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Tag Archives: IT recruiting firms

IT Job Hunters: Check Online for Info About Corporate Culture!

In the past, IT contractors have to ask their IT recruiters and IT staffing companies about the corporate culture of the IT jobs they’re interviewing for.  Things are changing now, though.  IT recruiters are no longer the only source of info about a company’s corporate culture—now the companies themselves are posting videos, pictures, and more info about their corporate culture online.

If you’re up for an IT job, ask your IT recruiting agencies if they know about any online info about the company’s corporate culture.  It’s worth looking into this info for yourself so you can decided if the company is a place you could be happy.  While corporate culture is often mentioned secondary to the actual job description by IT recruiting firms, it’s still very important.  IT staffing firms that can place people in jobs they love and corporate cultures they love, find the most success and longevity in the placements.  This is because happy workers have been proven to be more loyal and productive workers.  So don’t hesitate to ask your technical recruiters if there is info online about the corporate culture of companies you’re interviewing with.  This information is important!

 

IT Jobs Are Now Offering Bring Your Parents To Work Days

Particularly in the world of information technology, ‘Bring Your Parents to Work Day’ has caught on.  IT recruiters have noticed that over 50 companies and organizations in the US are now holding their own days when parents can come in and see their children at work in their IT jobs.  While having your parents tag along to your IT job would have once been a huge issue for IT recruiting companies and indicated a serious lack of professionalism to technical recruiters, this is no longer the case….depending on the company and IT recruiting firms.

There is obviously IT staffing firms that will always see Bring Your Parents to Work Day as a highly unprofessional convention.  However, some IT recruiting agencies and companies see this kind of event as a way to market themselves and to allow parents to finally understand their high tech jobs.  It’s also likely the prevalence of Bring Your Parents to Work Day is made slightly more popular by the way millennials tend to be closer to their parents than previous generations.  Researchers have noted this about millennials for a while, and it would be hard to say this observation doesn’t have any influence on IT staffing companies and the companies and organizations that hold Bring Your Parents to Work Day.

 

 

Don’t Make this Mistake at Your IT Job Interviews

IT staffing firms and technical recruiters will almost always prep you for the technical questions you’ll face in interviews for IT jobs or what you should wear.  However, the best IT recruiters can’t prepare you for how to milk every question in an interview.  The good news is this is a skill you can learn on your own, without the help of IT staffing agencies or IT recruiting firms.  Here are some tips on how to use every question of a job interview to highlight your own skill-set and experience, wow your interviewer, and make sure you’re the kind of IT contractor that IT staffing companies can place over and over again.

Ever had a question about experience or skills you don’t exactly have?  Don’t just answer no in these instances.  Take that moment to do a few things.  Firstly, suss out what the interviewer is asking about.  Do they want to know about a more general skill you do have or a kind of on-the-job experience (like ‘dealing with difficult coworkers or clients’) that you could easily suggest is similar to something you already do or have done?  You don’t have to go overboard, but really examining the questions they ask you and thinking about what they’re looking for in a candidate will make you look very hirable.  The best candidates for a job don’t just take its description at face value.  They also try to parse all the nuances of a job and figure out what success at that job looks like.

Once you know exactly what the interviewer is looking for, try to make a (graceful) connection here to showcase skills and experience that you have.  You may not have exactly the experience or skill the interviewer is seeking, but you might have something similar.  Highlight this for your interviewer.  Doing this will ensure they really see your full value as a candidate.

 

Avoid These Issues in IT Job Interviews

IT recruiters can often give IT contractors direct feedback on why they don’t get IT jobs, but sometimes the reason is more nebulous.  Technical recruiters may not even hear from the company about these reasons, but sometimes companies will disqualify a candidate for things that are hard or awkward to explain.  While IT staffing firms can prepare you for the basic requirements of IT job interviews, only you can try to prevent yourself from disqualification for one of these reasons.

