Being an awesome IT job candidate is only half the battle. You can’t just possess the skills (even though that’s a great start!) — you have to be able to communicate the talents and experience that you have to an employer. Without this aspect, other applicants can leave you in the dust. So how do you rise above the pack? Your resume is the perfect place to start, and crafting a great one can start you off on the right track. Here are some components your IT resume should always include:

List of skills and qualifications

This may seem pretty basic, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important. Having the right skill set is the foundation for being able to complete your potential job’s tasks, so don’t leave the employer questioning what you’re capable of.

A CIO article recommends that you cluster your areas of expertise so that they’re easily referenced and more organized. For example, put all of the programming languages you know under one subheading, all of the operating systems you know in another, etc.

Detailed descriptions of accomplishments

Both ZDNet and TechRepublic have articles that discuss how simply listing your previous job responsibilities isn’t going to cut it. A lot of people make this mistake, but what employers want to see is how your past work positively impacted the company and increased performance and proficiency.

To give real substance to your “experience” section and set yourself apart, include the responsibilities you had then take it a step further and describe the results. Give numerical results whenever possible, as this gives your claim more credibility and makes it easier to identify. So if some action you took increased productivity by 50%, make sure to throw that in there.

Defining traits at the top of the page

The same CIO article listed above includes additional advice from David F. Noble (the author of Gallery of Best Resumes) about how the location of your most important information can make a huge difference for first impressions. He references professional resume writer Susan Whitcomb’s description of the resume “hot spot” — the section starting about 2 5/8 inches down from the top of the page to about 4 5/8 inches down from that spot.

This is probably a great location for your most definition qualities because it’s likely to be one of the first things to catch an employer or HR department’s eye. If you have an especially good accomplishment or quality, try including it in this area to stand apart from other candidates.

The number of pages you need

Unfortunately, not all resume rules are cut-and-dry. There’s been a lot of debate about how long IT resumes should be. However, a general rule to go by is that it shouldn’t be longer than 4 pages. If you’re sitting there thinking, “Of course it shouldn’t be that long,” you’re probably right, but some would argue that a 4-page resume is thorough and worth having, especially if applying for an executive position.

However, it’s also important to take into account that fact HR professionals might be looking at your resume first, and one that seems excessively long might send your resume to the garbage. General tips to follow are that you shouldn’t include any skills or experience that would be considered obsolete in today’s IT world, and don’t ramble on just to look like your resume is longer.

An online component

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It’s important to have an online presence no matter what job you’re applying for. Senior Vice President of Strategic Sales and Delivery for Modis Bobby Knight talked to Chris Pirillo about how personal branding is important for IT applicants, and this can be achieved through many different websites.

To have good personal branding, make sure your social sites are all professional and appropriate. Get a step ahead by creating online resumes or websites to make yourself stand out when potential employers search your name. One way Knight suggested maintaining your personal brand was to keep updating your LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have one, go make an account to take advantage of its resume display and networking opportunities.

Conclusion

There’s a lot you can do to make-over your resume and make an even stronger first impression with companies you’re interested in working for. Remember to highlight your best accomplishments, your skill set, and your ability to maintain a great, updated personal brand. Keep your resume interesting, but don’t go too overboard — flashy resumes are distracting. Keep it simple, professional, and straightforward!

The Expert’s Guide to a Perfect IT Resume is a post from: Modis

As technology constantly changes, so will the needs of companies that typically depend on IT to function properly and stay ahead of the curve. That’s why new job positions are always sprouting up — with innovation comes new challenges that you should be prepared to overcome.

InfoWorld offers valuable insight on what positions will be popular and which skills will be demanded the most. If you’re curious about how the IT job market will look in 2012, here are some tips on what jobs are going to be in-demand and which are set to fizzle out based on InfoWorld’s suggestions as well as other sources.

UP-AND-COMING

Social Media Architect

Anyone can click “Like” on Facebook, but not everyone knows how to use the tools necessary to create and manage social networks for the purpose of marketing. It’s likely that companies will be looking to hire IT specialists who know how to build secured social communities. In addition, InfoWorld said that aside from the obvious sites like Facebook, the sites IBM, Yabber, and Jive are likely to be big components of the social sphere.

