Top Tips for Winning the Interview Game:
Jun/090
We appreciate how much effort goes into securing new employment and how difficult it is to be “the selected candidate” especially in this market competing against an abundance of strong IT professionals available on the market. We have summarized what we think here at Verkom are the main points in helping you put your best foot forward when successful in being short-listed for interview. Preparation is key!
It’s a fact that the best candidate doesn’t always get the job. However, the candidate who performs really well at interview has the odds stacked in their favour. There is no substitute for interview preparation. To win the interview game you need to sell your skills, build rapport with the interviewer, reveal positive attitudes and opinions and speak clearly and confidently. Above all, you must demonstrate the relevance of your skills and the benefit of your experience to prospective employers. If you have experience which is appropriate to the job in question – be sure you present this.
It is important to try to develop a rapport with your interviewer. The more comfortable the interviewer feels with you, the better the interview will go. Be aware of the following; firm handshake, maintain plenty of eye contact, answer the questions you are asked – do not digress, avoid speaking in the third person, avoid jargon, don’t fidget (with your hair, or pen), Sit up straight and have good posture.
Wear a clean suit or professional wear. Avoid late night drinking the night before the interview, it is imperative that you are alert for your meeting. Lastly arrive in good time at least 15-20 minutes early (If you are really unsure about where the company is located, drive to them the day before to prevent a stressful journey)
Be prepared. Don’t just spend a few minutes 20 minutes prior to your interview preparing for your interview – chances are you will not come across well as the other 3 candidates they are meeting. Look over as much information as possible a few days leading up to the interview. Research the company, its products/services, and competitors. Most large companies will have a website with company information; use this as much as possible. Use the information to ask some intelligent questions – the quality of your questions says a lot about you as a candidate. Be ready for the questions you will be asked. Interview questions are generally predictable. So you should be able to anticipate most of the questions and prepare your answers. Be ready to ask questions of your own – you want to come across as proactive and interested in the job and company.
Good luck, hope this helps!
Emerging Opportunities in Cloud Computing
Jun/090
Everywhere you turn these days there is talk of cloud computing. It’s surprising then that the results of a recent survey conducted by RackSpace indicated that 67% of small businesses and 47% of mid sized businesses were not even familiar with the term “Cloud Computing”.
Based on the survey results, adoption rates are understandably low (5% for small businesses, 11% for medium business). To me the survey results really strike a chord because having used cloud computing services for more than a year now, and being totally sold on the benefits I can see a gigantic opportunity coming down the tracks. I am not alone in this belief, Merrill Lynch have gone on record with a prediction that the cloud computing market will be worth an estimated US $94 Billion annually within 4 years, Amazon, Oracle, HP, Dell, Microsoft, EMC, IBM and others are also putting their money where their mouth is at a staggering pace. Cloud Computing is really one of the only significant double digit growth areas this year (+27%).
You may ask yourself, “So what’s this got to do with me?”
Well that really depends on who you are;
- If you are an IT Contractor or currently on the IT Jobs market, it should be worth your while ensuring that you are adequately up-skilled to sell the benefits of cloud computing and help your clients / potential employers get the maximum benefit from this fantastic service.
- If you are responsible for the IT operations of a business or you a business leader you probably need to start getting familiar with the concept of cloud computing and asking your IT staff / vendors for advice on how you can leverage the benefits on offer.
For everyone involved one of the significant challenges cloud computing faces is that there is no single, standard and comprehensive definition of what exactly cloud computing is, even the wikipedia description of cloud computing seems to change on a regular basis. To me cloud computing is easiest described as “Computing as a Utility” where you consume flexible computing resources that are provided by third parties, without necessarily having access to, or an understanding of the platforms on which it is based. Consider it similar to your electricity connection, you connect, consume, get metered and pay for the service used.
So what to do next?
- We have setup a LinkedIn group for anyone in Ireland who is interested in Cloud Computing from either a technical or a commercial perspective, come and join the Irish Cloud Computing Group.
- Talk to us here at Verkom, we talk regularly to clients, contractors and candidates who are interested in Cloud Computing, we would love to be of service to you.
- Go and check out some of the public cloud computing platforms, Amazon AWS in particular is very accessible and starting at 10 cents an hour it won’t break the bank to learn more in a real-time environment.
- I post regularly about cloud computing on my blog if you want to read more.
Who are Verkom and What do we do?
Jun/090
We should have probably started off the blog with a bit of information about Verkom and what we do. But better late than never I suppose!
Verkom are the leading Specialist IT Recruitment agency with offices throughout Ireland. Each Consultant specialises in a specific market which differentiates Verkom from the rest
CRM/ERP
PC Support/Desktop Management
Senior Appointments
RDBMS- Databases
Development/Design
Business Analyst
All Verkom consultants are up to date on all emerging technologies and are expert market specialists.
At Verkom, we know what it takes to make a difference in helping you make the perfect IT match. Whether you are looking for or trying to fill a permanent or contract IT job, our team at Verkom are on hand to help you at each stage of the process.
Because we specialise in IT recruitment we truly get IT. We live IT Jobs, breathe IT Contracts and understand IT recruitment better than any of our competitors.
While there are over 15 consultants nationwide some of the Cork team have volunteered their services to manage the blog. Elaine Kennedy, Pamela MacIsaac & Laura Carroll.
Elaine Kennedy: BSc in Computer Science with over 6 years IT Recruitment experience- Manager of the Verkom Cork team and specialises in the RBDMS market
Pamela MacIsaac: BA in Psychology- Consultant of the Design & Development market – 4 years recruitment experience and 3 years working specifically within the IT Market
Laura Carroll: BA in English & History, HDip Computer Science, MSc in MIS – Consultant of the Senior Appointments Market in Munster – 5 years IT Project Management experience & 2.5 years with Verkom
Shortage of IT Professionals with Languages!
Jun/090
Finally it looks like things are picking up in the IT sector after a very slow-moving first half of 2009. Long may it continue!
The types of IT roles coming in are now becoming more and more specific as companies want to ensure that they get the exact skills required to add value to their business and provide return on investment.
While the upturn has yet to filter through to the areas of Project Management, Program management and the more business-focused IT roles, we are seeing an increase in development, RDBMS and Technical Support. However, the technical support roles all require fluency in a second or even a second and third language.
It is currently proving difficult to get candidates with the right level of technical knowledge combined with fluency in Spanish, Danish, Italian, German, French and Portuguese. All companies, of course, require fluent English and some require 2 of the mentioned languages along with strong Technical skills.
If you have a strong technical support background and are fluent in any of the above languages with English, Cork is your oyster right now! We’d be delighted to hear from you if you are on the lookout or know of anyone who is thinking of making the move over to Cork.
Alternatively, if you have any ideas or suggestions on how to source these candidates most effectively, let us know!