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Tag Archives: IT recruiting firms

Why You Should Cut the Flashy Things From Your IT Resume

If you’re posting your resume on boards like Monster, it’s easy to add flashy things to your resume like a special format or your photo. It might even seem like a way to attract IT recruiters and IT staffing agencies.  But the truth is, even if you’re a graphic designer, using flashy features on your resume isn’t going to appeal to IT recruiting companies and technical recruiters.  Why?

IT staffing companies and hiring managers want resumes with the right skills and experience.  When you spend more time creating a snazzy format or adding in your photo, you’re potentially taking way from your time to really craft and polish the content of your resume.  The worst case scenario is that even if you do take time to perfect and tweak the content of your resume and add flashy features, IT staffing companies might not know it.  They may skip right over your resume because often these kinds of gimmicks are used to hide poor experience and skills.  You may be running the risk of IT recruiting firms assume that your resume is actually worse because you’ve added a photo or unconventional format.  So don’t take the risk: save the time you would have spent picking and cropping a photo or creating a bright color scheme.  Use that time instead to focus on really editing your resume.  This is what will get you your dream IT jobs.

Do you Need IT Certifications to Land a Job?

If you’re currently searching for IT jobs, you may be wondering if IT recruiters, IT staffing companies, and hiring managers want you to have IT certifications.  Unfortunately, there isn’t a direct yes or no answer to this question.  You may not necessarily impress technical recruiters or IT recruiting firms if you have some IT certifications, while others could be a big factor in landing a job.  It’s easy to get confused with the 1900 plus certifications out there, so here are some tips for obtaining the right certifications to get IT recruiting companies and hiring managers to notice you.

Firstly, start by looking at job descriptions for jobs you’d like to hold one day.  Some of them will list the kinds of certifications they require or prefer.  Take note of them and how often they’re required or preferred.

Secondly, head over to LinkedIn and check out some groups that might be specifically catered to the jobs you’d like to hold one day.  Ask people about the certifications they have—or have chosen not to get.  Both are important to know.  If you don’t want to reach out to people directly, consider just checking out people’s profiles or the group discussions.  Both will probably show you a little bit about what certifications are useful and which ones are not.

Lastly, feel free to compare these notes with your IT staffing agencies.  Recruiters are likely to be happy to share their experience and what they’ve seen.  They can confirm if they’ve seen some of the same trends you think you’ve noticed in certifications.  It’s also a great idea to start a relationship with some IT staffing firms now, even if you’re not ready to search yet.  They’ll remember you when you are.

Finish Your IT Job Interviews Like a Pro

After preparing with your IT recruiters for IT job interviews, you’ll need to do some preparation on your own. Your best bet is not to just prepare to answer the questions your IT staffing companies tell you to expect.  You should also plan to be able to ask some questions of your own at the end of interview.  The answers to these questions can be important for you, of course.  But potentially more importantly, your technical recruiters and IT staffing agencies will be impressed if you can ask questions that leave a great lasting impression on the interviewers.  How do you ask a question that will land you the respect of your IT recruiting firms and possibly the IT jobs you’re interviewing for?  Here are some tips:

  1. Start your question by stating something that shows off your expertise in the field.  This will only work if you truly know of information that will impress your interviewers. For instance, you could say something along the lines of, ‘Since we’re seeing a trend in X, then how will it affect this role?’ You might try asking your IT recruiting companies if they think your question will be a good one to ask if you’re not sure.
  2. Use your question to show that you’ve done research on the company.  The trick is not to make the question feel like you already know the answer—or worse, don’t care about it.  Your interviewers will feel like you’re wasting time if your question feels like a hollow attempt to show off.  And your IT staffing firms won’t be too pleased with you either.
  3. Use your question to show that you’re excited about the job.  Again, the trick is to make sure your interviewers do feel like you’re interested in the answer.  Showing enthusiasm is important and so is asking good question that don’t seem like a waste of the interviewer’s time.

