How Do You Find a Job That Matches Your Skill Set?

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When it comes time to find a new job, you can’t just apply to anything that tickles your fancy; you need to find options that match your current skill set. But how do you manage a search with that in mind? By using the right methods.

Depending on where you are in your career and what you’re hoping to do in your next position, this process may be fairly intuitive. However, if you are looking to head off in a slightly different direction, you might not know exactly where to begin. To help you manage the process, here are some tips to help you locate a job that matches your skill set.

Evaluate Your Core Skills

The first step you need to take is to analyze what you have to offer. Often, the easiest way to do this is to list your core skills on paper. Include anything you feel confident in using on a daily basis, and don’t forget to record soft skills as well as hard skills during your evaluation.

This exercise is designed to help you understand what your current skill set includes. If you need help, review your latest job description or resume for guidance. If you’ve recently completed additional education or training, reference those details to fill out your list.

The length of the list isn’t particularly important. You just want to be honest about what you know, so you can match it to job openings.

Search Using Skill-Oriented Keywords

Now that you have a list of core competencies, you can begin searching using keywords selected from the included skills. Start with those you enjoy most and hope to use in your next job. As you begin sorting through the results, review the other skills the employers require and see if it is a match.

If a competency can go by multiple names or be referenced as an acronym, don’t be afraid to run the search using the variations. You also don’t have to limit your search to one skill. Focus on your top few preferred capabilities and see what shows up in the results.

By taking a skills-based approach instead of focusing on job titles, you may find more options than you would otherwise. In many cases, titles vary from one business to the next, so focusing on those designations may lead you to miss out on opportunities. Skill-oriented keywords are fairly universal, so you might find something interesting by concentrating on those details instead.

Work with a Recruiter

One of the simplest methods to see how your skills translate into new opportunities is to work with a skilled recruiter. Often, they have an idea of where a particular skill set can fit within organizations and may be able to connect you to opportunities you’d otherwise miss. Typically, they can help you assess your core competencies as well, helping you identify what you bring to the table.

Are you looking for a new IT job?

If you are interested in working with a talented recruiter during your search, the team at Resolution Technologies can help you find the right match for your skill set. Contact us today to see how working with a professional recruitment firm can help you reach your goals.

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How Deep is Your Talent Pool?

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With unemployment reaching new lows, many companies have been in reaction mode when it comes to filling positions. While this can get the job done, you quickly find yourself moving from one proverbial fire to the next, leaving you feeling as if you can’t get ahead. However, if you instead focus on creating a deep talent pool, you can get out of this perpetual cycle for something more favorable.

The depth of your talent pool is based on the number of job seekers or prospects that are actively interested in hearing about openings within your company. These individuals are typically eager to learn about opportunities, making them ideal for filling key positions quickly. But these pools of great talent don’t spring up out of nowhere; they have to be enticed and cultivated. To help you create a deep talent pool of potential candidates, here are some tips for managing the process.

Keep an Eye on Future Needs

One of the simplest ways to develop a strong talent pool is to anticipate your own needs. That way, you can begin reaching out for the right kind of skills before the need actually exists. This approach requires frequent talent assessments to determine any skill gaps and figure out if upcoming projects are well-staffed or need supplementation. Once you see a need on the horizon, it is time to actively recruit those professionals so that you have a strong selection when it comes time to hire.

Examine Prior Applicants

Job seekers who applied for a position previously may be interested in hearing about new opportunities. To keep these potential candidates interested, companies need to keep communication open and see if the relationship can be maintained. This can include providing feedback on their prior application or interview, helping them see what went right as well as what areas may need improvement. You can also get confirmation that they are interested in staying in the loop, making it easier to reach out directly if an opening comes along.

Reassess Current Candidates

Sometimes, a job seeker has a lot of potential, but they weren’t ideal for the position to which they applied. Taking a second look at current candidates who may be suitable in other jobs can give you access to great talent who are actively interested in finding a role with your organization. Whether they could be right for an opening that is coming up in the near future or an opportunity in a different department, consider reaching out to gauge their interest.

Connect with a Skilled Staffing Agency

If you want to add instant depth to your talent pool, one of the easiest methods is to work with a reputable staffing firm like Resolution Technologies. Often, they maintain contact with a wide range of active and passive job seekers, including professionals who may be ideal for your company’s current or future needs. If you are interested in learning more, contact us today.

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Have a Specific Job Available? Where Are All of the Candidates?

