What to Expect in an IT Interview

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While many job interviews involve variations of the same questions, IT interviews often include specific technical questions to help assess your skills and capabilities. Hiring managers typically need more details to make sure you possess the experience they need to complete their teams, ensuring you can properly handle the duties of the position.

Even though it can seem like preparing for these questions is difficult, there are ways to anticipate what may lie ahead.

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To help you get ready for your next IT interview, here are some tips for managing the process.

Review the Job Posting

The job posting is your biggest source of information as it outlines the key skills and abilities the ideal candidate must possess. Specific programming languages, systems, software or other knowledge areas listed in the announcement will likely be covered by the hiring manager’s questions, so be prepared to speak about each of them.

To show you are a strong candidate, relate each skill to a specific example from your prior duties or educational experiences. That way, you can provide details beyond just confirming you are not only familiar with the skill, but you know how to use it in a practical way.

Pay Attention to the Interview Type

When most job seekers think of interviews, they imagine sitting across from the hiring manager and answering questions. However, many IT recruitments include a technical interview as well as a traditional variant, and they aren’t managed the same way.

A traditional interview typically matches the image candidates have in their head. Technical interviews can be somewhat different, as they involve more demonstrations and less talk. For example, you may be asked to write some code on a whiteboard during a technical interview to show how you would solve a particular problem.

If you are coming in for a technical interview, it is important to review any fundamental skills related to the position that may be demonstrable. Be prepared to write out responses by hand and give explanations regarding why you took a particular approach.

While you might not know the exact question until it is asked, understanding the format is somewhat different during a technical interview can make it less of a shock when you are asked to write out a response.

Get Up to Speed on Recent IT Developments

Few fields change as quickly as IT, and many hiring managers want employees who stay up to date on new developments on their own. This not only shows you have an interest in the work outside of a formal job setting, but you understand how a role can change over time as new technologies emerge.

Before going into your interview, look up recent announcements and new products that relate to the job specifically. That way, when the interviewer asks if you have an interest in anything upcoming, you have specific examples to provide.

Are you looking for your next IT job interview?

If you are looking for more tips regarding IT interviews or are seeking new opportunities in your field, Resolution Technologies can help. Contact us to discuss your employment needs today.

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What IT Soft Skills to Look For in a Candidate

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Finding the best candidate for your tech position involves more than just the programming languages they know, the systems they have encountered and the software with which they are familiar. It includes their ability to use various soft skills in the workplace to promote team-oriented objectives and manage their duties. But identifying the soft skills to prioritize isn’t always obvious.

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Here are some of the most useful IT soft skills to pursue.

Adaptability

Few fields change and evolve like IT. Emerging technologies shake up the workplace on a regular basis, and best practices evolve as new products and services hit the market.

This means you need to select tech candidates who can roll with the changes instead of fighting against them, and that requires adaptability. Often, IT professionals who possess the right amount of agility to meet these changing needs are open to learning and thrive on new challenges.

Generally, you can gather pertinent information regarding their experiences doing just that during the interview by focusing on questions that ask for examples during the answer, such as, “Can you give me an example of a time you had to learn a new skill to manage your job duties?”

Collaboration

Being able to work as part of a team is a common requirement for IT employees. This requires a combination of communication and teamwork skills designed to help the group move forward towards a common goal.

If a candidate doesn’t have experience working with individuals from multiple teams to complete projects, their skills may be less developed than other professionals. Look for applicants who can provide examples of projects where several specialties had to work together to reach a successful outcome, and you may have a candidate with the collaboration skills you need.

Reliability

A tech pros skills are irrelevant if they can’t be counted on to complete their work in a timely manner and be present when they are needed. Employees need to manage their time in a way that allows them to meet their commitments, including everything from arriving to work on time to providing their deliverables by agreed upon due dates.

One of the easiest methods to gather this information is through thorough reference checks. You can also ask questions regarding attendance and timeliness, times when the candidate had to struggle to meet a deadline or instances where they feel behind and how they recovered.

Enthusiasm

Employees who are excited about what they do will typically outperform those who are less interested in the work. Additionally, they may be more open to learning new skills to meet challenges and have increased interest in exploring new possibilities and technologies within their field.

Passionate workers often have a strong drive to succeed and persevere, making them valuable assets during challenging times.

Find Top IT talent with Resolution today!

If you would like to know more about soft skills or are looking for a great IT candidate to fill a vacancy, the recruitment professionals at Resolution Technologies can help you get what you need. Contact us to discuss your IT needs today.