Mobile Technology Expert

Mobile technology offers a wide range of possibilities, but the right resources and experts are needed to keep up with these awesome developments. This position is generally responsible for implementing mobile technologies and troubleshoots related issues, according to a QuickCert blog post.

Cloud Expert

Because the cloud is a newer technology platform, not many people have skills for this type of computing. That’s why those with cloud-related experience are high in demand. InfoWorld’s articles also point out companies’ desire to reach the max efficiency possible on the private cloud while some also want experts who can choose the best public cloud services.

Health IT Positions

As the health industry takes on more IT-related projects — from transferring electronic records to transitioning coding systems — hiring for IT professionals has increased. According to InformationWeek, about 50,000 HIT jobs are needed to fill the labor shortage in that area of the health industry. In fact, the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society are teaming up to attract IT workers to their industry.

Mobile Application Developer

This position is likely to continue growing as mobile keeps impacting the IT profession. Just the change in demand a year can bring is noteworthy — Elance.com said 4,500 jobs posted were for mobile developer positions, which was an increase of 101% over the number of similar jobs that were posted in the first quarter of 2010. The job differs from the mobile technology position in that they deal more with the actual formation of the apps and in making sure everything developed is functioning securely.

FADING FAST

While these jobs might be falling in terms of demand, it’s rare that IT positions just vanish. However, some are becoming less relevant as jobs are being outsourced, are easier for consumers to take care of themselves, or are not needed as much because of new technology.

Help Desk/Tech Support

Back in the 1990s, people often had questions about technology-related problems and sought the help of IT workers to solve the issues. Nowadays, many IT departments have cut back on support-related positions or outsourced the help desk. This is probably because more and more people in the workforce today are familiar with computers, the Internet, and technology as a whole and have a better understanding of things that could go wrong and how to fix them.

Service-Related Jobs

Global Knowledge wrote about how in 2010, positions relating to IT operations and programming wouldn’t be in very high demand. Why? There’s potential for these jobs to be automated or sent overseas when the nature of the work is straightforward and requiring explicit instructions to be completed.

CONCLUSION
IT hiring as a whole looks relatively promising for 2012, but it’s important to consider which positions would be best to pursue. Some types of IT work are slowly becoming obsolete due to new technology and trends (like the cloud and mobile applications). Consider your skill set, think about what your interests are, and make sure to study what types of IT are popular today in order to select a great potential job (or job change) in the future. Our recent video segment with Chris Pirillo can gave you give you some insight into opportunities in healthcare IT and other emerging IT industries.

IT Jobs to Pursue or Avoid is a post from: Modis

Bobby Knight, the Senior Vice President of Strategic Sales and Delivery for Modis, discusses how to build a career in IT. He says having an interest in the industry is vital, and there are all kinds of ways to get started, from getting a formal education to keeping up with the right technology. It’s also important to stay current on your industry research like listening to informative podcasts and read industry-related magazines to stay updated on IT developments.

“The best jobs are found by relationships,” he said. “If you have a good reputation and a good relationship with someone, this could be a good resource for you to find a new job or career.”

When asked whether it’s better to specialize in one specific IT area or to be a more well-rounded candidate, Knight said the well-rounded path is preferable.  In a customer environment, people will have all kinds of different issues and various types of software. IT professionals who not only have a basic understanding of technology but who can also speak to various levels and types of technology are always in high demand.

Knight stresses the importance of keeping up with technology. “Because it changes so fast, you’re never done,” he said, but he loves this part about the industry because you can continue learning.

Tons of apps out there can be used to keep up with tech, and while this type of mobility is critical to conveying new technology, there’s another type of mobility also important to finding a job — you have to be able to pick up and move to a different location to fill a position. The unemployment rate for IT professionals is probably less than 2%, he said, because the demand for IT talent is high. Businesses that put off IT-related projects in the last few years are now at the point in which they need to pick up the projects again.

If you’re looking to hire IT professionals, be aware that the newer generation likes to communicate via texting and email, so learn how to attract talent through those channels.

If you’re looking for a job, remember that the best job typically isn’t the one that’s posted — it’s the one you hear about through a friend or connection,” he said. “Always be interviewing and building your reputation, because that’s what’s going to give you your next job and probably your best job. Make sure you’re also building your personal brand: check that your Facebook page is presentable, update your LinkedIn profile, etc.

