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Tag Archives: IT jobs

What Makes an IT Recruiter Trustworthy?

If you’ve just started your search for new IT jobs, you’re probably a little confused about what IT staffing firms and technical recruiters you should work with.  To some extent, you’ll wind up picking your IT recruiters and IT staffing agencies based on location.  If you want to work in a certain area, you need to work with the IT recruiting companies that have clients there.

Beyond location, however, there are other reasons why IT staffing companies are good or bad to work with.  Firstly, you want to know that the IT recruiting agencies you pick are reputable.  You can do a quick search online, both on Google and LinkedIn.  If you ask well-established IT recruiting firms directly, they will also be more than happy to provide you with references or links to their reviews online.  Besides being vetted, you also want to know that the IT recruiters you’re working with are interested in creating a good relationship with you.  A recruiter who wants to build a good relationship with you truly listens to (or better yet, asks for) your preferences for your next role.  They also contact you somewhat regularly while you’re searching for jobs and might even ask to meet you in person.  The best recruiters want to place you in a job you’re happy with, and they spend time getting to know you so they can do this.

 

 

Don’t Forget to Bring This to IT Job Interviews

Your IT recruiters and IT staffing companies probably gave you a checklist of things to bring to your interviews for IT jobs.  Your technical recruiters likely spoke to you about what to wear, how many copies of you resume to pack, etc. But there’s one thing that your IT staffing agencies may not have told you to bring: your energy.

Though they may not explicitly talk about it, IT staffing firms and hiring managers want you to make a conscious effort to display a good level of enthusiasm and energy in interviews.  While it’s not necessary (or even good) to be as bubbly as a cheerleader, you do need to make sure you display some excitement about the job.  IT recruiting firms have countless stories of candidates who were rejected because they seemed utterly unenthused about jobs or companies.  Don’t be one of those stories—bring your energy with you to your IT job interviews!

 

Ask This Question to Impress Your IT Interviewer

If you’re interviewing for IT jobs that you really want, it’s not enough to just go through the motions of basic preparation with your IT recruiters and IT staffing firms.  Your best bet to really wow your interviewers (and by extension, your technical recruiters and IT recruiting companies) is to work on a few ‘secret weapons’ that will really elevate your performance in the interview.  Here’s one ‘secret weapon’ you should really try to cultivate: Ask the interviewer how your work will impact and aid the company in reaching its major goals.

Why would you ask this question?  It will show that you’re interested in not just the role, but how you can be a stellar employee that contributes to the company as a whole.  IT staffing companies and IT recruiting agencies have no problem placing candidates who can see the big picture.  Hiring managers don’t just want somebody who wants to complete their own tasks. They’d love to get somebody who will contribute to their team and the company as a whole.  This kind of employee understands bigger priorities and requires less management and puts out better results.

 

Don’t Do This in Your IT Cover Letter

Sometimes, your IT recruiters and IT staffing companies ask you to write up a cover letter for IT jobs they’ll be submitting you for.  If your IT recruiting firms and IT staffing agencies ask you to write a cover letter, try to avoid this major mistake: don’t gush on and on about the company—particularly if it’s not genuine.

IT recruiting agencies do want you to mention what you like about a company in a cover letter.  However, you should only do this if you can genuinely and succinctly do it.  Taking up more than a few sentences to go on and on about a company that probably don’t know much about will come across as insincere.  Hiring managers may think that you’re working with a form letter (especially if you give pretty generic praise to the company) or that you’re focusing on the wrong things—possibly even trying to distract from, or covering up, your weak candidacy.   Your IT staffing firms and technical recruiters want you to write cover letters that focus on why you’d be a great fit for the job.  If you take up too much time saying things that don’t feel genuine about the employer, it’s a red flag to them and they’ll lose interest in you.

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A Strong Way to Finish Your IT Job Interviews

Your technical recruiters and IT staffing agencies probably have stressed to you the importance of making a great first impression on your interviewers, particularly at the start of the interview.  Did you know that you can also do a lot of damage or really increase your likelihood of nailing your dream IT jobs with the way you finish your job interviews?  Like all humans, your IT recruiters and interviewers are more likely to remember the beginning and end of your interview.  So don’t just start strong, finish strong, too! Here’s one way to really impress your interviewer and IT staffing companies at the end of job interviews.

Start by picking out things that really appeal to you about the job over the course of the interview. Try to remember 2-3 things that your interviewer mentions that you can genuinely tie back to your work style, lifestyle, and career goals.  When you get to the very end of the interview, state to the interviewer that you’d love the job because of these things.

By doing this, you’ll definitely make a strong impression on the interviewer (and by extension your IT recruiting companies and IT staffing firms) for a few reasons.  Firstly, you’ll show that you’re genuinely interested in the job.  Don’t underestimate the importance of this.  You’ll also be showing that you’re a good listener, which is key for most jobs.  Lastly, you’ll be able to showcase that you communicate well and are articulate.  Especially in IT, these skills are at a premium.  Try this at your next job interview.  You’ll leave a lasting impression!

