Tag Archives: IT headhunters

Energy Drinks—The New Coffee of the IT Recruiting Industry?

Coffee has been brewed since the mid 1400’s, providing a natural source of caffeine and an extra push when needed for IT recruiters. For years, technical staffing firms looked forward to their morning or afternoon brew, perfected with their choice fixings, and distinct flavor. Now with innovative caffeine products such as energy drinks and shots, is coffee’s prevalence in the caffeine market threatened? When technical recruiters need a boost, which should they turn to, coffee or energy drinks? The answer is it depends…

Caffeine

Both coffee and energy drinks provide different levels of caffeine. The caffeine content of coffee is in the hands of the IT staffing representatives. Coffee can have its caffeine content diluted, or you can choose to drink decaffeinated coffee. Likewise, the coffee can be double brewed for an extra kick, or you  can simply order a larger size.

Energy drinks come with designated caffeine content, leaving technical recruiting reps to choose if they would like to drink the entire can or opt for a drink with more or less caffeine. The drinks also range in size and amount of provided caffeine, so there are options!

Price

Coffee is more affordable when you consider price and where you purchase it. Home brewed coffee is significantly cheaper than paying a visit to a coffee shop daily, with shop prices typically ranging from $1.50 to $5.00. Energy drinks are similarly priced to coffee shops, typically $2.00 to $5.00, depending on size and caffeine content. If you are money conscious, opt to brew your own coffee in the IT recruitment office and save!

Availability

You usually need to go to a store to buy an energy drink or buy in bulk to have readily available (and get a better deal). Luckily, for Boston IT recruiting firms, there are stores and coffee shops on nearly every corner. You can have coffee stored in your cabinet for whenever you need it, too.

Health

Coffee is healthier than energy drinks when consumed without all the bells and whistles. Black coffee is natural and provides antioxidants and fiber. Energy drinks lack vitamins and are typically made with copious amounts of sugar or artificial sweeteners. If IT headhunters cannot handle the taste of black coffee, they can opt for skim milk rather than cream and flavored coffee to ward off additional sugar.

Alternative Energy Sources

Coffee and energy drinks are not the only way to boost your mood and work level. Never use caffeine to subsidize sleep or suppress appetite.  Productivity levels will crash! Naturally increase your energy by going for a walk or snacking on healthy fruit and vegetables. Be sure to exercise regularly and get enough sleep each night to maintain good focus and improve your attitude.

Breaking a Bad Habit in the IT recruiting Industry

Are you an IT recruiter with a bad habit that you just cannot seem to shake?  No one is expected to be perfect, but when your tendencies begin to affect other technical recruiters, it is time to consider a change.  Left unkempt, habits can spill over from your personal life to the IT staffing office which is one of the last places you want hostility.  If you find you need to rid yourself of an annoying tendency, here are some tips to get you on the right track.

Recognizing the Problem

You might be tipping in your chair, snapping your gum, and yelling to other IT recruiters sitting four cubicles over and not see an issue with it, but reassess the situation.  Maybe your scenario is not this bad, but realizing how your behavior is affecting yourself and other IT recruiters Boston is the first step.   Does your habit provide any benefits?  If so, do they outweigh any negative attributes that accompany this tendency?  When the answer is no, it is time for a change.

Resisting the Urge

Your habit could be something as minor as following up on missed phone calls through email.  Some IT headhunters might not have an issue with this while others find it cumbersome and rude.  The next time your technical recruiter leaves you a voicemail, you could be tempted to break out the Blackberry with an email response.  People often avoid situations because they are not comfortable.  The easiest way to fix a problem is not going around it, but tackling it head on.  Make the phone call and eventually you will find the transition you feared was not difficult at all.

Keep Up the Progress

Check up on your bad habits to make sure you are following through with your commitments.  Reward yourself when you have reached a milestone– just do not reward yourself by engaging in the habit.  If you happen to slip up, never punish yourself.  Let your mistake be a guide to not let it happen again.

When you make positive changes, you line yourself up for success.  IT staffing firms can provide excellent feedback if you are looking to avoid taboo situations or improving resume and interview habits.  Visit AVID’s job seeker page for more detail!

Living a Double Life—The Dishonest Candidate

Working with technical recruiters should not feel like a controlling relationship.  You do not need to tell them your every move or what you had for lunch.  IT recruiters are not intentionally being nosey when they ask you questions, they are just trying to get an idea of what you want and where you would fit most with IT job openings coming their way.  Telling your technical recruiter that you are not interested, providing constructive feedback, or saying you would prefer to not work with him might be difficult, but it actually helps him improve his recruiting tactics in the long run.  The worst thing you can do is lie to your IT staffing representative.

Previous Employment

Not listing all your experiences, or worse, including positions and titles you have never held is setting yourself up to be shot down.  At first glance you will shine on paper, but you cannot back it up through references or experience and your lies will soon be recognized.  Because you have embellished your talents and misled your IT recruiter, the likelihood that he will keep you in mind for other positions is slim.

Lying about why you have left  previous positions can come back to haunt you, especially if the hiring company requires an employment verification or the manager happens to know your former employer.  The six degrees of separation are becoming increasingly slim with social networking sites highlighting your relationships to others.  Avoid burning bridges and always end assignments on good terms.