How to Be Likeable in IT Job Interviews

If you’re interviewing for IT jobs, you may be preparing for them by checking with your IT recruiting firms on what technologies to brush up on, what questions to prepare for, etc.  You may be talking to your technical recruiters about standard things like where the interview will be and at what time.  These things are important, but IT staffing agencies have found that it’s often equally important that you come across as likeable in an interview.  It’s hard to say exactly what makes somebody likeable, but here are two tips IT staffing companies would suggest you use that may help.

Be a little humble.  It’s possible to retain a confident, competent air but still show a healthy amount of humility.  The best team members, the ones IT staffing firms place over and over again, are open to hearing new information and new ways of doing things. They are far from arrogant, which makes them highly responsive to feedback, training, and acclimating to new workplaces and managers. Show off a little humility in your interview—it might just land you the job.

But don’t ‘humblebrag.’  A humblebrag is exactly what it sounds like: Bragging wrapped in an appearance of humility.  You’ve probably heard a few humblebrags before and disliked it yourself.  You’ll need to sell yourself in an interview, but it will make you come across as disingenuous and out of touch if you aren’t just direct about it.  IT recruiting agencies want you to be open and honest in your interviews.  If you’re good at something, say this directly.  It will get the point across better and will make you seem like the kind of person who is confident and socially graceful.  Both are imperative qualities in good hires.

How to Polish Your IT Resume: Part 2

Continuing the theme from our previous blog post, today we’ll continue to look at ways you can update your resume so you wow your IT recruiters, IT staffing firms, and hiring managers.  Last time we explored using more powerful words, but this time we’ll talk about why writing your resume with a different perspective will make it more attractive to technical recruiters and IT recruiting companies.

Often, a resume is written with the perspective of the person seeking IT jobs.  The objective is about what the job seeker wants. The bullets under each job are about the daily to-do lists the job seeker operated under.  While this all seems pretty natural, it’s not the best way to really grab the attention of hiring managers and IT recruiting agencies.  The best strategy is to write the resume from their perspective. Take out the objective—it’s hard to write about anything but what you as a job seeker wants.  This isn’t a hiring manager’s first concern—their first concern is what they want.  To really address what a hiring manager and IT recruiting firms are seeking, write out what you achieved under each job.  Give the most concrete results you can—even if you can give actual numbers like ‘Increased revenue by 10%.’  Talk about what your employer gained during your time there.  This makes it easier for IT staffing companies and interviewers to picture you in a potential job.  They can literally see you as a value-add for the hiring company.

 

2 Questions to Ask in IT Job Interviews

IT recruiters and IT staffing firms can help you prepare to answer questions in IT jobs interviews, but a good candidate comes to any interview armed with their own questions to ask.  Technical recruiters and IT recruiting companies love working with candidates who can ask insightful questions because it really wows hiring managers.  Here are two questions that will not only help you ascertain if you want the job, but also impress your interviewer and IT staffing agencies and IT recruiting firms.

How would you evaluate somebody’s performance in this role?  This question shows that you’re thinking about how to succeed in the role.  Managers want somebody like this—somebody who asks the right questions so they can nearly manage themselves.  If you are aware of your own goals and hold yourself accountable for them, you make your manager’s job easy.  Asking this question makes you a very attractive candidate indeed and make you more in demand with IT staffing companies.

What do you really value in your employees? Asking this question provides a similar impression, but on a more macro level.  Instead of looking for information about how to be successful in this particular role, you’re asking about how to contribute well to the company and team in a more general way.  Pay attention to response here, because it’s important that you feel like you can truly identify with their response.  For instance, if they’re looking for long hours and you aren’t, this is a red flag.

 

NEVER say this in an IT Job Interview, Part Two

There are plenty of ways you can prepare for job interviews – both with your IT staffing companies and IT recruiters and on your own.  But even with the best preparations and tips from IT recruiting agencies, there are some ways you could still shoot yourself in the foot.  If you’re at interviews for your dream IT jobs, then make sure you never, ever, under any circumstances say you don’t think you’re completely qualified and prepared for the job.

