Tag Archives: IT recruiting

Sixth Sense

Everyone wants technology to be at his or her fingertips.  So many wireless companies have made it easier by offering smart phones. These cellular phones can access the internet, take high quality pictures, and play video games. It is like having a mini computer right in your pocket.

Could life be any easier? Well apparently it can.  Over at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, they are developing new software that will allow you to project a screen with a mini projector connected to your cellular phone or any other device.  You will be able to look up products and compare them automatically while shopping in a retail store.  Don’t feel like pulling out your phone to call a friend? No problem, you can just dial their number on your hand.

Sixth Sense is software that others will be able to manipulate for their own use.  So what does that mean for consumers? We will be able to surf quicker, research products and compare prices.  It would be like having an invisible smart phone.  At this point in time it is still in testing, but you definitely be on the lookout for any new updates in this.

From a business perspective, our IT recruiting firm (AVID Technical Resources) would greatly benefit from such a technology.  Our technical recruiters Boston and IT staffing salespeople could bring up documents, proposals or even notes while outside of the office visiting clients or prospective IT job seekers.  Outside of the IT staffing industry, other businesses are surely to see the value as well.

For better or for worse, information technology is fueling our ever-changing world, making our lives more efficient every day.  It’s up to each of us to stay on top of these trends.

Use Facebook as a Tool for Job Searching!

As a college student and IT recruiting intern, I have noticed that there are many small businesses that start utilize social media sites as their main source to find internal resources.  Now many of you may be thinking why would I look for a job on Facebook when I can go on Monster and CareerBuilder.  The answer to that is, sometimes it is easier to hire from the network you have already established on Facebook.  You know them on a personal level and usually you can get a recommendation from another person on your network.  On the IT job boards you usually have people applying from many different states with likely no connection to you or your technical position.

IT recruiters are reporting that a number of prospective candidates are joining groups and becoming fans of pages for companies they like or want to possibly work for one day.  These companies in turn are using their fans and customers to get a better view into their consumer base.  Many of these businesses also hold contests for internships or even just have their video/print ad featured nationally on an advertising campaign.

By participating in groups and fan pages, you are allowing these companies to see the potential you have as an employee before they hire you.

The New MicroSoft Office Suite

As a college student and former IT recruiting intern for an IT staffing agency, I am constantly using the programs within the Microsoft Office Suite.  There are always presentations I need to create for a team project on PowerPoint or an essay or blog such as this on Word.

Most of the versions are compatible as long as you download the updates for the programs or save in an older format.  For those who are just on the go with little time to recheck their files, you usually just save in the default format.  This becomes a problem when you are switching computers and sharing files.

Our entire IT recruiting company in Boston will be converting to Microsoft Office 2010.  In preparation, I tested out the beta version of Office 2010 and compared it to Office 2007.  I honestly did not notice too big of a difference besides the design and feel of the programs.  The biggest jump was when they changed the user interface from their 2003 version to 2007.  Besides being visually appealing, the Office Suite 2010 is not worth the upgrade unless you are using versions before 2007.

Using Your School for IT Job Networking

Most colleges and universities have a vast alumni network with professionals in the information technology industry.  These people opt to include their contact information in order to help fellow alumni and recent grads to learn more about their job or about job opportunities with their company.

These alumni are often more willing to help an IT professional who attended the same school they did.  Therefore, continue to network.  Use sites like LinkedIn and do searches with your Alma Mater.  Contact anyone in the IT recruiting or technology industry.  You never know who will be able to help with your IT job search.

Contract IT Job Positions

Most job seekers are looking for permanent position in the Information Technology industry.  However, contract IT staffing is a widely popular alternative that could also lead you to a full-time opportunity.  Additionally, in this economy, contract IT jobs provide you with that ever-important foot in the door.