Background Check

If an opportunity includes a mandatory background check, be honest about past convictions or if you are at risk to fail a drug test.  Telling IT recruiters up front about these issues will save you and your recruiter potential embarrassment and prevent wasted time on a position that you would not have had a chance nabbing.  Your IT staffing representative might keep you in mind for other positions and will appreciate your honesty.

Skills

You might seem to be a catch on paper by sprucing up your resume with technical skills and keywords, but always make sure they pertain to the IT job which you are applying and you actually have the experience.  IT recruiters Boston will ask about your level of skills and how often you practiced them.  If you lie about your experience, it will show in your work.  The project manager might have to let you go if you cannot complete the required tasks, leaving you unemployed with severed ties.

Applying for Other IT Jobs

When Boston IT recruiters ask if you are working with other recruiters or applying to other positions, they are not trying to limit your options.  The recruiter is looking to make sure you do not get double submitted for an opening.  Being submitted twice for an opening might sound helpful, but it can actually hinder your chances of securing the position because hiring managers will assume you are either careless or your submission was made in error.  Letting IT headhunters know you are actively interviewing shows determination, but also helps the technical recruiter to understand your availability.

IT recruiting companies are not out to scam people, their job is to find the right candidates for open positions.  If working with recruiters does not sound like something that interests you, express your opinion.  The keys to a successful recruiting relationship are communicating and being honest.

For more tips, please visit AVID’s Job Seekers page.

Social Media is the New IT Job Board

If you are a like most people, you use Facebook on a daily basis.  If you are more tech savvy, you might also have a Twitter or use a blog site.  Perhaps you are a professional and prefer LinkedIn.  Whatever your social media outlet is, be sure to take advantage of the job opportunities these sites provide.

The Benefits—Applicants

Both technical recruiters and job seekers benefit from social media.  Applicants are no longer applying to an ambiguous IT job board with postings from all industries.  They are specifically following companies and positions that fit their interests.  Candidates can see if they have connections with the hiring manager for a gateway to the company.  Also, job postings and statuses are constantly being updated so there is no room for lag.

The Benefits—IT Recruiters

IT staffing firms post their positions at a low cost and bring in job seekers, including people within their network and who meet the hiring board’s criteria.  IT recruiters Boston no longer sift through countless resumes and take a stab at who would be a fit.  Though it might be considered biased, interests and photos help bring a face to a candidate so technical recruiters can determine if the candidate would be a match for the office environment.

Facebook

Though Facebook often has a bad reputation due to users’ lax privacy controls, the site can help IT headhunters and job seekers fill positions.  A company can create its own page for users to visit, hear about news, and learn about open positions.  IT recruiting firms can create groups such as Boston IT Recruiters and IT Job Openings for candidates to join and learn about upcoming opportunities.

Twitter

The beauty of Twitter is that its 140 character messages are short and to the point.  Technical recruiters can post their open positions to followers and prospective candidates by tagging keywords for trending topics.  For applicants, following, tagging, and retweeting an IT staffing company’stweets is a sure way to get noticed.  Though Twitter is not nearly as popular as Facebook, it certainly is a growing trend.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn can be thought of as a professional Facebook with less noise.  There is no wall to post on or anyone to send a tweet (though they can appear in a status).  User profiles consist of previous positions and recommendations, groups, experiences, and interests.  LinkedIn allows IT recruiters and candidates to network for upcoming IT jobs, join groups, update their status, and post or apply to open positions.

Some might say that social media is a fad, but soon job boards will become as obsolete as newspaper listings.  It’s better to act on these job opportunities before others discover this hidden treasure!

How to Start Your IT Job Search?

Starting your IT job search may seem like an uphill climb.  There are so many companies and IT recruiters Boston to choose from.  So how do you get over that hurdle and take that first step?

You may want to analyze your current, or most recent, IT job to figure out what it is that you like about it and what you do not like.  Think about the kind of environment you would like to work in.  Depending on the company you work for, the culture can also affect you and your productivity.

Next, contact some IT recruiting companies.   Ask your peers to refer IT recruiters, research the IT staffing companies, then work with the IT headhunters that you feel more comfortable with and ask them to help you narrow down the type of positions that you’re a good fit for.  IT recruiters MA will be able to look at your resume and figure out what kinds of IT jobs that you can apply to.  Once you figure out what you are looking for, start searching job boards such as Monster.

So what are you waiting for?  The first action step must come from you.  Pick up the phone and call an IT recruiter or log on to some of the job boards and begin submitting your resume.  Take action!

Staying in Touch With IT Recruiters

In today’s age, the IT job search is almost completely done via the internet.  IT professionals are looking for various technical positions on IT recruiting company websites and job boards.  They submit their resumes or cover letters through email or a website.  Typically an IT recruiter or human resources will then contact you if you are a viable candidate.

Throughout the hiring process, you want to stay in close touch with the IT recruiters or human resources representative.  It’s important that you communicate your timeline just as much as they relay theirs.  Let them know if one of your other opportunities is heating up and/or whether you’ve received another offer that you’re considering.  Manage their expectations so they can accurately communicate your situation to the manager.  When done properly, you have an effective and efficient hiring scenario.

Staying in touch with the technical recruiter will affect both the relationship you form with the company and your chances of getting that IT job offer.  You may not always get that IT job you applied for, but if you build a positive relationship with IT headhunters, they will likely keep you in mind for a future opportunity that opens up.  Therefore, make sure to continue to update your contacts as you never know when it could benefit you in the future.