Knight suggests that if you want to know more about a job candidate, look at his or her Twitter account because you can see who the person is following and who’s following him or her. This information can tell you a lot about a person. This also ties back in with maintaining your personal brand on the Internet.

People in the IT industry are aware of the good (and bad) reputations individuals have and know that certain jobs will teach you certain favorable skills. If you want to get into IT work, maintain the quality of your personal brand, network with others in the field of your interest, and stay updated on IT news.

How To Build Your Career In IT is a post from: Modis

The magic of Hollywood can make the most mundane job seem glamorous. With movies like The Matrix trilogy, Tron, and television shows featuring sexy special operatives like Covert Affairs, you may approach the IT world dreaming of your sleek, sexy self being incorporated into one giant computer mainframe. With a little imagination and advancement in technology nothing’s impossible, right?

The reality is that IT jobs are more accurately depicted in films like Office Space, which does a good job of finding absurdity in the repetitive nature of the work (although embezzling money from your employer would have less humorous consequences). The following are five examples of respectable, but less-than-glamorous, IT careers:

Database and Network Administrators

Network administrators plan, install, and support computer systems for organizations like corporations, universities, and government.  Their responsibilities may include ordering and updating technological equipment. This person must analyze problems to quickly find solutions for network users.

Database administrators have a similar function, but they work with software to organize, store, analyze, and present data. During network updates, they are responsible for integrating existing data into the new system.

Database and network administrators work in comfortable offices or computer labs and work at least 40 hours per week. Many must work overtime during system upgrades or when a problem comes up that needs quick resolution.

Though your life won’t be threatened by malfunctioning, malevolent computer programs, spending long periods of time in front of the computer may cause eyestrain, carpal tunnel, and back pain. A good chiropractor may be in order.

Software Engineers

Computer software engineers design software and may potentially design viruses like in Office Space. They use theories of computer science to create, test, and ultimately evaluate software systems and applications.

As with most IT positions, job prospects for software engineers will increase at faster-than-average rates, though opportunities may slack off as more and more computer science graduates enter the field. These jobs are at risk of being off shored since software engineers can work from almost anywhere in the world.

A software engineer must keep up with new technology because of the evolving nature of the field. You may design operating systems, networks, and even computer games, but it’s still a desk job. There’s virtually no chance you’ll be able to wear an ominous black trench coat and shades to the office like Neo in The Matrix, but with an average annual income of $85,430, you could certainly afford to.

Information Systems Managers

Computer and information systems managers oversee and direct other IT professionals in the workplace. Think of Bill Lumbergh from Office Space walking around with his IniTech coffee mug (Um, yeah . . . I’m gonna need you to come in on Saturday).

In reality, these IT managers have a much more hands-on approach. They plan and coordinate all activities to install or upgrade technology, which may include everything from software and hardware to entirely new Internet websites. They are also responsible for budgeting and scheduling.

But Lumbergh was right about one thing: long hours are quite common. Most Information Systems Managers have to work evenings and even weekends to resolve unexpected issues or to meet deadlines. If you want to break into this field, it’s a good idea to have a computer-related bachelor’s degree along with an MBA or other technological graduate degree.

Network Security Consultant

Most hacker movies never seem to have a problem breaking network securities, though every major computer system has them. Security consultants, many of whom are self-taught, protect computers and networks from hackers, viruses, and spyware. It’s not uncommon for the government to hire ex-hackers to do network security jobs, like Penelope Garcia in Criminal Minds.

Many security consultants have the freedom to work independently or from home. According to CNN Money, they hold the number 8 “Best Job in America”. With so much at stake, one system infiltration or breach of security by a hacker or virus can mean the end of a security consultant’s career. A few years of experience and a CISSP certification are usually required.

Computer Support Specialists

Tech support or the help-desk are references to computer support specialists. While you won’t be inventing geekishly delicious technology like Get Smart’s Bruce and Lloyd, you will play a major supporting role in the workplace.

Technical support specialists diagnose problems and look for resolutions. They keep a close watch on the daily performance of company computer systems and work with Local Area Networks and other systems to keep things running.

A help-desk technician is the voice of reason for customers dealing with computer problems. These specialists respond to customer issues via e-mail or telephone and ask specific questions to diagnose the problem. A computer-related degree is usually required, though many technicians also find their way into a career path by being trained on the job.

