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Smart Interview Tips to Land That Perfect IT Job

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Every professional knows that submitting a quality resume is only the beginning. Once you are contacted for an interview, you are presented with an opportunity to allow more than your skills and experience do the talking. If you want to give yourself the best chance of landing your perfect IT job, consider the following tips to make your interview memorable for all of the right reasons.

Dress Appropriately, but with a Hint of Personality

While everyone knows that dressing properly for an interview is critical, many professionals assume this means that you must adhere to generic standards in every choice. Instead of blending in with the interviewing masses, express your personality in a subtle, tasteful way. Consider a unique lapel pin, an interesting (but appropriate) tie, or a subtle earring that pays homage to something close to your heart.

Not only can this provide a natural conversation starter, it can help you be seen as a whole person and not just an automaton there to perform.

Tell the Story of How You Ended Up in the Interview Seat

When faced with the inevitable, “Tell me about yourself,” at the beginning of the interview, consider it an opportunity to do more than recite your resume. Include a brief explanation of what piqued your interest in the field, if there was a particular event or person who helped you decide to take this path, and what led you to believe this job is ideal for you.

While you don’t need to cover every detail of your childhood, explaining the origin of your interest in the field can indicate your level of passion for the work. It also provides an indication as to what continues to drive you to move forward in your career.

Your Greatest Weakness Should Include an Action Plan

When asked about your greatest weakness, many candidates end the conversation after identifying the issue. Instead of leaving your weakness hanging awkwardly hanging in the air, immediately follow it up with an action plan.

In this context, the action plan should be a brief overview of any steps you have taken, or plan to take, to turn this weakness into a strength or, at least, a non-issue. For example, if you are not comfortable speaking in front of large groups, you may include information about how you are intending to take a public speaking course from a local college or university, or have decided to join an organization that helps professionals learn to speak more comfortably in front of groups. While the answer to the question is covered, you have also demonstrated that this is not a weakness you intend to keep.

If You Don’t Have an Answer, Explain How You Would Find It

It is not uncommon for technical interviews to ask you about your understanding of specific terms or procedures. If you are faced with a question that you do not know the answer to, do not be afraid to admit that you don’t know.

Often, it can be more beneficial to admit a lack of knowledge in a specific area than try to fake your way through an answer (and possibly be completely off base).

With that, stating your lack of understanding should not be the end. Instead, explain what steps you would take to find the answer should the specified issue arise during the flow of a normal workday. Not only can this show your humility, it also demonstrates how you tackle issues for which you do not already have an answer.

Are you looking for you next job?

If you are looking for more tips to help you excel in your next IT interview, or are interested in finding a new position, the professionals at Resolution Technologies can help get your career in gear. Contact Resolution Technologies today to see their experience can work for you.

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3 IT Soft Skills You NEED to Succeed!

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While many people focus on hard skills when developing their IT career, your soft skills can be just as critical to your success.  Many college and university graduates leave the classroom armed with the technical ability and know-how to work on today’s most advanced systems in fast-paced and challenging environments. However, this form of experience does not necessarily indicate that a potential employee has the soft skills necessary to function well within a workplace.

Combine this with the fact that while hard skills are often easy to teach and transfer to new employees, soft skills cannot be so easily developed through standard forms of instruction, which makes those who already possess these traits even more valuable.  In order to ensure your IT career will flourish, make sure you work to develop your soft skills, especially in these three key areas.

Communication Skills

The IT field can be highly technical, making it seem very complex to co-workers who are not as familiar with the terminology and the intricacies of the profession.  In order to work more effectively with others, your communication skills will need to be developed in such a way as to allow you to work with those who may not have the same knowledge base or experience.

Sophisticated communication skills will allow you to explain the necessary information to those who are less familiar with the subject without sounding condescending.  This is critical when you are responsible for training users in the proper operation of new technology-based solutions, working with members of management to create project plans and outline business goals, as well as for guiding user requirements during product development.

Teamwork and Collaboration

While communicating effectively with other employees is important, so is the ability to work effectively as part of a team.  Within the IT sector, a project’s success is rarely based on the work of a single individual, especially as more technologies begin to integrate with each other in new ways.