You were desperate.  If you reek of desperation, interviewers will unfortunately be turned off and question whether you could do a great job.  This is a hard thing for IT recruiting companies to help candidates avoid, but you can do a few things on your own to mitigate coming off as desperate.   Try relaxing and focusing only on the questions at hand.  Make sure to take a breath before you speak and speak slightly slower than you may normally.  Most people speak quickly when they’re nervous.  Lastly, if you’re feeling desperate, try to hold yourself back a bit and really edit what you say or do.  Showing enthusiasm is fine and IT staffing companies certainly want you to look interested in the job.  However, you want to avoid seeming like you think the job is too good for you.  Your interviewer will pick up on this and wonder the same thing!

You weren’t  likeable.  Again, this is hard thing to even begin to qualify, let alone for IT recruiting firms to help you avoid.  But, you can do a few things to make yourself more likeable.  Smile, try to relax, and engage in small talk if your interviewer does.  Hold back any possibly controversial opinions, stories, or speech.  Offending your interviewer is the easiest way to destroy your image as likeable.

You smelled or looked odd.  This seems like a small thing, but it really is important.  IT staffing agencies will likely not be able to tell you that you smell, but this is something to think about before you go to the interview. Make sure to shower and avoid wearing any strong cologne or perfume.  Sometimes people are allergic , or simply don’t like these things.  Wear clothes that are conventional for the industry.  Check in with your IT recruiting agencies if you’re unsure, but usually a simple, conservative suit that fits well will work.  Bright colors or patters aren’t your best bet here.

 

Could You Do an IT Job From Home?

IT recruiters all over the US are pretty familiar with one request when it comes to IT jobs: IT professionals very often want the option to work from home some of the time, if not all the time.  IT recruiting agencies certainly do get their fair share of jobs that allow at least some flexibility to work from home.  However, technical recruiters can’t just fill these jobs with anybody.  IT recruiters search for somebody with some particular skills and a set-up at home.  This is what IT staffing firms will look for if you want to talk about jobs that allow you to work from home.

Firstly, IT recruiting firms look for a proven ability to work with little-to-no supervision.  This is might seem simple, but it requires real discipline and problem-solving skills.  IT staffing agencies need to know that the people they submit for work from home jobs will be able to stay on track with their work even if they don’t have their boss checking in every 5 minutes.  They also need to know that these people can direct their own work, solve problems on their own, and generally save their bosses the burden of having to do much managing.

Secondly, IT staffing companies need to know that the people they submit for work from home jobs have a good setup to get their work done.  A home office is optimal, but not entirely necessary.  However, childcare arrangements are necessary.  Workers need to be able to focus entirely on their jobs, and childcare will almost always conflict with this.

Lastly, IT headhunters are looking for people who will make themselves available to their coworkers, clients, managers, etc.  Working from home requires a lot of independence, but the best employees who work remotely make themselves easily accessible for work questions.  Being physically absent from the office is no excuse for being difficult to reach—in fact, it makes this quality all the more imperative.

 

IT Professionals and Ebola In the Workplace

The latest hot news topic- Ebola- has made its way into employment quandaries for IT jobs, IT staffing companies, and IT recruiters.  While it may not seem like a relevant topic for IT recruiting firms and technical recruiters, IT professionals wind up working in all sorts of settings.  These include places like hospitals, airlines, and news publications—all places that have already, or likely will, see a risk of exposure to people actively suffering from the virus.

While Ebola can’t be contracted from casual contact, there are still plenty of questions flying around in industries that may have contact with it.  People are debating the necessity of hazard pay, training, additional safety equipment, insurance, and when it’s acceptable to say no to a potentially dangerous task.  There won’t be any obvious answers to these quandaries for IT recruiting companies any time soon, but the conversation isn’t a bad one to start having.  Whether Ebola becomes a large threat or not in the US, it’s always good for IT staffing agencies to be prepared.

IT Security Jobs- More Important Than Ever

In early October the importance of security in the information technology field became strikingly clear when JP Morgan announced that they’d been hacked.  While IT recruiters, IT staffing companies, and IT contractors have long been aware of the possibility of the major damage hacking could incur, this particular attack was epic in the damage it will and has already wrought.  It’s also troubling to know that JP Morgan Chase wasn’t the only company that was infiltrated—apparently 9 other companies were also hacked by the same group.

