Tag Archives: Technical Recruiters Boston

Not Optional: Bring Your Own Questions to IT interviews

IT staffing firms often prepare IT consultants to answer tough, detailed questions that you’d only encounter in the information technology field. Technical recruiters Boston should be equally focused on making sure that IT contractors interviewing for IT jobs are able to ask their own questions.  IT recruiting companies need their job candidates to answer questions for a few different reasons.  The first is to give the impression that IT professionals have their own, independent thought process. Critical thinking is an imperative skill that can be put on resumes, but IT staffing companies are much better served when a job candidate verbally demonstrates critical thinking abilities.  Secondly, IT recruiting agencies need job candidates to ask questions so they can indicate that a true engagement and interest in the job.  Not asking questions could easily translate to a disinterest in a job or company, leaving job candidates and their IT recruiting firms left out of the running to fill a position.

What are the best kinds of questions for IT staffing agencies to prepare their job candidates to ask?  Questions could be about the culture of a company, what a typical day looks like for the person who will fill the position in question, or why the position has become available.  IT headhunters can also encourage their candidates to inquire about management styles, how much or little team-work is required, and what kind of person they have worked best with previously. One major area to stay away from, however, is compensation.  IT recruiters add an extra layer of complication to the mix and IT job candidates generally makes an interviewer uncomfortable when they bring up compensation before an offer is made.

Leadership in IT: Just do “it”?

Information technology as a field offers a wide variety of leadership roles: Project manager, Lead programmer, etc. The obvious perks of these roles are higher salaries, more prestige, more intriguing work, and more benefits or vacation days, etc.  However, does it ever make sense to turn one of these roles down, if offered?  Or to ask IT recruiters not to submit you for one? Recently, it has become more popular for business writers and leaders to openly discuss the benefits IT consultants and their IT staffing agencies might reap from turning down that leadership role.

Forbes blogger Mike Myatt states what would be obvious in almost any job market but the achievement-oriented, financially-driven American one.  If, as Myatt blogs, “You’re chasing a position and not a higher purpose,” then you’re probably setting yourself up for an unpleasant, if not unsuccessful, leadership experience.  Technical recruiters may offer to submit you for a high-powered project management position, but if you’re only taking it for the power or money you might reconsider.

It doesn’t serve you, your IT headhunters, or your potential new IT manager if you take a job that you don’t have the experience for or interest in. At best case, you will competently perform your job until you quickly burn out.  At worst, you will fail in meeting your job expectations and sully not only your reputation, but that of the IT staffing firms that placed you (and thus burn two bridges—your IT recruiting firm and your previous employer). IT contractors will get the most out of a job that really intrigues them and they can thrive in.  IT staffing companies will get the most of placing a successful fit in IT jobs and thus reflect their outstanding recruiting abilities.  So what should be your litmus test for those roles that move you up the ladder?  Let IT recruiting agencies and IT recruiters CA or technical recruiters Boston submit your resume for a role you would be excited to take on– even if the move was lateral in terms of salary and/or power.

IT Recruiting Firms Embracing YouTube

As prospective IT consultants search the net for resume writing and interview tips, it would be in the best interest of IT recruiting firms to have helpful and interesting content that ensures these candidates land on their website and ultimately look at their IT jobs.  In today’s social media age, YouTube is one of the best resources that prospective candidates can use for any number of self help tips.  Subsequently, IT staffing companies should have their IT recruiters create mock interviews covering common questions and proper etiquette then post it on their website for others to see (ultimately drawing more people to their site).  Additional ideas could be a “do” and “don’t” interview with various technical recruiters and their advise how best to work with IT recruiters Boston or IT recruiters CA.

YouTube provides an unlimited amount of ideas and potential videos for IT recruiting companies and their IT staffing salespeople and technical recruiters Boston.  It could draw prospective candidates to their website and ultimately promote followers on their social media sites.  Therefore, by embracing YouTube, IT recruiting agencies can ultimately drive revenue.

Running Late for an IT Job Interview

Trains, plains and automobiles.  All are means of transportation that people have to take to get to an IT job interview….and all can be unreliable.  Therefore, while IT recruiting firms understand that delays happen, whether unexpected accidents clogging up up the highways or just an abnormal amount of congestion on the roads, many times the commutes are out of people’s control.  Subsequently, IT recruiters Boston should not hold any delays against their information technology candidate……if he or she calls the IT recruiting company to inform the IT recruiters that they are running late.  It’s quite simple, in today’s age where everyone has a cell phone, if you find yourself runnng late to meet with IT staffing firms or direct client companies, simply call one of your technical recruiters.