There are many benefits to working a contract IT job. First, from the client’s perspective (or IT staffing firm), they can get a look at your work ethic and how well you mesh with the company.  Conversely, from the candidate’s side, they can get a taste of the company to see if it is an environment where they would like to work.  Second, contract IT job opportunities typically pay higher than full time positions.  (Additionally, consultants are paid for every hour they work whereas permanent employees are typically salaried).

Another upside of choosing a contract IT job is that it gives you flexibility to move around from one company to another.  Utilize IT recruiting companies to help open up additional opportunities.  Also if you have plans to travel, you know that after a certain time period you will be finished with your contract IT job and can enjoy your time off.

If you are curious about what kind of position you are looking for, then contact an IT recruitment company like AVID Technical Resources.  Our IT recruiters are always willing to lend you a hand.

Experiences from our IT recruiter Intern

This summer we hired 3 interns to help us out with recruiting information technology candidates.  We went through the interview process and identified the right candidates for our IT recruiting internship program.  They seemed to be a good fit with our company culture and appeared to have the drive/motivation.  Looking back, we were right.  Each has proved to us they have the skills and qualities to be a successful recruiter in the IT staffing industry.

Now that the summer is coming to an end, our interns chose to tell us about their experience working as an IT recruiter for one of the fastest growing IT staffing companies in the country.

He summarized his experience like this:

1. People Skills

Having people skills is a factor that helps talking to prospective candidates about the different IT job opportunities you have available.  An IT recruiter needs to know how to connect with a candidate on a personal level to make them feel comfortable and willing to listen to what you have to say.

2. Cold Calling

An IT recruiter will receive many applications to job postings, but in the end, you will need to go digging through a resume database for some candidates that fit the IT job description

3. Phone manners

IT recruiters need to work on their phone manners, especially when you are constantly working with prospective candidates.  Acting in a professional manner will always help keep the candidate interested and comfortable.

4. Hard Work

In order to succeed you need to put in the time and effort.  Nothing is free in life and you need to work hard to get the results you want.  Finding the right candidate is not as easy as picking a name out of a hat.  An IT recruiter has to search through databases and applications to find candidates who will fit the IT job description, as well as the culture in the company.

Overall, our IT recruiter interns felt that they learned valuable lessons from working in the IT staffing Industry.

A Forward-thinking & Dynamic IT Recruiting Company

When companies remain stagnant, they eventually fail.  It starts with leadership.  If an executive is set in his or her ways, the competition will likely pass them by.  The IT staffing industry is no different.  At AVID Technical Resources, we pride ourselves in being a dynamic and forward-thinking IT recruiting firm.  As technology evolves, so does our company.  We embrace technologic advances from new software to social media.  AVID understands the importance of changing as the economy changes and evolving as our IT recruiting industry evolves.  Most important, we never stop moving; we never remain stagnant.

A good example of this is social media.  Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have grown in popularity over the years.  AVID saw the emergence a few years ago, before many companies had even heard of the sites.  Therefore, our company Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin pages have been built out, optimized and are designed to market every one of our IT jobs.

Another good example is Search Engine Optimization.  AVID recognized the dominance of Google and the importance of SEO years ago.  Subsequently, this IT recruiting company has invested years and thousands of dollars into optimization.  Because of this, our IT recruiters are able to identify more prospective IT candidates and our salespeople frequently have clients find them.

Slow-moving, stagnant companies eventually become extinct.  Forward-thinking, dynamic companies rise to the top.  This approach has helped AVID Technical Resources become one of the Fastest-Growing Private IT staffing companies in the country: https://www.avidtr.com/about-avid-awards-and-recognition.aspx.

A day in the Life of an IT recruiter

The IT staffing is a very fast-paced, sometimes hectic industry.  IT recruiters are speaking to hundreds of prospective candidates each week.  Even the very best IT recruiters can find it challenging to ensure they keep all of their candidates organized and within reach.  Additionally, in the IT recruiting world, clients typically needed IT contractors “yesterday.”  Therefore, when an IT job order gets called in, IT recruiters need to tap into their candidate network immediately and/or begin their IT recruiting process as quickly as possible.  Days are hectic and nights can be long depending upon the client’s sense of urgency.  Therefore, the IT staffing industry is not for everyone.  Those who do not do well under pressure or thrive in a hectic environment, best not enter the IT recruiting world.  On the flip side, people who like to be busy and thrive on an ever-changing job, tend to fare very well in the IT staffing industry.

