Work in IT? Why blogging can be a good career move.

Posted January 16th, 2012 in blog_news, For Job Seekers

If you work in IT, you probably already know that it’s tough to make money directly from blogging.

But that doesn’t mean that creating and maintaining a blog isn’t a good idea – especially if you work in IT.  The blog itself may not end up delivering Google AdSense cheques, but it could give you the kind of career boost that will eventually earn you bigger paycheques.

Here’s how:

A blog makes you stand out from the competition

Ask any recruiter and they’ll tell you:  Given 2 roughly identical IT candidates, the one with the blog will be more appealing than the one without one.  Why?  Because a blog indicates all kinds of desirable traits that employers look for in potential employees:  An ability to communicate, a willingness to learn new things, and a certain amount of stick-to-it-iveness (because maintaining a blog over the long-term requires commitment).  All of this reflects well on you as a potential candidate.

A blog can say more about your skills than a resume ever could

For many IT consultants, resumes are just long lists of certifications and proficiencies – they just don’t leave room for insightful commentary (“Drupal just isn’t as effective as ASP when it comes to dynamic content…”) or in-depth analysis.  A blog, on the other hand, can contain longer pieces about your experiences and opinions with specific software, hardware, servers, or whatever else you’re interested in.

A blog indicates you’re a good communicator

One of the biggest concerns potential employers have about IT consultants is that they’re just ‘code monkeys’ who aren’t able to interact or communicate with non-IT people.  Having a blog – especially one which is written for a wider audience – is a good way to demonstrate that you are, in fact, capable of communicating with others, and enjoy doing so.

A blog can demonstrate you’re  well-rounded

Your blog doesn’t have to be about an IT-related subject.  Maybe you’re interested in photography, or cooking, or renovating houses in your spare time.  This can be a good thing:  Most companies will tell you that the best candidates for senior IT roles are the ones who are well-rounded and don’t just think about code 24/7.

A blog can capture your ideas in the moment

As you move forward in your career, and start interviewing for more senior (and more well-paying!) roles, you’ll find that employers increasingly ask for your opinions on software, database systems, project management, etc.  Chances are, you have opinions, and they’re based on real-life work experiences you’ve had.  But you know how it is:  If you don’t capture those ideas and opinions at the time, and make a note of the details, they may not come easily to mind when you’re asked about them later.  A blog can be a great way to make a note of ideas, insights and experiences you’ve had – which can be a great reminder for you later on.

A blog could attract your dream job

If you’re an independent or contract IT consultant, a blog can help raise your profile and attract attention from recruiters, employers and clients.  It may be that they stumble across your blog and think, “This person’s skills are exactly what I need right now!”, or they may see a link to your blog on your LinkedIn or Facebook or Twitter profile which piques their interest.  At the very least, a blog increases the chances your name comes up when a recruiter does a quick Google search for you.  All of which can lead to better opportunities in the long run.

Is your office lobby costing you A-list candidates?

Posted September 9th, 2010 in blog_news

“You never get a second chance to make  a first impression.”

There’s plenty of evidence to suggest that we all make decisions about people based on appearances and a few short minutes of interaction, and that many hiring managers make hiring decisions within the first 5 minutes of the in-person interview.

Your office lobby is the first place candidates ‘meet’ your company in person.  What kind of first impression is it making?

The minute they walk in the door, they’re imagining themselves in the job

Interviews go both ways:  The employer is thinking, “I wonder what it would be like to have this person working here every day…”, while the candidate is thinking, “I wonder what it would be like to come to work here every day…”

So the minute a candidate walks through your door, they’re looking around thinking, “Would I like to come here to work every day?  Is the prospect of spending 40+ hours a week in this environment appealing?  Would I ‘fit in’ here?  Do I really want to pursue this opportunity, or does the thought of walking into this lobby every day fill me with despair?”

What message is your lobby sending to potential employees?

Here’s the lobby of Google Zurich:

This lobby says:  ”We’re creative, non-traditional, and interesting – and we’re successful enough to be able to spend money in our surroundings.  Sure, you’ll probably end up spending a lot of time here – we work a lot – but you won’t mind, because it’s so much fun and we’re all so invested in our work!”

Now let’s look at random clinic office:

This lobby says:  ”We’re serious.  We’re so serious that we don’t believe in having a personality of any kind between 9am and 5pm.  We think that spending a lot of money,time or energy on our surroundings is frivolous.  Hey – this is a workplace, not a funhouse!  We believe competency is more important than innovation.”

If you were an A-list candidate with 2 job offers, which one would you choose?

We’ve picked 2 extreme examples here, of course:  Hardly any lobbies or offices are as consistently appealing as Google’s, and it’s entirely possible that the photo of the ‘boring’ office was taken just after they’d repainted, and they hadn’t yet had time to replace the signage and decor.

But it’s worth thinking about.  Go take a look at your lobby, and try to imagine it through the eyes of someone who’s never seen it before.  Is it an accurate reflection of your organizational culture?  Your brand?  Is it likely to be appealing to your ideal new employee?

6 Ways to Use Facebook to Get a Job

Posted August 2nd, 2010 in blog_news

I Love Facebook

If you’re like most people, you’ve made 2 erroneous assumptions about Facebook:

  1. It’s only for kids – real grownups aren’t on there
  2. It’s only for personal stuff, not work-related stuff

In fact, the 30+ crowd is the fastest-growing group on Facebook, and seems to be losing the teenagers – who, now that Facebook is so ‘mainstream’ even their parents are using it, are quite naturally looking for other online places to hang out.

And while Facebook is definitely a social media tool for managing personal (i.e. friends and family) relationships, consider this:  90% of referrals and job leads come from personal relationships (friends, family, current and former co-workers who have also become friends).

We all know that ‘networking’ is crucial to a successful job hunt.  Don’t discount Facebook’s ability to cut your job-seeking time in half.

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Current employees don’t know you’re hiring? Your recruiting costs just doubled.

Posted July 16th, 2010 in blog_news

Word-of-mouth is the single most effective way to get consumers to try a new product or top talent to apply to your organization.  Leveraging current employees to help build word of mouth can cut your recruiting costs in half.

word of mouthSo, your organization needs to fill 32 junior/intermediate roles in the next 3 months, but your recruiting department consists of 2 juniors and an intern who are already working 50 hours a week.

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