Tag Archives: IT job

Which will prevail in the end: Phone Interview vs. Video Chatting

Over the last few years there has been a lot of development in video chatting.  More companies are rolling out programs that will allow you to call friends through your computer and see each other’s faces.  This concept has also been applied to many conferences within businesses as well.

So why has it never filtered into the Human Resources departments or IT recruiting companies? For a hiring manager it could be a good way to gauge the personality and professionalism of a prospective candidate rather than just listen to them over the phone.  Listening to someone’s voice is a lot different from just seeing the person body movements and facial expressions.  Those are very important to understanding the prospective IT job candidate better.

From an IT recruiters’ perspective this can also go horribly wrong.  First, their internet connection could be weak and cause a lot of freezing during the interview.  A hiring manager would find this annoying especially if you will need to reconnect with them every so often.  In addition, the candidate would need to tidy up the location where they are planning on interviewing.  Most importantly, there can be many interruptions.  Unlike being on the phone, the hiring manager will be able to see or notice interruptions from your body language and facial expressions.

The main difference with a phone interview and video chatting is that you need to sign on in order to video chat.  A candidate could just not sign on due to forgetting about the interview.  With a phone interview you can call them and either speak to them or leave a message.  Either way, you can contact them regardless of whether you have a strong signal or not.

There are many things that are left to chance with video chatting that can cause the candidate to lose the IT job or the hiring manager to become fed up with the candidate.  This could cost IT staffing companies placements or candidates themselves could miss out on a golden opportunity.

How to approach phone interviews

IT recruiters understand that hiring managers are typically very busy and do not want to commit to a face-to-face interview unless he or she knows the candidate is a solid prospective candidate.  Especially in the information technology industry, where resumes often list a plethora of technologies, it typically takes some digging to find out if the candidate truly has an in-depth understanding of each.  Therefore, many IT recruitment companies are pushing clients to begin the IT job interview process with a phone interview.  As professionals become more and more busy in the work forces, this is becoming a popular first step with any IT job hiring process.

There are some drawbacks with phone interviews.  For one, obviously there is no face-to-face interaction.  The hiring manger is not able to gauge a person’s reaction to comments or questions.  Additionally, they cannot analyze a person’s professionalism (dress, etc).   Finally, it adds another layer to a potential lengthy hiring process.

However, overall, IT recruiting firms are finding that clients are moving in this direction and prefer starting with phone screens versus personal IT job interviews.  Therefore, our IT recruiters have come up with a list of tips for candidates starting the interview process with a phone screen:

  1. Research the company thoroughly.  Make sure you understand what they do, write down any questions that you might have.  Print out the job description and study it thoroughly so you understand what they’re looking for.
  2. Look the IT manager’s profile up on Linkedin so you have some insight into his or her background.
  3. Be polite, talk slowly (but not obnoxiously so) and clearly.
  4. Call the manager by his or her full name unless they tell you otherwise (don’t assume they go by Mike” if their name is “Michael”).
  5. Try to take the call from a landline.  Even in today’s cellular era, mobile phones can be unreliable.  IT recruiters or hiring managers could become frustrated if there are static, delays or dropped calls.  This could have an impact on whether you move to the next phase of the IT job interview process.
  6. Print your resume.  Make sure to keep your resume near you on print or on your computer screen.  If you choose to use your computer, make sure to shut down any programs such as AIM or Facebook so as not to distract you from the conversation.
  7. Take notes.  IT recruiters always recommend you write everything down so nothing is forgotten.  If you pass the phone screen, they are very likely to ask you similar questions or comment on some of the answers you gave.
  8. Sell yourself.  Explain why you are the right fit for this role.
  9. End the conversation with an inquiry about next steps.  IT recruiters always recommend that you find out a timeline in which you’ll hear back, or whether there is a time in which you can follow up directly.
  10. Send a brief “Thank You” email to the manager for his or her time.  Reiterate your interest in the IT job.

Phone screens are important to keeping you in the game when hiring managers are narrowing down on candidates for IT jobs.  If you still feel uncomfortable with phone interviews, give one of our IT recruiters a call.

How to market yourself during an IT Job interview

IT recruiters are constantly selling positions to prospective candidates.  Each IT recruiter knows that their job needs to appeal to what the prospective candidate is looking for, so they “sell” the opportunity (while obviously keeping the candidate’s best interests first).  Candidates should do the same in return.