CONCLUSION

Okay, so you may never be the computer programmer who deals with the fate of humanity threatened by a robot takeover. You may never even be the lowly employee who dreams of burning down the building because the company takes away your red Swingline stapler. In reality, working your way up the IT career ladder could lead you close to a six-figure income—and that alone sounds pretty glamorous.

5 IT Jobs That Only Look Glamorous in the Movies is a post from: Modis

Offshore outsourcing has been the hottest trend in the business market for years. At face value, overseas workers’ lower salaries and production costs made outsourcing seem like a no-brainer. Yet modern companies are quickly discovering that when it comes to IT work, you get what you pay for–and many are scrambling to bring their IT departments back to their own shores.

So what’s with the recent change-of-heart? Why are modern companies investing in highly-skilled, in-house IT workers? Simply put, businesses are finding out all the hidden costs associated with a too-good-to-be-true price tag. Here are some of the biggest reasons employers have begun hiring IT workers on native shores again.

Cost

Though outsourcing IT work may look like a bargain, the price of selecting, training and maintaining an overseas operation is much larger than the initial price tag indicates. If anything, outsourcing is a long-term investment–for the first few years, outsourcing is actually more expensive than having an in-house team. These are just a few of the many hidden costs associated with offshore outsourcing:

1. The Lengthy Vendor Selection Process
   Once a business decides to outsource, they’ve got to choose an outside vendor and draw up a contract. This means travel expenditures, legal fees, project manager salaries, advisor fees and hundreds of hours spent on the process. The vendor selection process can take up to six to twelve months.
2. The Costly Transitional Period
   Now that a vendor’s been selected, companies often expect the savings to start rolling in right away. However, businesses now must undergo the transitional period for taking their in-house IT overseas. This means paying two sets of salaries: one for the in-house trainers and one for the trainees. The transitional period can take anywhere from three months to a year, so it’s a long, costly road to undergo.
3. Infrastructure Costs
   Next, businesses are forced to design, build and maintain overseas infrastructure in order to get operations up and running.
4. Severance Packages and Retention Bonuses
   Plenty of laid-off employees mean plenty of severance packages to shell out. Thanks to the necessary transitional period, companies need employees to stay on the payroll until the transitional period is complete. Without retention bonuses, paid employees start dropping like flies.
5. Software Management
   Every few years, a software update is required…and nine times out of ten, this software update isn’t listed in a company’s vendor contract.

Quality 

Perhaps even more important than cost, quality is one of the biggest reasons IT jobs are currently flourishing. Here are some of the ways quality suffers under outsourcing:

1. Quality Assurance
   Companies who outsource are forced to ramp up their quality assurance departments, and it often turns into one (or several) full-time quality assurance positions. Everything must be regulated, from incoming invoices to work productivity to monitoring outgoing production.
2. Brand Management
   Outsourced employees have no knowledge or connection to a company’s brand, whereas an in-house IT department maintains a direct and constant connection to the company.
3. Management Difficulties
   How does one manage an overseas corporation? Companies who outsource are still struggling to answer this. The answer generally lies in a lot more communicational upkeep (phone calls, email, video conferences) and a lot more travel expenses.

Knowledge

Onshore IT workers are armed with native knowledge that offshore workers just don’t have. Some of the issues companies face with outsourced employees are:

1. Language Barriers Most outsourced employees speak English as a second language, and the linguistic differences are difficult to overcome.
2. Currency/Payment IssuesIn addition to being faced with fluctuating exchange rates, it’s difficult to train for certain concepts that onshore IT workers face every day: for example, creating a payment system using American credit cards.
3. Cultural DifferencesWorkers from the United States are expected to be open about their experience and knowledge. If they spot a problem or an easier way to go about programming, they’re going to speak up and say so. Even if it doesn’t make sense or won’t work, offshore workers often prefer to respect their client’s demands without speaking up or offering another solution.

