Tag Archives: IT recruiting companies

How to Sell Yourself (Without Clichés!) in your IT Job Interviews

In IT job interviews, most IT recruiters want their candidates to convey some qualities that feel cliché.  Your IT staffing firms may even explicitly say to you to show passion  in your interview or to make sure that you convey that you’re a team player.  The candidates that IT recruiting agencies have no trouble placing in IT jobs are great at conveying these qualities in a more concrete way.  They  give solid examples of times they show employable qualities, and thus they don’t look like they’re just describing themselves with clichés.

How do you make sure your interviewer gets it that you actually are a hard worker, a fast learner, or passionate about your work?  Start by questioning how you know these qualities are applicable to you.  Why do you think you’re a hard worker?  What do you mean when you say you’re passionate about your work? As you think about these questions, you’ll start to come up with more concrete statements.  You’re a hard worker because you don’t mind putting in the extra hours until programs are totally debugged.  You’re passionate about help desk roles because you genuinely enjoy seeing end-users able to achieve what they need to with your help.  These are the statements your IT recruiting companies really want you to give your interviewers.

To really drive home these kinds of statements, you may want to tell a quick anecdote. Your technical recruiters don’t want you to derail the interview with long stories.  Just a sentence or two about a time you demonstrated important qualities will help.  Practice these anecdotes in the mirror or with a family member or friend.  Putting time into this will really pay off – and your IT staffing companies will likely get some great feedback after your interview!

 

Hard Worker IT Job Interviews
Don’t say you’re a hard worker. Give concrete examples of times you stayed late at the office or gave up your weekend. 

 

 

An IT Resume Mistake that Designers Often Make

IT recruiters often work with various kinds of designers and creative professionals to find IT jobs.  Often, technical recruiters come across resumes for these IT professionals that are done with pictures, unconventional formats, and multiple types of font.  If you’d like to attract IT staffing firms and hiring managers, doing this with your resume may actually be hurting you.

Why would it turn off IT recruiting agencies and potential employers to showcase your design skills and creativity on your resume?  For one thing, it may make it harder for IT staffing agencies to find the information they need to decide you’re a great candidate for particular roles.  Since IT recruiting firms often sift through hundreds of resumes daily, their time is limited.  They may not have time to decipher a format that is anything beyond simple and conventional.  The same is true for potential employers—except even more so.  Hiring managers are interviewing, and usually doing so on top of a large workload.  Their time to read through resumes will be even more limited.  Make it easy and fast for IT staffing companies and employers to decide you’re an interesting candidate by using a conventional, clean resume format.

The second reason a creative resume format may hinder your job search is that it may suggest that your skills and experience aren’t strong enough to speak for themselves.  Gimmicky resumes are often used by professionals who aren’t as confident in their own candidacy.  Use a conventional format and showcase your experience, technical proficiencies, and other skills.  You can always showcase design skills in a portfolio or links to relevant work.  If you use a more conventional resume format, you will get more attention from IT recruiting agencies and hiring managers.

 

FancyDesign
Fancy fonts don’ belong on your IT resume, even if you’re looking for creative and design-oriented roles. Photo credit: ClkerFreeVectorImages via Pixabay.

 

 

This May Help You in IT Job Interviews

When you’re working with IT staffing companies to find new IT jobs, you might be intimidated by your interviewers and future employers.  It’s worth knowing, though, that often they aren’t comparing you against the detailed checklist you might expect.  While interviewers can always give your technical recruiters a good basic idea of who they need to hire, sometimes things are more up in the air than you’d think.

Why is this relevant to you?  Because it can help you approach your job search with a more optimistic, energetic perspective.  When your IT recruiters set you up for an interview, they are doing so because you have the basic requirements, experience, and technical proficiencies for the role.  Sometimes, a hiring manager has a more open mind and doesn’t know for sure what their ideal candidate will be like.  This means that you don’t have to live up to as many items on a hiring check list.  If you (and your IT staffing agencies) put energy into selling yourself well, you have a good chance of showing an open-minded hiring manager that you are the candidate they’re looking for.