Recently, we asked a handful of IT recruiters to make a list of additional recommendations.  Here are some of the responses:

  • Look presentable:  As much as a hiring manager may not care about looks, they are not going to hire someone who is dressed sloppily or comes to work late.  The impression they will get from that is that your work is sloppy and assignments might not be completed on time.
  • Show off:  During an interview you have to make yourself look good.  Show off the work you have accomplished in the past.   If you did a great job on a project tell the hiring manager about the time and effort you put into it.  It will show your dedication to completing an assignment.
  • Confidence:  The most important factor in marketing yourself is having confidence.  Have confidence in yourself and let it show during the IT job interview.  Confidence is extremely important especially in the IT staffing industry.  Having an IT job requires knowledge of technical aspects that other workers may not be aware of.  If something goes wrong, they want to know that you’ll be able to speak up about it and feel comfortable working through a problem

So remember to think like a salesperson and sell yourself!  You will see much better results with various IT staffing agencies and direct clients as well.

Don’t Be Afraid To Fail – Just Learn From It

I found myself at a crossroads just over 7 years ago.  I wasn’t happy with my current employer (one of the leading IT recruiting firms); yet I knew I could succeed in the IT staffing industry.  Therefore, I gave my notice and started my own IT recruiting agency called AVID Technical Resources.

Whether you’re starting your own IT staffing companies, relocating for a new IT job or starting a new career, risks are part of life.  If you don’t take them, you may find that other people, who are willing to, may pass you by.

Don’t fear failure.  “The only real failure in life is the failure to try.”  To me, this quote sums it up.  To those who are so afraid to fail that they pass up an opportunity to take a chance, then they have actually failed without even trying.  Know that everybody fails at something.  It’s learning from the failure that is important and persevering.

Look at one of the greatest, most influential man in US history:

  • 1831 – Lost his job
  • 1832 – Defeated in run for State Legislature
  • 1833 – Failed in business
  • 1836 – Had nervous breakdown
  • 1838 – Defeated in run for House Speaker
  • 1843 – Defeated in run for nomination for U.S. Congress
  • 1848 – Lost re-nomination
  • 1849 – Rejected for land officer position
  • 1854 – Defeated in run for U.S. Senate
  • 1856 – Defeated in run for nomination for Vice President
  • 1858 – Again defeated in run for U.S. Senate

1860 – Elected the 16th President of the United States

Where to find your candidates

IT recruiting companies need to be aware of where their IT staffing competitors are looking for candidates, as well as where candidates are posting their resumes themselves.  You may think everyone is just using job boards such as Monster or CareerBuilder.  However, there are many more options depending on what specific IT staffing industry you are looking at.  Some of these options are websites such as LinkedIn and Twitter that are now being used for networking instead of socializing.  Others include niche websites and/or those specific to local geographies.

So how do you choose the right place to look for candidates to fill IT jobs?  To start, you need to test some of these websites out.  During the trial period it would be a good idea to keep track of where the candidates are coming from.  This will help you decide how many candidates you got from each IT job board and the quality of the candidates coming from each.  Once you gather your data, you will be able to analyze each IT job board based on metrics IT recruiting companies keep in mind.

Put yourself in the candidate’s shoes and think about where they are looking for IT jobs

How to write a thank you note after an IT job interview

You have just interviewed for that perfect IT job.  Now what do you do? Send a thank you note.  Typically, you should send a thank you note to every person you meet with.  It not only thanks the interviewer(s) for their time, it also reinforces your interest in the position.  If you interviewed through a technical recruiting company, then send the thank you note to your IT recruiter.

Here are some tips that our IT staffing company offers for writing Thank You notes:

  1. Like it or not, email is the standard form of communication these days.  It not only is efficient, it pretty much guarantees delivery (with proof of delivery).  However, a personal note shows that you go above and beyond, so don’t shy away from writing a note.  Check your handwriting.  If you have illegible handwriting, make sure you type the note so that the interviewer will be able to read what you have to say.
  2. Spell Check.  Spelling or grammatical errors will damage your credibility.  Also make sure you spell each recipient’s name correctly!
  3. Take notes during the interview. Reference some of the topics/items that you discussed in the IT job interview.
  4. Reiterate your experience.  Remind the interviewer why you are a good fit for the IT job.
  5. Send the thank you note the same day – no exceptions!