If there is any silver lining to be found in this terrible circumstance, perhaps it will bring urgency to corporate America, IT consultants, IT recruiting firms, and prospective IT professionals in building a stronger IT security presence to protect our country’s data.  Clearly more IT jobs focused on security are needed- and fast.  Hopefully this event will inspire people to create, fill, and prepare to fill those jobs in the future so we never have to experience such a terrible attack again.

 

New IT job? Keep This In Mind To Succeed!

For IT contractors who’ve worked hard with their IT recruiters and IT staffing firms to land a new job, it may feel like you have confirmation that you know what you’re talking about.  Your technical recruiters and new bosses clearly approve of your technical knowledge and your ability to work as a member of your new team.  But before IT consultants start new IT jobs, the best thing they can do is check their ego and closed mind at the door.  Information technology may seem like a field where jobs are pretty uniform-  what you know about one technology and way of doing things carries over from job to job.  However, your best bet is to ask a lot of questions and listen well. 

Even if you know how to use a technology perfectly, your new company will probably have its own corporate culture and way of doing things.  Try to adapt to this as well and quickly as possible.  Your prior knowledge is important.  But one thing holds true even if you’re the most competent programmer, Business Analyst, or anything else.  The more seamlessly you blend into your team, the better an impression you’ll leave on your bosses, coworkers, and IT recruiting firms.  Companies don’t just want somebody who’s good at something in a vacuum.  They need somebody who’s good at doing something within their company.  Keep this in mind at your new job, and you’ll definitely succeed.

 

 

Are You Actively Preparing For Your IT Interviews?

IT contractors who have been on the hunt for IT jobs before are probably used to being pretty passive, especially if they worked with IT recruiters or IT staffing agencies.  The process can feel very much like the employer is in charge, not the IT consultants interviewing.  However, if you take a more active role in your search, whether you’re working with technical recruiters or not, you’ll be more likely to find a role you love.  Here’s how:

Firstly, make sure you get a few pieces of information from your IT headhunters who set up your interviews.  Ask them not only where you’re going and when, but also who you’ll be meeting with, how long the interview is likely to be and what materials you can prepare or study beforehand.  Most IT staffing firms will make sure you have this info.  If you’re not working with IT recruiting firms or you just didn’t get this info, it’s your responsibility to ask!

Next, work through this info to help yourself prepare.  Research the company, the people you’ll be meeting with, and any topics you were alerted to be ready to speak on.  You may not use all the info you find, but at least some of it will be useful.  Perhaps you have some connections on LinkedIn in common with your interviewer, or you have a few alum from your school working at the company.  This information is worth having in your pocket in case the opportunity comes up to mention it.

Lastly, prepare all the easy things for yourself ahead of time.  Make sure you set aside everything you’ll need for the interview ahead of time.  Resumes, portfolios, suit, nice shoes, etc should all be set aside and ready at least the night before the interview, if not a day or so earlier.  It’s also ideal to actually practice getting yourself to the interview site ahead of time if you can.  Be aware of any traffic patterns that might get in your way and avoid them.

 

Things You Should Never Say In IT Job Interviews

IT recruiting firms will always put plenty of time into prepping IT consultants and their resumes for interviews for IT jobs.  However, there are some things IT contractors need to do to prepare themselves on their own.  Below are some of the things that technical recruiters may not warn you about, but you should never say in a job interview—whether in the information technology field or any other field.

1. Coarse language.  It’s obvious but it’s worth noting.  Even if your interviewer lets a curse word drop, try to abstain yourself.  It’s better to avoid anything but perfectly neutral, professional language in an interview.

2. Don’t portray yourself as a victim.  Employers want to see potential employees who can solve problems themselves.  Victims succumb to their problems and are overwhelmed by them.  They tend to require a manager’s valuable time and energy to be ‘saved’ from issues. Don’t be a victim.  Be empowered and an ideal employee.

3. Avoid placeholder words and imprecise words.  Anything like ‘uh, um, whatnot, you know, etc.’ don’t do much to help you.  The best thing to do if you’re having trouble completing a sentence or thinking of what to say is to pause.  Your silence will connote a real attention to presentation and detail.  Haphazardly throwing out a word so you can move on in the sentence says something a little less flattering about you.

Don't say 'um' in IT job interviews!
Stop saying ‘um’ and other placeholder words in interviews. They’re hurting you more than you know.