Tag Archives: IT recruiting firms

Get IT Job Postings on Your Cell Phone

Since the iPhone came out, there have been more and more applications made by high tech development professionals. These apps range from productive software to games. Now that other cell phones can handle applications such as the android and other MicroSoft Windows-based phones, I have noticed that some job boards are creating applications to send updates on new IT job openings. As a student in college, this could be handy, but is it really better than just getting the emails?

I was curious so I checked out the Career Builder and Indeed applications. The Career Builder application allows you to see any of your searches and will keep your settings from their website. In doing so, you as a job seeker are able to apply for any IT jobs you want right from your cell phone. This can save you time in your job search because when you get an alert, you can just go on your Career Builder app and apply for the job instead of putting it off until you get home. And like most people, by the time you get home you sometimes forget about that job, and then do not apply.

Additionally, you can always set up alerts with certain IT recruiting firms like AVID Technical Resources. Let the IT staffing companies bring their open high-tech jobs right to your phone/hands as well.

Depending on the app you decide to use, it can help your job search. It might seem redundant if you are just using the app to get alerts, since most people already receive them through emails. In the end you may be saving yourself time and getting in more applications then you would have without these apps.

How to Keep up with New Technologies as a Hiring Manager

IT professionals are constantly finding new ways of achieving the same goal and doing it with new software or devices. So how do you keep your company staffed with up-to-date IT professionals? IT recruiting firms will fill your contract IT job positions. By opting to use contract workers over permanent ones, you’re giving your company flexibility in the types of IT workers you have. As a hiring manager, there will be different projects you will have to oversee.  These may require different skills and technologies. So next time you need to fill an IT position,  think about whether you will need that skill you’re hiring for later on.

 

New IT Job Interviewing Strategies

Many prospective IT job seekers are very similar in their technical ability.  Additionally, with so many candidates on the market to choose from, the hiring process has become increasingly difficult for managers.  IT recruiters often debrief prospective candidates after they interview to try to get insight into what hiring managers are looking for.  Recently, IT recruiting firms are reporting an increasing trend in some alternative interviewing strategies.

One in particular is the personality test.  The goal of the questionnaire is to find out how you react to different situations.  This is something that hiring managers cannot get from an interview, and is imperative to help ensure you fit with the company’s culture and dynamic.

Another interview strategy that IT recruiters reported was logic tests. The interviewer uses this test to get better insight into the IT job seeker’s problem solving skills.

Therefore, if you are currently searching for new IT jobs, make sure to practice some problem solving tests.  Feel free to contact one of our IT recruiters at AVID Technical Resources.  You never know when a hiring manager will surprise you with a pop quiz!

Why most people do not think of using an IT staffing agency?

Many IT recruiters may think that job seekers would naturally choose to work with IT recruiting firms when looking for new IT jobs.  Unfortunately this is not the case.  Most people do not know how IT staffing companies work.  The worst part is that they think that they would need to pay a fee!

IT recruitment companies collect their fees from the clients.  In a permanent placement scenario, IT staffing firms typically charge the client anywhere from 15-25% of the candidate’s first year annual salary.  In a contract IT staffing situation, IT recruiting agencies will pay the consultant their market rate, then bill the client a higher amount.  Minus overhead costs (which can be significant), the difference/margin is how the IT recruiting firms make their money.

Therefore, there is no cost to you, the IT job seeker.  Utilize as many IT staffing companies and IT recruiters as you feel comfortable with.  It will only provide you with additional resources to help you land that next IT job.

Make Yourself Available for IT Recruiters

When you are a job seeker working with IT recruiters, you need to be easily accessible.  When an AVID Technical Resources’ Account Manager identifies a new IT job opportunity, our IT recruiting team immediately begins looking for prospective candidates.  At AVID Technical Resources we try to submit candidates within the first few days the IT job position becomes available.  The IT Staffing Industry is fast-paced, therefore in order to beat out the other IT recruiting companies, we need to respond to our clients as quickly as possible.

If you miss a call or email, you might be missing out on your dream IT job.  If you don’t have a PDA (Blackberry, iPhone), it might be worth the investment.   In today’s age, whether good or bad, people must be accessible and able to respond immediately to emails.  Another reality is that clients typically needed candidates “yesterday.”  Therefore, the IT recruiters will go with the first candidate or candidates that respond to them.

So when one of our IT recruiters contacts you about a new IT job position, give them a call or return their email as soon as you can.  You never know what new opportunity is waiting for you.

IT Contractor Rates in a Weak Economy

Since the economy has weakened, there have been many efforts to give aid to all the high-tech candidates who were laid off from IT jobs.  Numerous IT professionals have either been living off of aid provided by the government or have resorted to lower wage IT jobs.

In addition to smaller budgets, due to the abundance of candidates on the IT job market, a supply versus demand affect was created thus lowering IT contract and full-time pay rates and salaries.

The average high-tech professional is making $5-10/hr less than he or she was making a couple of years ago.  On a full-time scale, this equates to $10,000 – $20,000.  Obviously a significant decrease for anyone.

For those IT professionals who work with IT staffing firms, the rates are down as well.  The reason is due to the fact that the client ultimately dictates the bill rates to the IT recruiting firms (based on that number, the IT recruiting company then calculates the pay rate to the IT job seeker).

The good news is the fact that companies are still utilizing IT staffing agencies to fill these needs (although the client pays a premium, they save money in the long run as they’re not responsible for paying overhead costs such as health insurance and unemployment).  Therefore, IT professionals have a solid resource to utilize when looking for their next IT job.

However, ever better news will come with an improved economy because as the market increases so do IT contractor pay rates and full-time salaries.

Getting Millennials and Generation X to work together

Some argue that the Internet was the single most important invention of the 20th century.  Businesses have computers for every employee (IT recruiting firms often provide both a desktop and a laptop for their IT recruiters).  It is the backbone that drives today’s businesses and economy.

Millennials grew up using computers.  Because of this, most of the generation has strong typing skills and extensive computer knowledge.  Therefore, anyone born prior is obviously at a disadvantage.

The emergence of social media has compounded this generational gap.  IT recruiting companies are now posting all of their IT jobs on Twitter and Facebook pages.  However, to most Generation X’s, this is still foreign to them…ultimately pushing the generational gap farther apart from a technology perspective.

Therefore, our advice for Generation X is to embrace technology.  Take some classes or try to find someone who can teach you computer basics.  Break free from your comfort zone and create accounts onTwitter and Facebook.  You don’t need to be an expert immediately – simply start using these sights at your own pace.  IT recruiting companies are depending upon these sites more and more.  If you’re not using them, the right IT jobs may pass you by.

And for Millennials, have some patience.  At some point, each of us may be facing the same apprehensions or fears.  Time flies and you never know what new technology is lurking around the corner!

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.

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

Top Interview Questions

IT recruiting firms are constantly screening candidates to make sure they are up to par with our clients’ qualifications. We understand that clients are looking for the perfect candidates to fill their IT jobs.  Therefore, to help prepare our candidates for their respective interviews, our IT recruiters have compiled a list of questions that our clients may be looking to ask.

  1. Please tell me a little about yourself.
  2. What is your greatest strength?
  3. What is your greatest weakness?
  4. Name a time you had to resolve a conflict and describe you handled it.
  5. What do you think differentiates you from other candidates applying for this position?
  6. How do you think you’ll be able to contribute to the company?
  7. Why are you interested in working at company x?
  8. What relevant experience do you have for this position?
  9. What kind of environment do you prefer to work in?
  10. What are your goals for the next five years?