Productivity

Many businesses who outsource suffer a huge blow to their productivity rates. From low morale to an increased lag time, here are some of outsourcing’s impacts on company productivity:

1. High Turnover
   Offshore companies experience much higher turnover than those onshore. For example, India has about a 35% turnover rate (according to the National Association of Software and Service Companies), while the United States’ turnover rate is about 3% (according to the U.S. Department of Labor).
2. Low Morale.
   It’s rare you’ll find an employee actually in favor of outsourcing, and laying off many of their co-workers doesn’t help morale. In-house employee productivity often dips, especially when faced with new procedures and job descriptions.
3. Training
   Company training becomes a lot more intensive with overseas workers, and businesses are also forced to spend more hours developing, testing and implementing enhanced training programs.
4. Lag Time
   When something goes wrong, companies quickly find out the difference between an outsourced IT department and an in-house one. Major problems take weeks or months longer to correct, and starting over means a whole new round of training.

What’s the Future of IT in the United States?

According to Modis.com, IT jobs are making a comeback on the home front, especially in Houston and major cities in the Northeast. Here’s their assessment of the 2011 IT job market (click to see full graphic): 

Conclusion: Bringing Techies Back
Things are definitely looking up for the American IT worker. Modern companies are giving outsourcing the axe and turning to in-house departments. Programmers and coding geeks rejoice: they’re bringing techies back.

Outsourcing Human Sources for IT: What You Save When You Pay is a post from: Modis

Bobby Knight, the Senior Vice President for Strategic Sales and Delivery at Modis, talks with Chris Pirillo about trends happening in IT staffing.  Overall, Modis has seen clients develop a better understanding of the value of contingent labor and the flexibility it provides their business.  With the economic downturn, clients  appreciate the ability to quickly augment their workforce to handle projects on an “as needed” basis. Additionally, Knight is seeing more and more Modis clients move toward the VMS or Vendor Management System model to control costs surrounding  staff procurement.

Additionally, although offshore initiatives were initially seen as very desirable due to competitive pay rates, Modis is seeing many companies move away from the offshore model after experiencing unforseen hidden costs such as longer training/ramp up timetables due to language and cultural differences and the inability to access resources in other time zones when needed.

Knight also spoke about Modis  in recruiting, including the implementation of more centralized recruiting teams that specialize in top IT talent for specific technologies and skill sets.  Furthermore, Modis continually monitors the industry to better predict the skill sets of the future in order to better advise candidates regarding their careers and better serve clients with the resources they will need.

Emerging Trends in IT Staffing is a post from: Modis

Chris Pitre, a social marketing strategist and solution architect for Idea, talks about organizations’ use of mobile devices and social media. He deals with mobile and social strategy with Idea — a sister company of Modis — and studies consumer behavior in regard to mobile usage.

It’s important to make sure that CIOs and IT decision makers are thinking “mobile first” if not “mobile second.” This is because a company’s workforce as well as their clients use mobile phones and tablet devices to work and access their systems, especially on the go. To make the integration of  mobile with current systems happen, IT will have to be involved.

Pitre does not believe mobile is just a fad. He explained how countries with little to no current infrastructure for traditional telecommunications systems are leaping over land-line installation options to the implementation of a mobile phone network.  If a company has a global footprint, it’s vital they ensure their systems are optimized for remote users who only have mobile access.

While many employers might think of mobile activity as consisting mostly of texting and playing games, data shows more than 90% of cell phone usage is for work, Pitre said. Most employees are accessing emails, and work files.  As a CIO or any decision-maker, you have to be mindful that employees are going to become increasingly engaged via their mobile devices.

More and more consumers, employees, and clients are accessing social networks via mobile devices, and marketers have to understand that content has to be digestible through these devices. When it comes to integration of social and mobile in company culture, social experiences the biggest challenge because of the perceived “time away from work” issue. Employers think their employees shouldn’t be on sites like Facebook because it’s a waste of time. This leads to a lot of social initiative setbacks.

To convince company leaders that social is beneficial, Pitre often refers to organizations leading in the social space and how they’re using social media to engage with consumers, employees, and clients. He shows how these organizations use social as a way of driving business as well as capturing intangibles like brand equity which ultimately adds to the bottom line.

Pitre says social media is already an active part of Human Resources and the recruiting process, but the challenge is taking it further within the organization. Unfortunately, many organizations haven’t embraced mobile and social and don’t consider it a priority, but it’s important for companies and consultants to at least have brand presence on social media.

