How to Stand Out as an IT candidate
Posted October 4th, 2013
When you land a job interview for a highly desired position, do not be fooled into thinking that you are a shoo-in for the job. Remember, you are not the only one that they are bringing in to talk to.
You need to stand out from the crowd; you need to impress.
But how to do you do that? The advice out there is overwhelming, contradictory and confusing. Therefore, we have condensed all the disparate advice down to 3 “Do’s” and 3 “Don’ts”.
Do:
- Prepare, Prepare, Prepare. Find out as much as you can about the job qualifications ahead of time. Most people realize that they must do their homework prior to the interview, but, many times, people do not do enough. You should always find out as much as possible about the company, the organizational structure, the culture, competitive trends and pressures, specific job challenges and some information about the interviewer.
- Prepare concise stories – case studies if you will – that demonstrate your ability to do the job. These case studies should be one of the byproducts of your research; they allow you to demonstrate how your skills and competencies are a perfect match for the company’s needs.
- Nail the first impression. Rehearse the first 90 seconds of the interview — they matter most. In fact, 33% of all hiring managers claim that they know within these first 90 seconds whether they would hire you or not. Therefore, how to speak, how you enter the room, and how comfortable you look is really important.
Don’t:
- Panic if the interview is going poorly. There are going to be times when it is obvious that the interview is not going well. The interviewer is sidetracked, or you have no idea how to answer one of the interviewer’s questions. Don’t give up and mentally shut down. Focus on giving the best possible answer to the current question. Concentrate on the here and now…not on the mistake you made 15 seconds before.
- Try to anticipate exactly how the interview will go. You cannot because you are dealing with another human. The person who is talking with you might prefer to do just that – talk. The best thing to do is to remain flexible. Be prepared to adapt to whatever situation presents itself.
- Answer a tough question all at once — reserve detail for follow-up questions. When asked a question, prepare a simple, straightforward answer that does not go into too much detail. Then have an additional answers mentally prepared just in case the interviewer follows up with one of your interesting points.
Interviewing can be a daunting process, but luckily Bayside Solutions is here to help. We have the skills and the know-how to help you put your IT /technical skills to work. If you are looking for an IT staffing firm in Northern California, contact Bayside Solutions. You will be glad you did!
