In the current job market, the recession is so severe that jobs are unavailable for many people…many people besides Programmers. While other professions have been getting cut during the current state of the market, the number of Programming jobs has increased dramatically. Demand for Programming professionals is supposed to increase by 21% in the next ten or so years.
In order to land one of these positions, here are a few tips to help you along the way:
Learn More Than Programming Language- Learn People Language.Programming involves an enormous deal of human communication, so companies do not want their programmer to have the language mannerisms of a robot. It is important to be conscious of grammar and composition when completing your cover letter and exchanging e-mails. If you are a socially awkward individual, consider seminars or books that might help you improve your communication abilities.
Check Your EgoCompanies are looking for the most intellectual and competent Programmers, and that sometimes lead to one problem: arrogance. Many companies don’t care how skilled the candidate is—if they carry a hefty ego, they aren’t worth putting up with in the long run. Show your willingness to learn new things and don’t be picky about which projects you’ll be working on.
Be Truthful Never ever exaggerate the number of proficient skills on your resume. Not only can it get you fired down the road, it can be very embarrassing in an interview. Also, don’t try and talk your way around programming questions that you aren’t familiar with. Once again, it won’t work in the long run and you’ll look like a fool.Pandora Radio’s VP of Engineering, Chris Martin states, “If you don’t know this stuff, saying you don’t know would be a good place to start”. Most companies aren’t looking for people who are experts in every single language. They are looking for Programmers who can learn new languages.
Polished Resume When you come across a well-paying position at a prominent company, it means that they have a ton of resumes being generated daily. It doesn’t matter how qualified you are at the moment, DO NOT make ridiculous mistakes to get your resume thrown in the stack of trash. A few minor words can help you through this. Proof read. Everybody makes little mistakes here and there and it is easy to pass them up, even through a resume. Misspelled words will disqualify you from the screening process and your dream job will be gone because of “teh”. There are plenty of tools to help you along the way so use the internet and use your head and you’ll be on your way!
Be Prepared For The Interview—Prove Yourself!The most important part of a job interview is being able to prove your capability. Companies have different ways of testing the candidates. Some companies will ask potential candidates a number of programming questions, but will never sit someone down in front of a computer and ask them code. On the other hand, some hiring managers will always ask people to write code during the interview.
Be prepared for random questions! It’s not important whether you answer the question right… it’s important that you demonstrate a logical thought process and that you never give up on the problem if it sounds too difficult.
Whether you’re a recent grad or an experienced Programmer always follows these tips and soon you’ll be on your way to the perfect job fit! If you are a programmer looking for work, be sure to check out some of our current IT opportunities, and Good luck!
Dustin Willoughby Interactive Resources
Happiness and productivity at work go hand in hand. According to research done by author Jessica Pryce-Jones, the happiest employees are 180 percent more energized than their less content colleagues, 155 percent happier with their jobs, 150 percent happier with life, 108 percent more engaged and 50 percent more motivated. Most staggeringly, they are 50 percent more productive too. Read the full article here
Do you agree with what this research suggests?