How do you use this to help you?  Make sure to ask your IT recruiting companies for a detailed job description.  Then ask them if they know anything else about the role or the company’s needs.  When you’re in the interview, go beyond just pointing out that you’re qualified for the role.  Take a little time to make sure the interviewer also hears about how you helped implement some unique projects or you’re certified in a rarer technology. Try to tie these back to the role or any other needs the company might have.  When you make sure your interviewer knows about these special, unexpected points, you may just help them see you as the candidate they didn’t even know they wanted.

Try to remember that while hiring managers have given IT staffing firms a basic idea of what they want, you never know how set they are on who they want to hire.  Especially in IT, with the constant flux of technology and its influence on companies, it’s possible the door is open much wider than you think.

 

Checklist IT jobs
IT hiring managers may not know exactly what they need in a candidate.

 

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.

 

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

 

 

 

Did You Make This Mistake in Your IT Job Interview?

You might have done everything right as you prepared with your IT recruiters for your interviews.  You might have done the research, practiced answering questions your technical recruiters suggested, and prepared some good questions to ask the interviewer.  Maybe your IT staffing firms got some bad feedback anyways and you didn’t land the role.  What went wrong?  Unless your IT recruiting companies got very specific feedback (which they often don’t), you’ll have to guess what went wrong.  Here’s one reason you may have messed up: You came across as too desperate.

How can it be bad for the interviewer to know that you really, really want the role?  IT recruiting firms do want you to show interest in the role.  But especially in IT, where the unemployment rate is so low, coming across as desperate might make it seem like you’re having a hard time landing IT jobs (in a great market).  Another problem with wanting the job too much is that you probably miss expressing how much you can do for the company or team.  A good match is one in which both the IT professional and the company think they’d benefit.  A good hire is balanced– which it cannot be if you are too desperate for the role! Your IT staffing agencies will have a much easier time placing you in a job if you come across as interested in a role, but also confident that the company will be interested in you.

 

Mistake IT Job Interviews
Desperation is sure to end your role to IT job interview success. Photocredit: Geralt via Pixabay.

 

Don’t Be Thrown Off by This Tricky IT Job Interview Question

It’s very common for IT recruiters to hear that the candidates they work with get a little thrown off by questions in interviews. Sometimes even if you’ve prepared with your technical recruiters and on your own, you get asked a question you weren’t expecting.  Here’s one question (and the answer) that IT staffing companies find often trips IT professionals up: Is there anything I should know that’s not on your resume?

It’s easy to see why this trips candidates up: you spend a lot of time polishing your resume with your technical recruiters and IT recruiting agencies—shouldn’t it encompass everything interviewers need to know?  Sure, your IT staffing firms definitely will help you send out your best version of your resume.  However, this question is meant to give you a chance to talk about things that are relevant to the job, but wouldn’t make the cut for your resume because they might be harder to quantify or are more related to your personal life.

What are some good ways to answer this question? One strategy that IT recruiting companies often recommend is that you take this opportunity to talk about hobbies that might be very relevant to the role or just your work style.  Perhaps you run marathons, build intricate models, or are a Boy Scout leader.  These probably don’t apply directly to IT jobs you’re interviewing for, but they probably help you hone soft skills that are necessary for the job.  Does your running teach you endurance in difficult circumstances?  Does building models help you practice patient tenacity in problem-solving?  Does working with Boy Scouts give you great communication and leadership skills?  Tell the interviewer about it now and strengthen your candidacy just a little more before you finish that interview!

 

IT job interviews hobbies
Do you have a hobby that helps you develop a relevant soft skill? Photocredit: kgolfpro via Pixabay.

 

 

2 Questions You Should Never Ask in IT Job Interviews

Most IT professionals hear from their IT recruiters and IT staffing companies that it’s really important to be prepared to ask questions at the end of IT job interviews.  While technical recruiters and IT recruiting agencies would rather you ask pretty much any question rather than none, there are some questions that are truly detrimental.  Here are two questions that would severely hurt your chance of getting IT jobs.

  1. Don’t ask any questions about the company that you could have found the answers to on their website, via Google, or by asking your IT staffing agencies. Make sure you take time to do your own research and get some quick background info from your IT recruiting firms. You don’t want to look like you’re unprofessional, lazy, or unprepared.
  2. Don’t ask if they’ll want to run drug tests and/or background or credit checks. Your IT recruiting companies will let you know if these steps are necessary.  These questions also might make it look like you have something to hide. Especially if you don’t have anything to hide, this is an unnecessary risk to your candidacy.