Mobile or Social? Which Poses the Bigger Challenge for Corporate IT? is a post from: Modis

It’s nice to talk about fictional IT geeks from movies and TV shows because nerds like us can relate. But what about the people really making a difference? Sometimes their work changes the entire industry, but they don’t get the recognition they deserve. And here’s another surprise: they’re not all men. Women have made huge strides in IT capacities, and we’re going to highlight some of the coolest ones.

IT Nerd: Marissa Mayer

Job Title: VP at Google
Known For: Being Google’s first female engineer.

Mayer joined Google when there were only 20 employees back in 1999. She’s been actively involved with product and user experience as well as local services. She’s also helped shape the look of major Google services like Gmail and Google News. So it’s basically guaranteed that you’ve come across her work. Go ahead, and be jealous. It’s totally acceptable.

IT Nerd: Elizabeth Stark

Job Title: Computer Science Lecturer at Yale University and Cofounder of Open Video Alliance
Known For: Leading the free culture movement.

Stark doesn’t mess around. She’s a graduate of Harvard Law School, has lived in cities all over the world, and taught classes at Ivy League schools about cyberlaw and electronic music. If that doesn’t sound awesome enough, she’s the cofounder of Open Video Alliance, one part of a greater movement toward technological freedom. Yeah. She’s intense, but in a stellar way.

IT Nerd: Cynthia Breazeal

Job Title: Associate Professor and Founder of the Personal Robots Group at MIT
Known For: Her work with human-robot interaction.

Breazeal researches and designs robots with human characteristics and is probably one of the leading figures in robotics. Her most famous robot is probably Kismet, which was recognized for being extremely human-like in its interactions. Her more recent robot, Nexi (pictured above), has even more ability to display human expressions. Check out the video and love it/be freaked out.

IT Nerd: Melissa Hathaway

Job Title: Senior Adviser for Project Minerva
Known For: Being an expert in cybersecurity.

Hathaway played a huge part in developing a cybersecurity initiative for the Bush administration, a plan which would span over a 5-year period. Obama appointed her during his presidency, but she resigned due to personal reasons. But with her current job and her consulting agency, Hathaway is still a huge player in cybersecurity and should probably have a movie made about her. Just saying.

IT Nerd: Eva Chen

Job Title: CEO of Trend Micro
Known For: Starting a company that leads in cloud security.

After founding the company in 1988 with her sister and brother-in-law, she’s worked to make Trend Micro a large influence in the internet content security industry. Now that the cloud is a major player in how companies share information, the company’s evolved to specialize in this type of transfer security. She didn’t just start a smart company — she knew how to help it change into something clients need.

IT Nerd: Amber Case

Job Title: Cyborg Anthropologist
Known For: Check out her title. That is what she’s known for.

Case has worm holes and augmented-reality on the brain. She studies how human and technology interactions have evolved and developed. She’s in her mid-twenties, but she’s already spoken at conferences all over the world and founded Geoloqi.com, an application centered on location sharing in a secure, private way. It’s amazing how she’s found a niche in such an evolving industry.

CONCLUSION

There are women in all kinds of managerial and consulting positions doing extremely influential work in the IT realm. Without knowing it, you may have encountered the results of these women’s professional endeavors. They are leading their areas of tech specialty and pioneering fields you’ve never heard of until now. If you’re interested in IT, explore the potential of the industry and look up to these women as mentors. You won’t be disappointed.

Coolest Girl Geeks in IT, & What Their Jobs Comprise is a post from: Modis

Laura Geiger, a direct hire recruiter for Modis, talks about the renewed activity Modis is experiencing with regard to client interest in hiring permanent IT employees.

Modis maintains a robust pipeline of highly qualified perm candidates,constantly reaching out to passive candidates to keep them informed of activity in the marketplace, facilitating quick deployment based on client needs. Recruiters help candidates find the best match in terms of company, culture, compensation and career path. It’s not just about what motivates the candidates now — it’s taking future motivations and career ambitions into consideration when searching for the perfect fit.

Geiger is seeing integration and experience with web services are extremely important skills for people looking to get IT jobs. As large organizations are consolidating their services and their multiple companies, developers are needed to help these components interact. She is not seeing a strong preference from IT professionals for one type of company over another. Start-ups and established businesses have different advantages for consultants looking for their next career move. Established companies typically offer long-term benefits and job security, while start-ups are usually geared toward newer technologies.