The workplace has historically been synonymous with gossip and idle talk—around the water cooler, the coffee machine, the kitchen. While at your average 9-5 job, talking about non-work related topics can make the day go by faster, strengthen workplace camaraderie, and develop friendships with coworkers. But obviously, (or if you have access to HR complaints, not so obviously), some topics are best reserved for after-work happy hours. Religion: Unless you’re working for a religious organization or mission, specific conversations about religion should absolutely be avoided in the workplace. Aside from the obvious implications for political incorrectness, religion is a highly sensitive issue to some, and the slightest discussion of it can result in an explosive and hostile confrontation. No one wants to come to work each day and have others’ religious beliefs thrust onto him/her, so be considerate and conscientious when the subject of religion comes up, and avoid the topic altogether if possible. Politics: Discussing politics at work can be just as explosive as discussing religion, because similarly, it’s a sensitive and passion-fueled subject for many. What’s more dangerous about discussing politics is that even casual conversation about the day’s news events can trigger a full-blown political debate, leading your coworkers to feel alienated and oppressed. Especially during election years, charged political discussions should be avoided; a coworker’s political alignment can drastically (oftentimes negatively) affect how others perceive, and even respect, him/her. If you don’t want to labeled at work by your political beliefs/alignment, avoid discussing them!Sex/Relationships: This is a prime example of TMI (Too Much Information), but you’d be surprised at how many people in the workplace don’t have a filter when it comes to discussing their personal lives and relationships. Personal matters are just that—personal, and meant to be kept to yourself or between you and your significant other. Publicly discussing your sex life or your relationship with your spouse has no place in the office, even if your coworker happens to be a close friend. It makes your other coworkers who are within earshot extremely uncomfortable and can even result in a sexual harassment complaint. Avoiding discussions about your personal life doesn’t make you a prude or goody-goody, it makes you a respectful coworker. Money: This should be obvious; discussing how much money you earn/earned/wish you would earn is a ticking time bomb and an all-but-guaranteed method of getting your coworkers angry with you. You either make more or less than your coworkers—getting into specific conversations about your salary, or even your bonus (especially your bonus!), is a sure-fire way to turn a harmonious work environment into a hostile one. Career Goals/Aspirations: Talking about your career goals in your place of work may not seem like a delicate topic, but if your aspirations are not aligned with the company’s goals, it may be best to avoid discussing them. If your goal is to leave the company as soon as something better becomes available, there’s no need to inform your fellow workers about your plans. Discussing your desire for moving up (and eventually out) will get you noticed by the higher-ups in your company, and not for good reason. If/when your boss finds out (and he/she eventually will), it might the last thing you discuss at your job before you get fired. Health Problems/Death: When someone in your immediate or extended family is ill, you may seek comfort in commiserating with coworkers. But there’s no need to burden your fellow employees with your excessive and/or detailed tales of sorrow and pain. It’s sufficient to say that a recent illness in the family or the death of a loved one was the cause of your absence from work, but there’s no need to dwell on details. Reserve your discussions for after-work hours. Having a comfortable working environment is essential to productivity and uplifted office morale. Keep your work place happy and comfortable for everyone by avoiding discussions that are inappropriate.
Melody Yaghoubi Interactive Resources
Some of you may have heard the term “The 99ers” being used to describe unemployed people who have used the maximum 99 weeks of unemployment benefits the government allows per person in this country. The previous high for number of weeks allowed for unemployment benefits was 55 weeks in the early 1980’s. Many Americans have exhausted the 99 weeks of benefits during this recession. Many of these same people are asking for more, claiming the economy is so bad that they are unable to find employment in this time frame. The obvious question is whether or not 99 weeks is enough. That is almost two years of unemployment benefits. Many jobless people claim that they aren’t being hired for jobs they are over-qualified for. If you were an executive before the recession and were forced to work at Walmart, would you do it? This is a deep issue that can be argued from many different perspectives. Each person in this country has a different situation that they live in and deal with on a daily basis. We are in the worst recession since the great depression. There are roughly 15,000,000 unemployed people in this country, battling for about 3,000,000 open jobs. The odds are obviously leaning quite heavily towards people remaining unemployed.
What do you think? Is 99 weeks an adequate amount of time to find a job in this economy? Take the poll on our home page!
Michael Denny Interactive Resources
What motivates employees most depends mostly on your age, but also where you live. In a recently published study by Kelly Services’ Global Workforce Index, it was found that 61% of Americans most desired a profit sharing/incentive based pay structure. Of working professionals between the ages of 18-29, 39% of respondents said they would be motivated to work harder if their pay was influenced by reaching performance targets, compared to 30% of workers between the ages of 48-65. The overwhelming majority of American workers (86%) said that employers should be responsible for their employees’ health and well-being, while 34% thought health insurance was the most important benefit.