Working with an IT Recruiter – Communication is Key

IT recruiters are constantly looking for candidates to fill positions for IT jobs.  They go through resume after resume looking for qualifications.  However, a resume can only say so much.  The important piece to any successful IT job placement is communication.

Build a relationship with IT recruiters and use a few different IT staffing agencies that you feel comfortable with.  Let the IT recruiter get a sense of your personality and the kind of environment you are looking for in an IT job.  The more they know about you, the more accurate they can be with their IT job opportunities. Be open and honest with the IT recruiter and expect the same in return.  Set expectations from the start.

In addition, keep in touch with the IT recruiter, as it will help make you stand out and ensure he or she turns to you first when the appropriate IT job opens up.  Lastly, finding a new IT job is all about networking.  IT recruiters are networking on a daily basis, by connecting with them (ie Linkedin); you’re significantly increasing your personal network as well.

A day in the Life of an IT recruiter

The IT staffing is a very fast-paced, sometimes hectic industry.  IT recruiters are speaking to hundreds of prospective candidates each week.  Even the very best IT recruiters can find it challenging to ensure they keep all of their candidates organized and within reach.  Additionally, in the IT recruiting world, clients typically needed IT contractors “yesterday.”  Therefore, when an IT job order gets called in, IT recruiters need to tap into their candidate network immediately and/or begin their IT recruiting process as quickly as possible.  Days are hectic and nights can be long depending upon the client’s sense of urgency.  Therefore, the IT staffing industry is not for everyone.  Those who do not do well under pressure or thrive in a hectic environment, best not enter the IT recruiting world.  On the flip side, people who like to be busy and thrive on an ever-changing job, tend to fare very well in the IT staffing industry.

A typical day for an IT recruiter….is anything but typical.  They will usually be assigned to one IT job order.  As they search the IT staffing agency’s database, and other IT job boards such as Monster, Dice, CareerBuilder, Hot Jobs, they will make dozens (if not hundreds) of calls.  Or they will send out countless emails every day.  As people respond, the IT recruiter works to communicate with each person via email or phone.  As the IT recruiter is taking the time to respond to every person, additional prospective candidates continue to flood in via postings or responses.  On many occasions, as these tasks are keeping an IT recruiter busy, he or she may have a handful of internal candidate interviews as well.  This adds more work to an already busy day.

As you can see, a day in the life of an IT recruiter is typically hectic.  However, for the right person who thrives on the fast-paced, exciting work environment, the IT staffing industry can be extremely rewarding (both in terms of monetarily and intrinsic satisfaction as the IT recruiter is ultimately helping people find work).

Why use an IT staffing Agency?

Fortune 500 companies know that when they post that IT job they will get thousands of responses.  This is  not only because people need a job, but also because so many want to work at their company.  An IT staffing company knows that and keeps the company’s name off the job post to avoid all those applicants who just apply for the company’s name.

Taking an action like this not only speeds up the process, but also eliminates candidates who were not qualified for the position.  The IT recruiter then reviews the applicant’s resume to make sure their qualifications meet your requirements as well as do a short phone screen.  After the IT recruiters have gone through all those steps, they elect the absolute best candidate(s) and send only the most qualified candidates to the hiring manager.

An IT recruiter will work with you to make sure that all your needs are met and you find as many candidates that will fit those needs!

Twitter Crashes

As IT recruiters, we use Twitter to post new IT jobs, relevant IT staffing articles, and keep up with our followers.  It has become a very important tool to reach candidates who are constantly using social media networks such as this one.  The problem with this is that over the past week or so, Twitter has been acting up.  So while we are trying to update our followers, we have to wait for the Twitter overload instead of giving information live.

As the amount of Twitter users increase, will there be a problem for IT recruiting companies like AVID Technical Resources, who rely on it to provide updates to our followers?  The IT staffing industry specifically relies on getting new IT job postings out there to candidates to make sure they have an opportunity to apply for a job that they qualify as quickly as possible.  If the Twitter crashes continue, those IT jobs will not be seen by our candidates right away, thus giving them less of a chance of qualifying for a position. Hopefully the usefulness of Twitter’s capabilities will not diminish as time goes on.