As a direct hire recruiter, Geiger holds networking events once a month to help put clients and candidates together. She said 99.9% of her job is trying to help people network which, in her experience, can lead to the best career matches. She encourages candidates to create and maintain LinkedIn profiles and attend networking events; these events give people the chance to meet with peers to share experiences giving them a broader understanding of the marketplace, and to find an advocate who will help them change career paths.

Recruiters like Geiger can serve as these advocates. Her role involves not only knowing what the candidates want in terms of their careers, but also knowing what’s going on in the industry and what opportunities are opening up. Modis recruiters keep an eye on the industry, noting when companies announce major transition events such as company acquisitions that lead to change and job opportunities.

Geiger also engages in skill marketing, a more proactive version of job matching. It involves actively searching for job environments candidates might like and then bringing the clients and candidates together before there’s an actual immediate need to fill the position. Regardless of the method, Modis works tirelessly to help candidates and clients find the people they’re looking for.

Direct Hire Recruiters Are Like Your Personal Sports Agent is a post from: Modis

Your first day at a new IT job can be nerve wracking, regardless if it’s your first IT job or your 100th IT job. But don’t be too nervous. The company hired you, which means they liked your skill set and character. Just show them what you portrayed about yourself in the interview and work hard to grow accustomed to the company. Here are some tips for managing your first day at an IT job.

Introduce Yourself

Even though you’ll be working with computers, introducing yourself is essential. First, you’ll want to meet the key people in the company who will be instructing you on what to do and will be offering you guidance when you need it. Knowing who to seek out when you have any questions or concerns will help you address problems more quickly.

In addition to this, it’s also good to introduce yourself to everyone at the company. If it’s a small office, it’ll be pretty easy to do, but if you’re at a larger company, just walk around and say a general hello to every department. The point of this is to make yourself a familiar face so when you’re called over to fix someone’s computer issue, he or she doesn’t think, “Uh, who are you?”

Get Acclimated

If this is your first job, you’ll have a lot to soak in and get the hang of. What will your daily routine be like? What kind of issues will you be fixing? These are all questions you could ask if you haven’t already; make sure you feel comfortable with the network, learn the ticketing system if they have one, and get an idea of what operating systems and software everyone will be using.

Even more important is that you learn all of the company passwords. Most of the time you won’t be able to memorize them all, as there might just be too many or they might change frequently. Your company will most likely allow you to use a computer application to store encrypted passwords for future use. Either way, make sure you always have every password at all times.

Speak to Past/Current Employees

There’s no better way to get an idea of what your job will be like than by talking to someone who just had your job or has a similar job. Ask him or her what a typical day is like and what issues come up the most. Ask if they have any advice for you or tips that can make your work more efficient. Knowing this kind of information in advance is the best way to prepare for your future assignments.

Even people who don’t work in IT can have very valuable insight about the company. Your coworkers will be your biggest allies at your new job, so get to know them. It’ll make working there feel more familiar and more fun. These people will also be able to tell you who else would be good to meet; individuals who’ve been with the company for a while know the ins and outs, so take advantage of it.

Identify Issues

Every first day is different depending on what company you work for. Sometimes the first day is just spent doing administrative work and making introductions, but other times you’ll jump right into the real work. If you have time to get started, do a basic survey of the equipment and network. You want to know what you’ll be dealing with in the future.

And just because it’s your first day doesn’t mean it’s the company’s first day with IT problems. There may be issues that already need to be resolved, and figuring this out as soon as possible is the best way to go — you’ll be able to prepare to solve the problem and get things moving in terms of providing solutions.

Ask Questions

This is a more general piece of advice, as it applies to almost every job. Asking questions has a variety of benefits. This tip was already mentioned in previous sections, but that was more about specific questions relating to the servers and network. Outside of the technical aspects of your job, you may have other questions, including some about company culture and HR-related information.

Don’t be afraid to ask. It’s better to figure everything out on your first day than to wait. Everyone will wonder why you never asked in the first place, and being inquisitive right at the beginning will make a good impression: everyone will recognize that you’re eager and ready to get started and actually interested in what goes on around the company.

CONCLUSION

Go into your first day of work confidently, and you’ll be bound to make a good impression. If you show interest in the job, get to know the way things work in the IT department, and meet everyone you can, you’ll be on your way to success.

Entry-Level IT Tips for Day One on a New Job is a post from: Modis