 

IT job search research
Don’t ask any questions you could find from some basic online research. Photo credit: ChristianHoppe via Pixabay.

 

 

 

1 Tip for Telling Interviewers Why You’re Interested in IT Jobs

One common question in interviews is ‘Why does this role interest you?’ IT recruiters and IT staffing companies see plenty of candidates who get asked this question as they interview for IT jobs.  While everyone will answer this question a bit differently, there’s one tip that will really impress your interviewer and technical recruiters:  Make sure part of your answer addresses the company and/or team, not just your interests.

Why is this necessary?  You might have plenty of great reasons why this role fits well into your career path and interests, technical proficiencies, etc.  However, your IT staffing agencies and IT recruiting firms still need you to stress that there is something about this company and/or team in particular that appeals to you or that you feel you can be impactful in.  IT professionals that do really well at their jobs usually do so not just because their skill-sets are compatible with the job.  Their success also comes from how well they fit into their team, like the company or its work, culture, mission, etc.  Your IT recruiting companies and IT staffing firms will have a very easy time getting you IT jobs if you can make it clear in interviews that you’re interested in a role because of the company itself as well as the work.

 

IT job interviews answer
If you’re not mentioning the company or team, you’re missing a key piece of the puzzle in your answer. Photo credit: Wilhei via Pixabay.

 

 

Doing This on Your LinkedIn Profile Won’t Help Your IT Job Search

LinkedIn profiles have arguably become one of the strongest assets for IT professionals in their search for new IT jobs. Technical recruiters and IT staffing agencies often contact candidates based on the strength of their LinkedIn profiles, rather than their resumes. The best profiles, the ones that attract hordes of IT recruiters and IT staffing firms, are like elegant code: concise and powerful.

Most IT recruiting firms have drilled into their candidates that a resume needs to be as brief as possible (without sacrificing quality).  IT recruiting companies are looking for even briefer LinkedIn Profiles. This means that it’s crucial to delete unnecessary information. One prime example of information that you should definitely take out of your profile is a listing of college or grad school courses.

IT staffing companies do want to see your certifications and relevant trainings (this usually means courses outside of school).  However, you’re definitely going to risk losing their interest with a list of other courses that aren’t completely relevant to your career goals. You can save this list for your resume, which IT recruiting agencies will likely ask you for later. When it comes to your LinkedIn profile, keep things a bit leaner than your resume—it will make a big difference in how recruiters see you.

 

IT job search classes
Don’t list all your programming classes on your LinkedIn profile. Photo credit: srfparis via Pixabay.

 

 

Interviewing for IT Jobs When You’re Sick

January and February are great months to work with your technical recruiters and IT staffing agencies to find new IT jobs.  They’re also months in which you’re likely to get sick—maybe a couple times.  If you’re sick, here’s how to proceed if your IT recruiters and IT staffing firms have you set up for an interview.

  1. Assess how you feel. Is it awful?  Will it affect your performance?  If so, call your IT recruiting agencies and IT staffing companies ASAP and let them know.  They can help you reschedule the interview if you aren’t in good shape to go.  On the flip side, you may be feeling a little under the weather, but you won’t have a problem interviewing.  In that case, you probably still want to go anyways.  Time is usually of the essence in employers’ searches to fill IT jobs.  Don’t delay the interview if you don’t have to.
  2. If you do go to the interview, be considerate.  Make sure you bring tissues, sneeze or cough into your hand or elbow, and hold off on shaking hands. Tell your interviewer that it’s great to meet them, but you’re getting over a cold and don’t want to risk infecting them.  This won’t come across as rude.
  3. Be your best at the interview and try not to draw any further attention to your cold or illness. You want the interviewer to focus on your candidacy and to remember you for that.  If you keep mentioning your cold, your IT recruiting companies will likely get some negative feedback about you.  You don’t want your interviewer to have any doubts about your ability to muscle through and get work done in the face of challenges.

 

IT Job Search Sick
Are you too sick to do well at your IT job interview? Call your IT recruiters ASAP. Photo credit: Mojpe.