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It’s no secret that companies are struggling to find the tech pros they need to fill all of their vacant positions. Currently, the national unemployment rate among IT professionals reached 2.5 percent during the first quarter of 2017, showing exactly how few qualified individuals are actually seeking new employment opportunities.

The truth is there are talented people out there; they’re just working at other jobs. And those who are currently looking for new opportunities might not have the skills or experience you are looking for, leaving you short on qualified applicants.

However, it’s also possible the right candidates simply aren’t finding your job openings or that the information provided isn’t connecting in the right way. If your recruitment methods aren’t getting the information out to the right people, then the number of available candidates is irrelevant. To help you locate the right professionals for your job opening, here are some tips for managing the process in this highly competitive market.

Focus on High Priority Needs

If your job posting looks like a laundry list of requirements, then it’s possible candidates are screening themselves out of contention because they don’t possess every skill listed as a must-have. Instead of including everything you hope a person may have, scale the skills requirements down to only high priority competencies. This makes it easier to connect with job seekers who have those core skills and limits the chance of a person removing themselves from being a potential candidate because they think they aren’t qualified.

Keep your vacancy announcement concise by including only what you absolutely must find as this increases your chance of getting high-quality applicants that can fill skill gaps and perform key tasks. In most cases, talented candidates will bring additional skills with them, checking off many of the other boxes you would like to see anyway.

Use New Recruitment Tools

It wasn’t long ago when you could just post an opening on the company website and get all of the applicants you need. However, this approach isn’t as effective in an economy where IT professionals aren’t struggling to find opportunities. Even using large national job boards might not connect you with the right potential employees, as they aren’t as popular as they once were among job seekers.

Now, you need to cast a wider net if you want to reach top talent. This means using tools like social media to get the word out about openings, posting on industry specific job boards, and working with professional staffing firms to get access to the right job seekers.

Are you looking for IT talent?

The wider you cast your net, the more likely you’ll find the ideal candidate for your job. If you’re seeking top talent, the team at Resolution Technologies can help you connect with job seekers throughout the area. Contact us to discuss your specific job today and see how our services can work for you.

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3 Tips That Will Make You a Successful Remote Worker

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Many tech professionals see the opportunity to be a remote worker as a dream come true. You can eliminate costly and tedious commutes, working in a comfortable environment, and enjoy an additional level of flexibility most office-based employees don’t receive.

However, working remotely comes with different challenges, and it isn’t necessarily the right move for everyone. To help ensure you are successful in a remote position, here are three tips you can begin using today.

1) Discuss Expectations Early and Often

You can’t be successful if you don’t understand what your manager or the company is expecting of you. When you work remotely, there isn’t as much direct oversight regarding your job, making it easy for something to filter if you don’t understand exactly what you need to accomplish.

To begin, you need to make sure you and your manager are on the same page regarding your schedule. This can involve set hours or something more flexible, such as the completion of specific tasks or making a certain amount of progress on a daily or weekly basis. To meet these requirements, you may need to establish a check-in system or schedule times to provide updates regarding your work.

You also need to clarify if there are certain team-oriented activities, such as meetings or planning sessions, for which you must be virtually present. If so, determine how you will participate, such as if you need to attend over the phone or using video conferencing and make sure you keep the details in the calendar invite or somewhere else highly accessible.

2) Establish Methods for Communication

When you are a remote worker, it’s easy to feel disconnected from co-workers. Much of this can be alleviated if the right communication and collaboration tools are in place. Discuss all of the available solutions with your manager and determine which methods are best for which activities. You may also need to find out if your co-workers have certain preferences for communicating, so you know how to reach the people you need whenever the need arises.

You also need to make sure your written and phone-based communication skills are up to par. In most cases, you’ll spend most of your time speaking with managers and co-workers through email or using instant messaging systems. With that in mind, you need to be prepared to convey critical information concisely while maintaining a professional tone. You also need to ensure you’re able to speak clearly over the phone, especially if you are on speaker phone in a conference room. When you communicate in writing or through voice-only options, people don’t have visual cues to help them understand you, so you must take that into consideration.

3) Get Regular Face Time

It is easier to connect with people when you can see them, at least occasionally. Luckily, video conferencing technology is more robust than ever, so it is fairly easy to schedule time to see your manager and co-worker on a regular basis. Consider having key conversations using video chat or attend team meetings using the technology. That way, you can feel like a more cohesive part of the team, and everyone else will feel the same.

Are you looking for a new job?

If you are interested in learning more about working as a remote worker or would like to explore job opportunities in your area, Resolution Technologies can connect you with some of today’s leading employers. Contact us today to see how our services can help you be successful in your next position.

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