6 IT Job Hunting Dos & Don'ts
Don't flub your job application in the still-competitive IT job market. Pay attention to these resume and interview nuances.
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Jobs in IT have been a relative bright spot in the recovering US economy.
US employment numbers for October 2014 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals a net increase of 12,900 IT jobs across four industry job segments commonly associated with technology professionals, according to an analysis earlier this month by Foote Partners.
The October result, although significantly lower than the 22,700 jobs added in September, was still "greater than the 11,392 average monthly gain for year-to-date 2014 and the 10,708 average monthly IT job growth for calendar year 2013," Foote noted.
With around half of employers reporting difficulty filling IT-related job posts, the power would seem to be on the side of IT job-seekers.
But if you're looking for that next dream job, don't snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by making a boneheaded mistake along the way.
For example, simply having up-to-date IT skills, while crucially important, doesn't guarantee success. Equally important to employers are abilities in collaboration, communication, and work ethos.
Employers want new hires who can work on teams, lead, solve problems decisively, and prioritize work, according to the results of a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), a nonprofit group that links college career placement offices with employers.
"Further evidence that having leadership skills can make or break a hiring decision is that when employers are forced to choose between two equally qualified candidates, they will choose the one with leadership skills over the other," NACE's survey of 260 employers found.
Another mistake: Not periodically reviewing your social media history and carefully thinking how these public posts, photos, and videos will be perceived by potential employers.
HR professionals, like their counterparts in the legal department, tend to be a risk-averse bunch, and many are quick to nix job candidates with racy or otherwise "problematic" social media trails. An appearance of impropriety might be enough to shove your resume to the bottom of the pile, causing you to lose out to other candidates.
We can debate the logic of this hiring philosophy -- aren’t job seekers and employers better served by transparency and truth in the long run? -- but it remains a stubborn fact of life. So monitor your social media, and have a convincing explanation about that beach photo of you in Cancun if the interviewer should ask about it.
Speaking of that face-to-face job interview, don’t forget to practice.
For every half hour of interview, you should have four hours of preparation, Erin Setzen, an HR executive in Chicago, told InformationWeek. This practice, which can be conducted with a friend and possibly videotaped and reviewed, will keep you from rambling or drifting into dangerous waters, such as complaining about an old employer or boss.
In other words, anything you can do to set yourself apart from the crowd, even something as simple as knowing how to highlight your skills in a cover letter, could mean the difference between getting a job and being passed over. Click through our slideshow for six crucial job search dos and don'ts.
Got your own past resume goofs or job interview flubs? Or brilliant job search tactics or interview performances you would like to share? Leave a comment.
Never send out a resume that hasn't been reviewed multiple times by multiple people. Trivial errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, or formatting are all it takes to send this document into the trash. Jobs that request an online submission of your resume generally include formatting rules. Strictly follow these instructions because the automated systems at the other end of the resume-submission pipe do not appreciate variation.
Tend your professional network like a garden, not a fire escape. Don't run to your contacts only when you're searching for a job, or worse, in a panic when you've just been laid off.
Asking friends and colleagues to "let you know if they hear of anything," is a mistake, Erin Setzen, an HR executive in Chicago, told InformationWeek. "People won't do your job search for you," she said. "You need to develop relationships with people, asking them for information, insight, and suggestions." Moreover, this relationship needs to be bidirectional. "Offer to be there for that person as well," she said.
Plenty of companies use recruiters, but be smart in your dealings with them. For starters, find out how the recruiter came to contact you, even if the job is not a good fit. Knowing how and where your name came up might give you useful insights about your professional network or social media presence.
A recruiter who isn't familiar with the hiring company or its industry isn't worth your time, HR pros caution. And never forget that the recruiter works for the hiring company, not you.
HR professionals recommend a short cover letter, less than a page long. Like the resume, this document must be perfect and free of errors.
Don't fall into the common trap of repeating your resume in the cover letter. Instead, tease out the relevant parts of your experience for the job in question, giving specific examples of your work that prove these claims.
Your cover letter should request action, and promise the employer you'll be calling to schedule one. (Obviously, it's key that you make good on this promise.)
Prepare for your job interview like you would any performance. Research the company, the industry, the position, and the person who's interviewing you. You should spend four hours preparing and practicing for every half hour of interview, says HR professional Erin Setzen.
Your practice sessions should also include answers that follow a predictable script: "This was the situation, this is what I did, and these were the results." Your script also should include questions for the prospective employer, as it is customary for interviews to end with the interviewer asking, "Do you have any questions?" Do not appear empty-handed in this key moment, where you can demonstrate your knowledge about the company, the industry, or the position.
Arriving late to an interview appointment is the kiss of death, so plan accordingly.
Be prompt with your paper or email thank-yous, and make sure to address them to every individual with whom you interacted, not just the person with hiring authority. Many organizations collect the entire team's impression of a job candidate, so don't be inadvertently rude to one of the judges.
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