23
Apr
2021

Top Tips for Crafting the Perfect IT Resume

When you’re in the midst of a job hunt, it can be easy to overlook one of the simplest elements of your profile – your resume. Read on to discover our top tips to make your IT resume stand out to any employer.

1. Strategize the Structure

Structure and format are two of the most important elements to consider when creating a resume that’s eye-catching and easy to read. Although the content will make your resume shine, structuring your information properly will help your qualifications stand out to any hiring manager. A brief summary of your career history is always great to include at the top, and organizing the rest of your resume for relevance is a simple next step. For example, if your career history is more significant than your education level, you should highlight your work-related accomplishments before getting into detail about your schooling, and vice versa.

2. Pay Attention to Length

IT and other highly technical resumes can sometimes go over the standard 2-page limit, which is okay in most cases – just don’t go overboard. When your work history is extensive, it’s best to be brief when describing employment that doesn’t directly relate to your new desired position, or if it was long enough ago that it’s no longer relevant, omit it entirely. Try to be brief in your descriptors and edit out unnecessary anecdotes. Stick to the basics – a summary, your skillset, your education, and relevant accomplishments and achievements.

3. Highlight Accomplishments Over Tasks

While we’re on the topic of accomplishments and achievements, it’s important to note that this information will be of more value to a hiring manager than simply listing off your day-to-day tasks and responsibilities. As with most technical positions, you’ll be working with a suite of tools and technologies that should be detailed elsewhere in your resume, and as long as your future employer knows that you’re well-versed in the requirements for the role you’ve applied for, the mundanities of your daily tasks aren’t necessary. Focus instead on highlighting the large-scale achievements you made that were of tangible value to your former workplace. This shows that you can go above and beyond and really demonstrates what you’re capable of.

4. Emphasize Skills

As when highlighting your accomplishments, your skills and abilities should be another focus of your resume that you really take the time to flesh out and describe in detail. You could feature these in a list form, or include a description of the skills and tools required by each of your former positions. No matter how you choose to incorporate this element, it can be one of the most important aspects of your resume, so it’s worth an extra look to make sure you’re showing off what sets you apart.

5. Remove Unnecessary Information

An eye for detail is crucial when determining what to leave out of your resume, and these decisions can affect how successful your resume reads to a hiring manager. Consider removing elements that may not be relevant or necessary, such as personal interests, or a photo of yourself. These elements can be distracting and aren’t always needed. However, it’s good to remember the types of roles you’re applying for – if the position calls for someone personable who will be a great culture fit for the organization, it may be beneficial to describe some of your interests outside of work.

6. Avoid Abbreviations

It can be tempting to speak in highly technical jargon or abbreviate technical terms, but try to minimize this when putting together your information. It’s better to write clearly, using layman’s terms and avoiding abbreviation when you can. This will improve the flow of your resume for readers, and will make hiring decisions easier for managers who may not have all the same technical knowledge as you.

7. Keep it Up to Date

Lots of IT professionals have a considerable history in their field. This is obviously a big benefit, but it can also lead to pages and pages of unnecessary information. If your work history dates back prior to 2000, or you have lists of odd jobs that aren’t relevant to the opportunities you currently seek, it’s worth considering either condensing them into a brief section or eliminating them all together. You may also want to remove or shorten any sections detailing technologies that are no longer relevant. A lengthy work history sounds great, but when it’s no longer applicable to the current technology market, it can add unnecessary bulk to an otherwise successful resume.

8. Edit, Edit, Edit

A final edit for grammar, flow, punctuation, and other easily overlooked elements can be one of the most important things you do before sending in your profile. Basic, easy-to-fix errors show a lack of care and attention to detail, and those will read as big negative indicators to a potential employer. Make sure to go over your resume, or have a friend read it, to ensure that there aren’t any simple mistakes. You can also use spelling and grammar checking tools such as Grammerly to optimize your writing style.

Posted by Emily Couves in Career Advice
29
Jan
2021

10 Things to Do to Set Your LinkedIn Profile Up for Success

As far as social media goes, LinkedIn is one of the most important tools for career-minded individuals. Whether you’re an employer, job seeker, or any industry professional, LinkedIn can be a great resource to leverage your connections and build a network of like-minded individuals.

