview requests into their normal schedule. Secondly, if you insist that employers interview you outside of normal business hours, you’re also possibly suggesting you’re a difficult person to work with. No matter how technically adept you are, this will really hurt your candidacy. More and more, IT recruiters find that having great communication skills and being pleasant to work with are important in IT jobs. This is due to many factors, including the fact that tech departments now work with end users, clients, and other departments more than they used to. So be flexible about scheduling your interview—it just might help land you the job.
3. Lastly, taking time away from work for your job search is a normal, acceptable activity if done with discretion. Sometimes candidates think they’re doing something wrong or disloyal if they take time away from their job to do an interview. This simply isn’t true. You certainly don’t want to make it obvious to your current employer that you’re looking for a new job. However, most decent employers know that people do job search. If you are taking time off from your job it’s either sick/vacation time that you’ve earned. It’s your time. You are allowed to do what you want with it—including going to the interviews your IT staffing firms set up for you. It’s also worth noting that the technical recruiters you work with and the employers you interview with will also be discreet. They will not bring it to your current employers’ attention that you’re job searching. Unless you are indiscreet about it, going on interviews doesn’t carry much risk of alerting your employer that you’re considering leaving.
Have Questions About Background Checks?
Sometimes when you’re working with IT recruiting companies to find new IT jobs, you’ll be asked to do a background check. Since candidates often have a lot of questions about these items, here are some common questions IT staffing agencies tend to get about background checks.
1. Why do I need to do these? Your IT recruiters are usually telling you they need to do background checks for a couple reasons. Firstly, because the field requires it or it’s required by law for this particular kind of job. Since tech is so involved in the security field, technical recruiters are working on more and more jobs now that require background checks. Fields like education and healthcare also tend to require certain background checks, whether you’re working directly with patients, students, etc or not. Secondly, some companies have been burned before by lawsuits or other issues. In order to protect themselves from future harm, they may require new hires to pass certain background checks. The last thing to consider here is that a background check is done at the (sometimes expensive) cost of the IT recruiting firms or employer. Thus it isn’t something taken lightly or just thrown into the process for no reason. It’s an absolute necessity that cannot be avoided. So when your IT recruiters tell you that you’ll need to pass a background check (or background checks) you can trust that this isn’t done out of anything other than necessity.
2. What kinds of background checks are done? There are a few kinds of background checks that IT staffing firms have to do. The most common are education or employment verification checks, drug testing, or criminal background checks. Credit checks are done pretty rarely and drug testing is also becoming a rarer necessity. Depending on the employer, you may be asked to do only one check or a combination of them.
3. Will I have to pay for these checks? You should never pay for these checks if you’re working with good, reputable IT staffing companies. If you’re working with IT recruiting firms that tell you to pay the cost, you may want to check to see if they are running a scam.
4. What can I do if I have a reason that I’m unsure I’ll pass a background check? IT recruiting firms sometimes work with candidates who have legitimate reasons why they think they won’t pass a check (but they’re still good fits for the job). Perhaps somebody made a mistake in the past or has a medication that will muddy a drug test. Be open with your IT recruiting agencies. Talk to them about your concerns and see what can be done. Often if you present something reasonable, your technical recruiters can lobby on your behalf. This is one of the advantages of working with IT recruiters to find a job—employers trust them and listen to what they say about a candidate.
How To Write a Good Resume (Even with Employment Gaps)
When you’re searching for new IT jobs, the most powerful tool you have is your resume. Even the best IT recruiting firms can’t land you a job if your resume is terrible. Here’s one mistake that can really ruin a good resume: a poorly handled gap between jobs.
Having a gap between jobs isn’t the end of the world. IT staffing companies come across a fair share of candidates who might have a gap somewhere in their career. The problem occurs when you either don’t provide any explanation at all, you lie to cover it up, or you give too much detail. Here’s how to avoid these pitfalls when you write a resume.
1. Too Little Info: Technical recruiters find that some candidates really do just leave a gap on their resume completely unexplained. Especially if this gap is more than a few months, you’ll raise red flags with IT recruiters and potential employers. While it might seem like listing the gap and giving an explanation brings too much attention to it, it’s actually the opposite. Not listing the gap at all brings far more attention—negative attention. Simply list a gap that’s over a month in the same format as a job. Give a one-sentence explanation of what occurred. It’s perfectly fine to say you moved, took time to care for a sick family member, took time for maternity or paternity leave, etc. If you were unemployed, list relevant courses or volunteering you did during your gap.
2. Too much Info: On the opposite end of spectrum, IT staffing firms suggest that you don’t list extensive details about what you did during your gap. It will almost certainly look unprofessional if you can’t sum up this time in a sentence or two at most. Sometimes IT recruiting agencies see people marking out employment gaps for childcare or some other kind of caretaking as though it were a job. They might list coordinating doctors’ appointments, managing medications, etc as ‘job duties’. Don’t do this. This always comes across as tone deaf and makes employers and IT staffing agencies uncomfortable. Even though you may feel that what you did has created applicable experience to the roles you want, you’ll be violating professional norms.
3. Inaccurate Info: Never lie to cover a large employment gap. Sometimes IT recruiters find that candidates will make up a job, extend the dates of a job beyond when they were really there, or do other dishonest things. Even if your technical recruiters don’t find the lie here, employers may find it. Lying on your resume is the quickest way to lose a job. Even if you do land the job, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media are making the world a very small place. You don’t want somebody to find out through the digital grapevine that you lied on your resume. You may get fired for it!