Being able to work as part of a team allows individuals to pool their strengths and offset their weaknesses.  It can also serve as a wonderful learning opportunity for those interested in advancing their current skill set or cross-training into similar areas.  For example, the movement towards unified communication technology has begun to integrate voice services with other IT messaging solutions in ways that would previously have been unimaginable, and those efforts are now integrating with mobile technology and cloud-based IT solutions.  Being part of a collaborative team effort allows you to gain exposure into new areas, as well as network with other professionals with compatible skill sets.

Adaptability and Creativity

With the pace at which IT seems to change, an IT professional needs to be prepared to adapt to the shifting environment in creative ways.  This can include dealing unexpected changes to project requirements, most often referred to as scope creep, as well as adjustments to overall business priorities that can cause one project to be shelved in favor of pursuing another.

Additionally, you may be required to conjure unique solutions to improve the overall effectiveness of a final product, including integrating features across multiple systems while promoting mobility within the workplace.  This can lead you to use your knowledge in new ways, and being open to trying solutions that may not have been attempted before, in order to produce the desired outcome.

Looking for a Career in IT?

If you are looking for ways to help make your soft skills shine, the professionals at Resolution Technologies are here to help.  With a focus in technical staffing, we understand what current employers are looking for beyond the basic hard skills in the job descriptions.  Contact Resolution Technologies Today!

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Unlocking Productivity: 2 Keys to Motivating Your IT Team

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Keeping your IT team motivated requires dedication.  It is often easy to ignore the need to encourage employees when times are good, and it can be difficult to figure out the best way to help them rally after a setback.  In order to provide your team with the support and direction they require, consider these two key areas when determining how best to motivate your team.

Allow the Positive to Envelop the Challenges

Regardless of the overall success of a project, there are always some positive takeaways that should be acknowledged.  In cases where things met or exceeded expectations, taking time to review what efforts made the project a success, and how they can be implemented for future projects, not only demonstrates to the team you are aware of their efforts, but also you want to help them continue moving in a positive direction.

If a project was not entirely successful, reviewing the things that did go right will find the positives in a situation that may otherwise feel quite negative.  Once the positives are highlighted, work with the team to develop constructive feedback on any needed improvements.  Avoid placing blame unnecessarily. Instead, use it as an opportunity for growth and encouragement.  Follow up any critical assessments by reaffirming the positive occurrences to show , though there may be room to improve next time, the team still provided value through their efforts.

In the end, successes should always be acknowledged, and even celebrated when the situation calls for it.  Recognizing hard work and providing praise can go a long way to keeping your team working with the same dedication you have come to expect.

Listen With Intent

While most people understand the value of listening to your team, listening involves much more than simply not speaking.  When you are soliciting feedback and input, take the time to understand what your team values as well as what they find frustrating.

Employees who feel aligned with the mission or goals of a business are more likely to remain engaged in their work.  By learning what your team sees as intrinsically important within your business’s activities, you can help them connect their work with those key points.

By being open to hearing about their frustrations, you can come to understand what about the work, or the environment, may be preventing them from performing to their full potential.  An employee may feel additional training opportunities would allow them to more comfortably perform certain necessary duties, or cross-training would allow the team to better understand one another’s functions while also being available to provide support.

Some team members may express they feel overworked or under an undue amount of pressure, while others may feel they are not being fully utilized by the company.  As you learn about what the team values, as well as the individuals within it, make adjustments to allow each employee to thrive based on their needs and preferences.

Further, encourage them to recommend their own solutions to any expressed frustrations.  By being asked to share their ideal scenario, this can motivate employees by showing you value their judgment.

Looking For Top IT Candidates?

If you are looking for additional ways in which you can motivate your team, or to begin the search for your next team member, Resolution Technologies is available to assist.  With staffing experience specifically focused on technology, we understand the challenges managers and employees face within the workplace, and can help develop a plan to bring out the best in everyone involved.  Contact Resolution Technologies today and let our experience become your experience.

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