1. Choose the Right Profile Picture

Your profile picture will be the first thing a potential employer or connection sees, and gives a face to your name and skillset. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but your profile picture should look professional and up-to-date, and should reflect the type of role you’re seeking.

2. …. And Background Photo

A great background photo will be interesting, eye-catching, and should represent your personal brand. Consider choosing something that shows who you are and makes you stand out.

3. Perfect Your Summary

The “summary” section is arguably the most important and overlooked aspect of a LinkedIn profile. Your summary will tell your story to anyone who comes across your profile, and should be relatively detailed and a little more personal than just a list of skills or accolades. Take the opportunity to write about your experiences, give some context to your examples career history, or show off your personality. Still stuck? Check out some great of LinkedIn summaries here.

4. Show, Don’t Tell

A list of your skills and technologies works, but it won’t make you stand out to future employers. A great way to really draw attention to your profile is by displaying demonstrated experience and giving examples of times that you were successful while employing certain skills. This gives context to your skillset and shows that you have the achievements to back up your experience.

5. Grow Your Network

Keeping an up-to-date network of relevant industry professionals is an easy way to stay in the loop about potential opportunities, from networking events to open roles to speaking opportunities. Remaining engaged within your industry puts your name out there, gives you plenty of talking points, and helps keep your skills sharp while you’re in the midst of your job search and beyond.

6. Manage Your Endorsements

Endorsements are a great way to give some substance to your profile and skills. Having relevant endorsements gives you credibility and demonstrates that you’d make a valuable addition to a future employer’s team. However, it’s also important to remember to keep endorsements relevant – make sure you’re reaching out to people who’s endorsements really matter, and endorsing skills that will help you in your job search. You can always tailor your endorsements to the type of role you’re on the market for by using LinkedIn’s edit features to choose what to show and what to hide.

7. Take a Skills Assessment

Skills assessments can do wonders for the overall success of your profile, and data direct from LinkedIn shows that job seekers with verified skills are up to 30% more likely to be hired for the roles they apply to.

8. Share Relevant Content

Sharing interesting articles, videos, photos, and other content is a great way to keep up your activity and drive traffic to your page. This will let you retain meaningful connections and interact with your network on a regular basis. Keep an eye out for content that fits your personal brand and interests, and share content that you find reflects your point of view.

9. Stay Engaged

Commenting and reacting to others’ content might seem unimportant, but it’s a fantastic way to establish your opinion, show what you care about, and put your name out there to potential employers. Remember to keep your comments professional, polite, and remember that you’re representing yourself to hiring managers and others in your industry.

10. Follow Industry Pros

A great way to find interesting, relevant content is to follow well-known influencers and professionals in your industry. This will help you find content to share, keep up-to-date with industry trends, and demonstrates your interests and passions to anyone browsing your profile.

 

Are you on the hunt for a new opportunity? Stellar can help. Visit us on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn to connect, or get in touch at info@stellar-recruitment.com

Posted by Emily Couves in Best Practices, Career Advice
19
Oct
2020

Top Skills for Remote Work

It’s official – the “new normal” is in full effect, from the way you shop for groceries to the way you search for a job. Learning to navigate a remote job market can be difficult, but there are certain skills that you can leverage to land the job of your dreams, even from a distance.

1. Organization

Organizational skills are key for performing effectively when working from home. Strong organizational abilities are transferable from working in an office to working from a home office – or kitchen table, or bedroom, or backyard. Being able to independently organize your projects and duties from home will show your employer that you’re capable of workplace independence when you’re unable to be directly supervised.

2. Time Management

Time management is one of the most important skills you can have in remote work. When your supervisor can’t directly check in as often as in a physical office, being able to manage your own time is critical to your success.