Most intriguing is the divide between generational workers; here’s a rundown of key findings, sorted by age, from the study, including info-graphs. To read the study in its entirety, click here! (http://www.easyir.com/easyir/kellyservices/KGWIGlobal_Benefits_Perks.pdf)
By the time you finish reading this sentence, tens (if not hundreds) of stray thoughts will enter your subconscious and distract you from what you are reading. According to a study conducted by Simon Fraser University in Canada, the average continuous attention span for a literate human being falls somewhere between 8-10 seconds. What that means (in case you wandered off mentally) is that the average human being can only focus on a single object with no lapse for 8 seconds before a stray thought or shift of focus creeps into their subconscious. What does this mean for you as a job seeker? If you’re trying to land a job with a literate employer/hiring manager, you need to be able to sell yourself in those crucial first seconds. Although it seems unlikely, stray thoughts about your plans for tonight or wondering if you left the stove on could hurt your chances at landing a job. Here are some tips to help you stand out and keep employers focused on YOU during those crucial first seconds: In written communication, you can do this easily, by highlighting the most important and relevant information in your resume and cover letter. When it comes to the interview, those first eight seconds may seem miniscule, but you’ll be surprised at how long you can retain someone’s attention when you stand tall, smile, and project your voice effectively and confidently. Avoid umm’s and uhh’s; the person who is listening to you won’t hear that you single-handedly increased the company’s profits by 170%, but will notice that you have a hard time presenting yourself. Avoid distracting accessories or inappropriate clothing—the human brain has a hard enough time trying to pay attention without those big, shiny, monogrammed earrings dangling past your low-cut top. Distractions don’t end with accessories; poor personal grooming/hygiene and a disheveled appearance will easily lead the interviewer to forget about that great report you published and wonder why you don’t own a hairbrush.Practice speaking in front of a mirror and time yourself. It may sound silly, but taking out a couple of minutes a day and seeing yourself speak will help boost your presentation skills and make you aware of any changes you need to make. It may also be helpful to record yourself and watch the playback, making notes of ways to improve yourself.Selling yourself in a few seconds sounds impossible, but if you’ve ever watched a 30-second TV commercial and gone running to purchase that universal all-in-one remote control/microwave device, you know how effective and important those seconds can be!
Forbes.com recently wrote an article about how business leaders are judged by their body language. The author, Carol Kinsey Gorman, MD, explains that there are two sets of body language cues that followers look for in leaders: warmth (empathy, likability, caring) and authority (power, credibility, status). She goes on to explain the body language mistakes that women leaders tend to make, which includes "head tilting," flirting, and weak handshakes.
Watch this video or read the full article to see the interesting list of body language mistakes (and improve your body language for your next meeting or interview)!
Stephanie Urban Interactive Resources
Tough economic times call for more original approaches to doing countless things in your job searching, career advancing, or recruiting. Numerous job seekers and recruiters are turning away from traditional resources and are looking towards more innovative approaches such as Twitter. Twitter is a social networking and micro blogging service that enables its users to send and read other user messages. Employers and recruiting firms post job openings on Twitter, and job seekers use Twitter to help facilitate their job search. But truthfully—it’s not just as simple as making an account and letting the jobs come to you. There’s numerous ways to make the most out of your page and I’m going to describe a few ways. The first and most important way is to make your Twitter employer friendly.
Make superior use out of your bio. You only have 160 characters to post your job pitch. This section says a lot about the candidate so it’s where it can make or break your potential interview. Next, make sure you use a professional looking avatar (profile picture). Refrain from any images from your college days where you are t-shirtless with a beer in hand. Your picture says a lot about you as a person so make it polished and professional. The last part about getting your basic page set up is to utilize your twitter background. There’s a lot of space you can use to promote yourself and show potential employers your level of creativity or interests. If you choose to keep it simple and professional, no one has ever complained about a solid colored background.