There are no excuses for candidates that walk through the doors of IT staffing companies after their scheduled IT job interview time.  Even if you’re a minute or two behind schedule – call.  IT recruiters CA meet with dozens of candidates each week and speak with countless more.  If you run late for an interview, you’re simply (and rightfully) going to be passed over for their IT jobs.

Conversely, if you find yourself more than 15 minutes early to meet with IT recruiting companies, take a walk around the block or grab a coffee.  Showing up too early for an interview with technical recruiters Boston is a red flag as well.

Therefore, give yourself plenty of time to account for traffic, accidents or other potential delays….and if you find yourself at the IT staffing company well before your scheduled interview, walk around the block, kill some time to ensure you’re not too early for the IT job interview.

IT Recruiters Can Work From Anywhere

Back even a couple of years ago, technical recruiters could work from anywhere with an internet connection.  However, in today’s information technology age, IT recruiters San Diego can work from virtually anywhere there is a wireless signal as they can use their cell phone as a modem.  How times have changed.

Back even five years ago, IT recruiters Boston were forced to come into their IT staffing office to do all of their work and conduct searches.  However, with web-based systems, what IT recruiters can work remotely and from the comfort of their own home.

Additionally, as technology advances and people continue to utilize email or texting over talking to IT recruiting companies, technical recruiters Boston can do more and more without even picking up their phone (this means late night emails and IT recruiting).  Having said that, no candidate should ever be submitted to a client without having spoken to an IT recruiter live on the phone.  At the end of the day, regardless of the technology advances, there is no substitute for screening out a candidate live or on the phone.

Therefore, if you’re considering working for any number of local IT recruiting firms, and a career as a technical recruiter, then you will have the ability to work at virtually any time of the day.  Ultimately, what you put into working for IT staffing companies is what you’ll get out of it.

The Highly Competitive IT Staffing Industry

IT staffing is a very lucrative industry that gives IT recruiters the opportunity to make six figures + (most at a very young age).  Subsequently, there are thousands of IT recruiting companies and tens of thousands technical recruiters.  Therefore, IT staffing companies must find ways to differentiate themselves from the competition.  One of the ways to do so is to provide exceptional customer service.  No matter how many IT recruiting firms out there, client companies and candidates alike will gravitate towards the IT staffing agencies that treat them well.

Unfortunately, because of the abundance of IT recruiters Boston, coupled with their ability to produce significant returns, technical recruiters Boston have developed a bad name.  The consistent feedback is that IT recruiters San Diego will only call a candidate when they need them (ie when they can make money off of them).

Once again, IT staffing firms can differentiate themselves by providing better customer service.  Simply put, IT recruiters CA should treat candidates the way they would want to be treated in return.  This means, if an IT recruiter submits a candidate’s resume to any number of IT jobs, they should follow up with the candidate on a weekly basis at a minimum.  Even if technical recruiters have not received feedback from their client, they can simply pass along a message to the candidate that says they’re trying and that he or she hasn’t fallen through the cracks.

Ultimately, it doesn’t take much for IT recruiting agencies to separate themselves from other technical recruiting companies.  Their IT recruiters just need to provide better customer service than their competition.

Do IT Recruiting Firms Typically Meet Their Candidates?

Most IT recruiting firms say their technical recruiters meet with every candidate for their IT job submittal.  However, that claim is unrealistic and often a stretch of the truth.  The reality is that IT recruiters cannot meet with every candidate.  Not necessarily because the IT recruiters Boston are too busy to meet with prospective information technology candidates.  Instead, it’s typically the candidates who are too busy or just don’t want to take the time to meet technical recruiters Boston.

From a candidate’s perspective, they’re not sure the IT recruiters CA can help them or guarantee the meeting with produce a submittal of their resume never mind an interview or a new IT job.  Since, many IT staffing companies simply just require a face to face meeting with their IT recruiters San Diego, even if they don’t have any IT jobs, candidates are hesitant to commit time out of their day without certainty of a submittal.  While there certainly is value in building relationships with IT recruiters, one can understand the hesitation.  Instead of IT recruiting companies requiring their technical recruiters meet with every candidate, they should simply require a face to face meeting only after they have identified the candidate as someone they would like to submit for an actual position.  However, while this approach sounds good in theory, even this has it’s flaws.   Waiting for a face to face meeting could delay the s process and ultimately contribute to missing out on the IT job.  Since most needs are immediate, especially in contract IT staffing, the technical job could be filled before the candidate’s resume even makes it to the client’s inbox.