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Staying Positive During a Difficult Job Search

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Being a job seeker isn’t always easy. Whether you are newly unemployed or looking for new opportunities outside of your current employer, dealing with feelings of worry, frustration or rejection can take a toll over time and make it hard to remain positive about what the future may hold.

However, giving in to negative feelings can hurt your job search, making it less likely you’ll find the kind of opportunity you need. While staying positive doesn’t sound like a simple task, there are methods that will help you keep your chin up even during the toughest of times.

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Here are some tips to get you started and keep you going regardless of the length of the journey.

1) Don’t Give Up

When we get frustrated, the idea of giving up can be pretty inviting. But, if you let yourself succumb to the urge, you are guaranteed not to reach your goal. If you want a new job, remind yourself you can push through and don’t give up. While it might sound easier said than done, remembering you can make it through the challenge can you keep moving. And any forward momentum can keep you focused on the target.

2) Remember Past Triumphs

It’s likely you’ve faced some notable challenges in the past, possibly even when you secured your most recent job. Take time to remember these moments and reflect on what it took to see it through to the other side. You may discover previous activities to help you alleviate any stress resulting from your job search or a reminder of a resource that helped you before.

Look back at your strategies, mental pep talks and other activities to see which can help you stay positive today. Sometimes, when we are faced with what feels like insurmountable odds, it’s hard to remember we’ve faced challenges before and lived to tell about it. A simple reminder may be all you need to get back on track.

3) Take Control of Things You Can

A lot of the process of finding a new position is out of your hands. You can’t force a company to call you for an interview, and you can’t make the perfect job posting appear. Focusing on these points will do nothing but suck your energy and kill your motivation.

Instead of getting lost in what you can’t control, focus on the things you do have the power to change. For example, maybe today is the day to learn how to use LinkedIn more effectively, to sign up for a class to improve your skill set or reach out to a staffing firm in your area.

We can help you land an IT career!

By concentrating on the things you have the power to change, you can find a new point of focus while increasing the chance your future efforts will be successful. If you are interested in exploring new opportunities, the recruiters at Resolution Technologies have the industry expertise to help you move forward. Contact us today and see what our services can do for your career.

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Does Your Company Provide Internal Talent Room to Develop Their Careers?

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Many companies fail to prioritize training and career development for their current employees. Neglecting these areas can cost the business their best and brightest employees, especially when competition for IT professionals is as high as it is today.

Your company’s top talent likely has aspirations beyond their current positions, and by cultivating those interests, you can help them reach higher levels of job satisfaction and increase their value to the company. So, if your business isn’t providing internal talent room to develop their careers, you’ll likely see them heading for the door sooner rather than later.

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If you position your policies properly, both the employee and the business can benefit from career development. Here’s how.

1) Manage Skill Gaps

Skill gaps in IT teams seem to grow on a daily basis, but many businesses neglect to see how internal talent development can actually resolve these issues regardless of external hiring results. Top talent generally enjoys facing challenges and looks forward to opportunities to learn. If you identify your best performers and create mechanisms by which they can build the skills necessary to fill any gaps, you not only give them what they need to move forward, but also what the company needs to succeed.

Taking an active role in the development of your employees can increase productivity and improve retention. It demonstrates the business values their workers and wants to see them succeed, which improves engagement and builds loyalty.

2) Prepare for Change

Employees are hired based on their ability to do the job today. The trick is, the job they are doing today isn’t necessarily the job they will be doing tomorrow.

IT changes rapidly, affecting how employees complete their tasks on a regular basis. Failing to provide educational opportunities to help them meet the challenge ahead means you aren’t investing in the people who keep your business running daily.

By supporting their professional growth, you ensure they are properly prepared for what is on the horizon. If you don’t, they may become frustrated, productivity can slide and they may choose to find employment elsewhere than continuing to struggle.

3) Improve the Company’s Image

Being seen as a supportive employer that helps workers develop their careers can do wonders for the company’s reputation. In turn, a positive reputation makes it easier to secure new talent when needed while also keeping your current employees on staff.

With so many websites dedicated to giving potential employees glimpses into an organization’s operations, failing to properly manage your reputation can harm recruitment efforts. And in today’s competitive market, this could be the difference between finding the talent you need and being left without many options.

Are you looking for top talent?

If you are interested in more tips about internal employee development or are looking for new candidates to join your team, you can rely on Resolution Technologies. Contact us to see how our professional recruitment services can work for you.

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