3. Technical Skills

No matter what role you’re looking for, brushing up on your technical skills can only help. Making sure that you’re able to perform all job requirements with little outside support is crucial. Consider taking courses, reading up on any aspects of your work that you may be rusty in, and performing a self-assessment to ensure that you’re at your best before you start your job search – try

4. Communication

Communicating remotely can be a challenge – that’s why your verbal and written communication is so important in a work-from-home environment. What could have been communicated in face-to-face conversation is now coming from emails, video calls, chat meetings, and other less traditional means. This makes strong, transferable communication skills a must.

5. Self Motivation

Self-motivation is a valuable skill not only for your potential employer, but also for yourself. Staying motivated, optimistic, and self-directed benefits every aspect of your work, and in turn makes you a standout candidate for hiring managers and employers.

Are you on the hunt for a new opportunity? Stellar can help. Visit us on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn to connect, or get in touch at info@stellar-recruitment.com

Posted by Emily Couves in About Recruitment, Career Advice
10
Aug
2020

6 Tips to Help Your Job Search During COVID-19

With a changing job market, economic downturn, and the uncertainty that’s come with this global health crisis, your job search may have been put on the back burner. Today, we’re covering 6 tips to help you keep up with your job search and tackle the obstacles that you may face in the current job market.

1. Be Adaptable

With COVID-19’s effects on the economy and job market, it’s important to remember to be adaptable to change. Hiring and recruiting processes, work environment, and required skills and experience are all changing with the requirements of a mid-pandemic market, and evaluating your expectations and priorities can help you align your job search to fit the type of role you’re looking for.

2. Don’t Give Up

It can be tempting to put a pause on your job search amid so much uncertainty, but keep in mind that hiring situations can change at any time. Reach out to hiring managers or recruiters that you’ve been in contact with in the past, and keep your resume updated on job search sites.

3. Broaden Your Search

It can be disheartening to find a lack of jobs in your field during your job search. To expand your options, think about additional roles you may be interested in pursuing, consider how the work you were doing before the pandemic has changed and evolved, and be open to exploring roles you may not have previously considered.

4. Consider Contract Work

Permanent opportunities have been disappearing for the past several months – but for some, it’s easier than ever to find contract work. If you haven’t already, consider searching for contract or temporary roles. Many of these contracts span several months, feature the possibility of extension, and can even offer higher rates than regular permanent roles. Connecting with a recruiter in your area is a great way to learn about contract opportunities and prepare yourself for temporary employment.

5. Expand Your Online Network

It’s more important than ever to equip yourself with the skills necessary to effectively network online. Update your LinkedIn profile, check out social media groups, and consider reaching out to recruiters and hiring managers in your field. Networking online helps you to learn about opportunities you may not have known about otherwise, and allows you to connect with people that will be invaluable throughout every stage of your job search.

6. Be Prepared for Remote Interviews and Work

One of the biggest changes since the onset of COVID-19 has been the push towards remote hiring practices and remote work. Because of this, a great way to equip yourself for a successful job search is to get prepared for this ahead of time. Set up a comfortable home office, get organized, and consider investing in a quality webcam to help you stand out during potential interviews.

Don’t forget – Stellar Recruitment is here to help during these difficult times. If you or someone you know is struggling in their hiring practices or job search, get in touch at info@stellar-recruitment.com to speak to a recruiter today.

Images provided by Agefis and Green Chameleon.

Posted by Emily Couves in Career Advice
27
Mar
2020

6 Tips for Interviewing Remotely

Interviewing remotely can be a challenge. It’s relatively easy to put your best foot forward when you have the opportunity to meet with a hiring manager face to face, but video interviewing opens up the opportunity for a number of potential problems, and it can be tough to know how to approach the process.

With an increase of remote hiring practices taking place, especially considering the sudden influx of employees and companies conducting business from home, we’ve compiled these 5 tips for acing your video interview.

1. Get Prepared

Just because you’re interviewing from the comfort of your own home, it doesn’t give you the opportunity to skip past the preparation process. Just like any other interview, it’s important to brush up on your knowledge of the company you’re interviewing with and prepare a list of questions to ask the hiring manager.

2. Clean Up Your Space

Make sure the space you’ll be interviewing from is clean, tidy, and professional looking. You also may want to consider removing any items from the background of your video to ensure the interviewer’s full attention is on you. Setting up your space in front of a blank wall with plenty of natural light is always a great idea. If natural light isn’t possible, make sure you’re in a well-lit environment.