Why is this a mistake?  Technical recruiters certainly want you to be honest about your abilities and experience, but this isn’t really about that.  Firstly, if you don’t think you are able to do a job, then you shouldn’t let IT recruiting firms submit you for it—it’s wasting your time and theirs.  However, if this is a case of a lack of confidence, or perhaps you need to learn a new technology, then it’s a different situation.  If you and your IT staffing agencies think you could succeed in a job, but you’re just unused to selling yourself, then it’s time to practice that.  Hiring managers don’t want to take a risk in who they hire, so confidence is key.  If you need to learn a new technology, you need to detail the steps you can (or perhaps already are).  The bottom line is to make sure you let the hiring manager know that you can see yourself as a rock star in the position—and nothing less.  You’ll sink yourself if you don’t.

 

Finding the Best IT Recruiters for You

If you’re looking for new IT jobs, you’re probably shopping around for good IT staffing firms and technical recruiters to work with.  There are a ton of options out there, so it can be overwhelming to figure out what IT recruiting companies and IT recruiters you should work with.  What makes a recruiter and IT staffing agencies right for you?

Firstly, you need to be feel comfortable with the recruiters at the IT staffing companies and be able to trust them.  Unfortunately, there are some IT recruiting agencies that do things that may not always be in your best interest.  You can research IT staffing agencies will often have reviews online from candidates they’ve worked with.  Secondly, you should feel like the recruiters you work with are listening to your needs.  They should submit you for jobs that you can succeed in and would enjoy.  If they’re trying to submit you to a lot of roles that may not fit what you’ve asked for, it’s time to reconsider working with them.  Lastly, it’s ideal if your IT recruiting firms that you work with pair you with a single recruiter who works with you consistently.  The best IT recruiting firms will make sure you can create a strong relationship with IT recruiters who know you and your career goals.

 

Thank You Notes When You’re Interviewed by a Panel for IT Jobs

When you’re prepping with your IT recruiters and IT staffing agencies for IT job interviews, they’re likely to tell you to write a thank you note.  But what should you do if you’re interviewed by more than one person?  What if it’s a whole panel of people?  Here’s how to write thank you notes for more than one interviewer that will land you the IT jobs you want.

Firstly, take notes during the interview.  Write down any interesting conversation threads that occur and with whom you had them.  Next, make sure your get business cards from everybody who interviews you.  If you don’t manage to do this, ask your technical recruiters and IT recruiting companies to give you their names.  When you get home from the interview, sit down and start writing notes as soon as you can. Ask your IT staffing firms if they prefer to pass the notes on for you, or if you should do it yourself.  Then write a separate note for everybody who interviewed you.  This is where your notes will come in handy.  Make each note personalized as much as possible to each interviewer.  Make sure to close each note by reiterating your interest in the job.  Your IT recruiting firms can only represent you so much—you are the best person to show your enthusiasm and interest in the job.  Lastly, send out the thank you notes within 24 hours.  This will ensure a quick and effective impact on the interviewers.

 

Don’t Make These IT Job Interview Mistakes

So you’ve worked with IT staffing agencies and IT recruiters, found IT jobs that would be a great fit, and you’re ready to interview.  Are you ready to put your best foot forward and really impress the hiring managers (and of course the technical recruiters who are representing you)?  Take a minute to run through this list of mistakes to avoid.  It could be the difference between getting the job and making a bad impression on your IT staffing companies and interviewers.

Don’t dress poorly.  Your IT recruiting firms will be happy to give you guidelines for how to dress for your interviews.  If they absolutely aren’t sure (which is pretty unlikely), then it won’t hurt to just go with a suit and tie.  It’s always much better to be overdressed than underdressed.

Don’t lose focus on the most important topic of conversation: the job.  Putting too much emphasis on the perks of the job, small talk with the interviewer, or anything else, will detract from your overall candidacy.  You’re at the job interview for a reason, so focus on that.

Don’t try to wing it.  Study up on any relevant technologies that your IT recruiting agencies tell you about.  Research the company.  Get a job description and stud