In a given day, recruiters can talk to nearly a hundred IT professionals when looking to fill a time-sensitive role. Now more than ever, it’s more important for IT candidates to differentiate themselves beyond their tactical skillset on their resume, no matter how impressive their skills may be.
In the past, we’ve written blogs on the skills beyond IT that’ll get you noticed (part 1, part 2) as well as on how to make yourself a more attractive job candidate. Today, however, we’re going to go a bit further than listing some of the soft skills that’ll make you stand out in an interview. The tactics listed below are designed to get you that interview! So without further ado…
Google Yourself – In today’s world, virtually everybody has some sort of online profile. If you think hiring managers (and recruiter’s for that matter) aren’t paying attention, think again. So before pursuing desired positions make sure you Google your name first to ensure the results are something you’d be comfortable with a potential employer seeing. This means setting your personal social media profiles to private. Even if your posts are as tame as can be, you never know what someone might take exception to.
You’ll also want to ensure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date, complete, and easily searchable. But don’t stop there. Share thoughtful articles, join professional groups, and contribute to conversations that are within your area(s) of expertise. It’s also not a bad idea to customize your public profile URL – this will make you easier to find on the platform as well as on search engines.
Create a Website – Having an online portfolio is a great way to showcase your skills. For developers, there are sites such as Dunked that will allow you to showcase your apps and/or programs and allow you to produce screenshots of your work while sharing information about the development process.
For those who don’t have apps and/or programs to showcase, start a blog. Using sites such as WordPress or Squarespace can quickly and cheaply (WordPress can be as cheap as $2.99/month while Squarespace is a bit pricier but offers a bit more at $12/month) give yourself an online platform to express your opinions and position yourself as an expert in your field. These can prove to be key differentiators.
Pursue a MBA – Technology has a significant impact on the success of an organization and candidates who can demonstrate a sense of business acumen will quickly rise to the top. For candidates seeking leadership positions, this will give you quite the leg up. Not only does it demonstrate a thirst for knowledge but by pursuing a MBA it’ll demonstrate a robust understanding of the business impact that technology has on an organization.
Use a Recruiting Firm – Of course, the best way to differentiate yourself from other candidates is by developing a relationship with a recruiting firm that knows the client, and many times the hiring manager, well. Your resume has a much better chance at rising to the top of the pile when it’s being submitted by a source with whom the manager trusts. Look no further than this very website to make that connection today. Contact us here and submit your resume to one of our many open positions here!
Following these tactics, and adhering to the advice provided above, are sure-fire ways to distinguish yourself in this crowded IT marketplace. What other ways can candidates differentiate themselves from other IT talent?