3. Focus on the Camera

It’s easy to get distracted when you’re not interviewing face to face. Make sure you’re spending the majority of your time focusing on camera, and not looking down at your notes or paying attention to how you appear in the webcam window.

4. Minimize Distractions

When you’re preparing to interview from home, make sure there’s minimal background activity that may distract you from the task at hand. If you have pets, consider removing them from the room. Ensure your family is aware that you’ll need a quiet space to yourself, and be sure to turn your phone volume off and close out any additional browser windows while the interview is taking place.

5. Stay Confident

Interviewing remotely can be just as, if not more, nerve-wracking than interviewing in person. It’s important to remember to relax, take a deep breath, and make sure that you’re speaking slowly, clearly, and confidently.

6. Dress to Impress 

Interviewing from home isn’t an excuse to wear sweatpants – make sure you dress the part, even if your interviewer can only see your face. Dressing appropriately for an interview, no matter where you are, can help you project confidence and professionalism into your delivery, and helps put you in a great mindset to ace your interview.

Are you participating in more remote interviews in recent weeks? Do you have any tips for job searching during the Covid-19 outbreak? Make sure you stay connected with us on social media to keep up on remote job search tips, information about working from home, and more!

Posted by Emily Couves in Best Practices, Career Advice
18
Feb
2020

Top 5 Reasons to Work with an Agency Recruiter

1. They Can Answer Questions You’re Too Afraid to Ask

We’ve all been there – you have a job interview coming up that you’re trying to prepare for, but you have no idea what to expect. What are the most important things to know about the company? What are the hiring managers like? What questions should you ask? What should you wear?

Working with a recruiter allows you to have an insider’s point of view into the hiring process. Your recruiter has likely prepared candidates for interviews with your desired company dozens of times, which allows them to know the ins and outs of that specific interview process. So if you’ve ever had a question that you’re just too afraid to ask during an interview, ask your recruiter – you might be surprised at what you can learn to set yourself up for success.

2. They Want You to Succeed

Unlike applying directly to a company and working with their HR team throughout the hiring process, working with an agency recruiter ensures their full attention is on you, allowing you to put your best foot forward. Recruiters also benefit from you getting hired, and they’ll do whatever they can to help you win the role of your dreams.

As long as you want the job, your recruiter wants you to get the job, and they’ll do everything in their power to make it happen.

3. You’ll Gain Access to Unlisted Job Opportunities

Job hunting can get pretty tiresome when you’re seeing the same roles for the same companies posted on every job board across the internet. This is a major benefit to seeking out a recruitment agency. Due to client confidentiality, your recruiter may have access to dozens of jobs that aren’t advertised to the general public, and often for highly specialized positions. Take care to select an agency that recruits for roles in your field, and you’ll have a selection of highly desired open jobs that you won’t be able to find anywhere else.

4. You’ll Have Job Hunting Resources at Your Disposal

Do you want to learn almost every job search trick in the book? An agency recruiter is your best bet. They’ll know the ins and outs of the job market, have insider knowledge about current trends in your industry, and have the ability to link you up with top notch resources to help simplify your job search and make the process as streamlined as possible.

Your recruiter will be able to help you with resume formatting and optimization, interview tips, market trends, and everything in between. If your ultimate goal is to land the best job you can get, working with a recruiter is the way to do it.

5. They’re With You All the Way

Whether you’re a first-time contractor, long-term permanent employee searching for a new opportunity, or the most seasoned consultant out there, starting a new role can be daunting. This is where your recruiter can play a huge part in your overall success at a new company. They’ll act as a liaison for you to celebrate your victories, voice your concerns, and share your thoughts about how your job is going, even in the weeks and months following your original placement. Your relationship with your recruiter can be one that develops throughout the course of your professional career, and it’s hugely beneficial great to have someone in your corner throughout the ups and downs of your job search.

 For information about working with a Stellar recruiter, visit our I’m Job Hunting page to learn more, or send us an email at info@stellar-recruitment.com.

Posted by Emily Couves in About Recruitment