Ultimately, IT staffing firms should not make statements like they meet with every candidate.  Instead, they should claim they try to meet with candidates whenever possible.  Meanwhile, candidates should not avoid meeting with IT recruiters LA.  Instead, they should be selective as to whom they meet with and make sure the meeting is worth their time.

Are Suits Becoming a Way of the Past?

The reality is that business attire is becoming more and more casual.  IT recruiting companies that once mandated suits are now requiring just dress pants and a collared shirt.  However, is that setting IT recruiters up for success?  Opinions vary, there are two schools of thought:

Pro’s:
1)  Play it safe:  IT recruiters Boston are continually meeting with IT managers to solicit working on their IT jobs.  While most hiring managers are in casual dress, IT staffing companies understand that they are there to ask for their business.  Therefore, why take any chance of underdressing for a meeting?  If technical recruiters find themselves in a very casual environment, they can always take off their tie.  However, if IT recruiters CA find themselves underdressed for a meeting, they can’t suddenly put on a tie in front of the manager (or if the IT recruiter happens to have one with him, he should have worn it in the first place).

2)  Dress for success:  IT recruiters San Diego are always meeting with clients and prospective information technology candidates.  They’re always looking to make a great first impression to both as it could lead to future business or placements.  Therefore,  many  IT staffing firms prefer to put their best foot forward with business attire.

3)  Feel the part, be the part:  Simply put, if you dress the part, and feel the part, technical recruiters Boston will be the part.

Con’s:

1)  Unnecessary:  As mentioned, many clients are business casual these days.  In most sales scenarios, people like to mirror their clients so dressing in a full suit might be too extreme.

2)  Uncomfortable:  I don’t know any IT staffing salespeople that enjoy a tie bound closely to their throat and neck.  It can be uncomfortable…and hot in any warm client or summer months.

3)  Expensive:  Suits are expensive.  With many IT recruiters being recent college graduates, multiple suits are likely outside of their financial means.

Depending upon the environment or culture of various IT recruiting firms, the pro’s of business professinal attire seem to outweight the con’s.  However, for many IT staffing agencies, suits are becoming a way of the past.

Should IT Recruiters Be Allowed to Play Music at Work?

IT recruiters are typically working 8-10 hour days, usually locked in an office, strapped to their desk sourcing through hundreds of resumes and talking to dozens of candidates each day.  While caffeine may help technical recruiters to physically get through each day, music can help mentally.  Therefore, should IT recruiting companies Boston allow their technical recruiters Boston to play music at their desk?  Overall, yes, however IT recruiting firms must provide some stipulations:

1)  One source of music for the entire IT staffing office.  If every IT recruiter has their own music playing, it will drown out conversations and ultimately be heard from IT contractors and candidates on the other end of the phone.

2)  The music must be kept at a soft volume.  The last thing IT recruiting agencies want is to lose credibility because their office sounds like a rock concert in the background of every phone call.

3)  No rap or offensive lyrics.  This is common sense.

Therefore, IT staffing firms should allow one source of music for their IT recruiters CA, but kept at low decibels without offensive lyrics.

Technical Recruiters Typically Aren’t All That Technical

Most IT recruiting companies have a team of technical recruiters that really aren’t technical at all.  Most IT recruiters are college graduates who have been trained how to recruit information technology professionals and ultimately talk their technical language.  Therefore, the question that arises is whether IT recruiters Boston can qualify technical candidates for their clients.  The answer  is yes, but it needs further explanation.

Technical recruiters Boston that aren’t technical will never be able to full qualify a candidate from an abilities perspective.   However, there is more to the IT staffing than just “teching” out a candidate.  Furthermore, given every client has a different technical environment, much of the technical screening should come from their IT managers and people conducting the interviews.  Instead, it’s the job of IT recruiters CA to screen out the non-technical questions and the variables that arise in most IT job searches to ensure their clients time is not wasted if they take the time to interview the candidates.   Examples of a screening out candidates would include whether they’re interviewing elsewhere and what stage are they at with each IT job interview.  Additionally, technical recruiters can also dig into the commute and even dress code and typical hours.  IT recruiting firms Boston would also want to know the candidate’s motivation to make a move if they’re currently employed and whether they’re committed to an interview if their resume is submitted to the client.  All of these questions are critical for IT staffing companies as they don’t want to ever dangle a carrot in front of their clients only to pull it back.

Additionally, IT recruiters San Diego can still technically screen candidates by phrasing their questions properly.  Asking open-ended questions about a person’s background can uncover a number of technical deficiencies.  By making a candidate explain their technical skills, IT recruiters MA can discern whether the candidate is being honest and confident about their abilities.