A typical day for an IT recruiter….is anything but typical.  They will usually be assigned to one IT job order.  As they search the IT staffing agency’s database, and other IT job boards such as Monster, Dice, CareerBuilder, Hot Jobs, they will make dozens (if not hundreds) of calls.  Or they will send out countless emails every day.  As people respond, the IT recruiter works to communicate with each person via email or phone.  As the IT recruiter is taking the time to respond to every person, additional prospective candidates continue to flood in via postings or responses.  On many occasions, as these tasks are keeping an IT recruiter busy, he or she may have a handful of internal candidate interviews as well.  This adds more work to an already busy day.

As you can see, a day in the life of an IT recruiter is typically hectic.  However, for the right person who thrives on the fast-paced, exciting work environment, the IT staffing industry can be extremely rewarding (both in terms of monetarily and intrinsic satisfaction as the IT recruiter is ultimately helping people find work).

Could IT Contractor Pay Rates Finally be Increasing?

Over the past couple of years, client companies have limited overtime, reduced the number of hours an IT consultant can work in a week, and even rolled out pay cuts.  IT staffing firm bill rates are down; therefore IT contractor pay rates have been lowered as well.  All of which are a result of the terrible recession that our nation has been fighting through for the past two years.

However, IT recruiting has experienced a change over the past 6 months.  Client bill rates are steadily on the rise, resulting in higher pay rates for IT consultants.  Here’s an example from this IT staffing firm: Last June, our client hired a .NET Developer for a 6-month engagement for $70/hr.  Almost exactly one year later, our IT recruiters placed a .NET resource for $85/hr with the same client.  He had a similar background and experience level.  The difference in rate is significant, and it maybe be an indicator that the worst should be behind us. Overall, IT staffing companies across the country are reporting an increase in contract and permanent hiring.  As the demand increases, IT contractor pay rates will climb.  The economy is heading back in the right direction – and although it will still take some time – there is finally light at the end of the tunnel.

IT Staffing – a Very Competitive Industry

The world of IT staffing is a highly competitive industry. IT recruiting agencies race to the best candidates and are constantly battling for the very best high-tech resources.  It often comes down to which IT recruiter calls or emails the respective candidate first.  Because of that, the most successful IT recruiters typically start their day early and end pretty late (and checking their Blackberrys in between).

One of the misconceptions that both candidates and clients have with IT recruiting firms is that they have a “bench” full of resources who are ready to go.  Although IT recruiters are on the phones with prospective candidates all day long, this is actually a reactive industry.  Because there are so many different technologies and nuances to each skill set, IT staffing firms typically receive a requirement before they begin their search for candidates.  Once they have the detailed IT job specs, then the IT recruiting agency will jump on an immediate search.

Communication is critical in any successful IT job placement.  Candidates must be honest with IT recruiters, and in return, the IT recruiters must be honest with the candidates.  If he/she has already applied for the position at hand, then that must be made clear.  If the candidate does not fit the requirements or ultimately will not be submitted for the IT job, then that must also be communicated.  Open, honest dialogue is important to every successful IT job placement.

Similarly, clients and IT staffing agencies need to have the same relationship.  IT recruiting firms need to communicate whether the candidates they submit are close to accepting any other offers.  Therefore, the client knows how quick they need to move.  By managing the “client’s expectations,” there is no excuse if they lose the candidate to another opportunity because they dragged their feet.  Likewise, clients need to “manage the expectations” of the IT recruiting firm when they call out an IT job order.  They need to communicate how quick they’re looking to interview, and subsequently hire, the resource.  By doing this, the IT recruiter can properly work with candidates to make sure everyone is on the same page.