Ask This Question in Your Next IT Job Interview

If you didn’t already know it, your IT recruiters and IT staffing firms probably prepared you to ask questions in your next IT jobs interviews.  Some of the questions you probably plan on asking are for your own benefit—they’re questions about the job that the technical recruiters and IT staffing agencies you’re working with can’t answer for you.  But some of the questions you ask will be to make yourself look good to the recruiter (and to build up your reputation with your IT staffing companies).

The next time you have an interview for an IT job, try asking this question to really polish your impression.  “How has this role evolved over time and how would you ideally want it to continue to grow?” This question will impress your IT recruiting firms and interviewers because it shows that you’re interested in performing well for your potential employers.  Beyond just giving the usual 9-5 bar minimum, this question indicates that you want to be an employee that contributes real value to your next company.  Try asking it in your next interview.  It may just win you the job.

 

A ‘Hook’ for Your IT Job Interviews

If you’ve got interviews for IT jobs coming up soon, you’re probably preparing the usual things with your IT recruiters and IT staffing agencies.  These things are important, and you should certainly focus on them.  But once you’ve covered all the bases your IT staffing firms and technical recruiters tell you too, you may want to consider developing a “hook” that will make you stand out.  What exactly would that be?

A good hook is something that will make you stand out to your interviewers in a good way.  They’ll remember you for more than just the skills your IT recruiting companies have vetted you for—something quirky like an unconventional hobby or an interesting story you can tell about yourself (that’s still relevant to the topics discussed in the interview).  For instance, if you have done some IT- centered volunteer work for an interesting nonprofit, this is a good hook that your interviewer can remember you by.  If you’re unsure if your hook is appropriate or just a good idea, you can always run it by your IT recruiting agencies. Even if you don’t get this particular job, your hook might impress your IT staffing companies and they might make sure they can place you at another job!

 

 

Nail your Skype IT Job Interviews

More and more IT recruiters and IT staffing agencies these days are able to offer their job candidates skype (or similar technologies) interviews.  If your technical recruiters or IT recruiting firms set up a skype interview for you, here are some tips to make sure you get offered the IT jobs.

  1. Start by scheduling the interview a day and time when you can be fully prepared.  Your IT staffing companies and IT recruiting agencies want you to succeed in your interviews.  So they’ll understand when you ask them to help you schedule the interview for a day and time when you’ll be able to do the interview with a secure internet connection, have a clean, quiet, and appropriate location to do it in, and be able to wear interview-appropriate clothing.
  2. Make sure you practice interviewing with the technology you’ll be using ahead of time.  It’s not enough to simply practice interviewing.  You want to know how you come across and what it feels like to use this technology.  You also want to know how to use it so you can easily set it up the day of the interview.
  3. Lastly, it may seem obviously, but remember that this interview is just as serious as an in-person interview.  It could be easy to forget this because you’re at home, but don’t!  Stay professional and keep your head in the game—your IT recruiting companies will really appreciate it and so will your interviewers!

 

 

Are Tests Necessary in IT Job Interviews?

Sometimes your IT recruiters and IT staffing firms will tell you to prepare to take a test at your interview.  An employer may want to test your abilities with particular technologies or methodologies, even if your resume and IT staffing companies and IT recruiting firms already suggest you’re good at something.  Sometimes this can frustrate job candidates—they don’t want to have to take a test because it’s stressful or time-consuming.  However, your technical recruiters and IT recruiting agencies can tell you that there are reasons why these tests are helpful to you and the potential employer.

The main reason these tests are worth taking, is that they will likely show you whether you’d be able to succeed in a job.  You don’t want to take a job that you’ll flounder in, and neither does the interviewing company or your IT recruiting companies.  The best IT jobs for you are the ones that you already have the skills to succeed in—and a test can help determine this.

Perhaps the other main reason these tests are worth taking is that putting in the time and effort just to take the test distinguishes you as a candidate.  There are plenty of other candidates who won’t want to take the test.  This will weed them out as competition for you.  So bit the bullet and take the test—even if you don’t get 100%, you may still get the job!

 

Tips for Long IT Job Interviews

If your IT recruiters and IT staffing companies are booking you for long job interviews (ie half a day or longer) then congratulations.  You’re probably very close to a job offer, since IT recruiting agencies, technical recruiters, and interviewers often don’t want to waste their time or a candidate’s time if they don’t have some real interest.  If your IT staffing firms and IT recruiting companies have set you up for a long interview, here are two tips to help you nail it.

Firstly, dress comfortably and professionally.  While this may seem obvious, sometimes your interview clothes aren’t your most comfortable.  It’s really important to wear something that will give off a good impression but won’t leave you feeling too hot, your feet hurting, etc.  You won’t be able to give a good impression to your interviewers if your clothes that normally work for a 1 hour interview start bothering you—with 4 or 5 or 6 hours left to go.

Secondly, try to think about ways you can use the same stories or answers to questions in different ways.  If you’re going on a long interview, you’re likely to have several mini-interviews with a few people.  You may have to answer a few questions twice.  Or you may run out of answers to questions.  Think about how to re-use answers and stories in advantageous ways.  Sometimes, a story about the way you handled a disgruntled customer can also demonstrate your attention to detail.  Or a story about the way you fixed a bug in some code can demonstrate both your ability to be a team player and your excellent coding skills.  Come to the interview with a few anecdotes like this in mind.  It will help and might just win you the IT jobs of your dreams!