Now that your basic page layout is set up, it is necessary to include many things on your Twitter to make it easier for recruiters to know your credentials. The first and most important approach is to post a link to an online CV or resume. You can use a tool like https://www.visualcv.com/resume_resources/resume_templates?_oskwdid=5356672 to make it a trouble-free experience. Next, make sure you establish yourself as a professional on Twitter. Show what you’re capable of while refraining from ways to misrepresenting yourself. When employers begin looking at you as a candidate, you’ll have a lot more than just a resume to back up your prior skills and experiences. Show what you’re capable of through examples of your work.
Now that you are promoting yourself in a positive way through Tweets, while your whole page is set up and everything is included that recruiters need to know about you, your next step is understand who to follow and who to trust. Many candidates are flustered about not knowing the right people to get in contact without realizing that more people are viewing YOUR page. Before you come in contact with a recruiter on Twitter, make sure you check out a link to their website, ask others to figure out credibility, check out their follower/following ratio and lastly and most importantly, their bio. A recruiter’s page just is as important as a job seeker’s for the same reasons. For a great example of a solid recruiter’s Twitter, observe one of Execu|Search’s non-profit recruiter’s page at http://twitter.com/nonprofitrecrtr
Good luck on your Twitter job search/recruiting experience! Remember, if you ever have any questions, the internet has 1,000’s of answers.
The Execu|Search Group's HealthServices Division will be attending the Nursing Spectrum Career Fair this Friday, July 30 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. THE ONLY CAREER FAIR EXLUSIVELY FOR RNS & GRADUATE NURSES IN THE TRI STATE AREA! Opportunities abound at 2010 Nursing Spectrum Career Fairs! Explore RN job options with local and national healthcare organizations, discover the latest in healthcare trends by attending free educational seminars, and enjoy a fun and rewarding day designed just for registered nurses. The Execu|Search Group will be hosting a RN Resume Revision Clinic. Please stop by our booth for pointers on format, content, and keywords to turn your resume into an interview!
Nursing Spectrum Career FairFriday, July 30th10am - 2pmCrowne Plaza, 66 Hale Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601Parking: Parking at the Crowne Plaza is $10.00Register to attend (Free!) here: http://nscfhudsonvalley.eventbrite.com/
JOB FAIR SCHEDULE
8:00 AM - Doors Open8:30 AM - 10:00 AM Boost Your Brain Power! Cynthia Saver, RN, MS, President, CLS Development, Inc.10:00 AM Exhibit Hall Opens12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Never Stop Learning, Muriel M. Shore, RN, EdD, NEA-BC, DPNAP - Dean and Professor, Felician College12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Resume Review Clinic12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Finding Happiness in Challenging times (exhibitors only) - Cynthia Saver, RN, MS, President, CLS Development, Inc.1:45 PM Grand Prize Drawing $500 VISA Gift Card2:00 PM Exhibit Hall Closes2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Take A Vacation from Stress, Luanne Pennesi, RN, MS, CNAT - Founder, Metropolitan Wellness2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Special Student Panel “Straight Answers for Nursing Students” - A straight forward panel discussion with leading nursing professionals. (Seating is limited to first 75 students)
We hope to see you there!
Amanda Bleakney Director- Healthcare
We’ve all experienced how social media has drastically changed the way we, as job seekers, engage with employers; there’s job boards and candidate sourcing via LinkedIn and Facebook, a Twitter #JobSearch engine, and plenty of Diggs, Likes, and Reddits connecting potential employees with hiring managers. But last week (and again just yesterday), Executive Creative Director Mike McKay of Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles (aka @mikemckayECD), a national ad agency, took things to an entirely new level by offering a $70,000/year writing position to the person with…..the funniest Twitter response.
Is this some kind of sly joke or a clever marketing ploy? Or is this the future for the creative industry’s job market? Can a prospective employee’s worth accurately be assessed from a 140-charactar-or-less response?
Probably.
Obviously, this kind of thing wouldn’t be quite as effective for mainstream industries, (or could it? “Highest GPA from best school gets an entry-level accounting gig!”). Because the advertising and marketing industries thrive on whimsical creative types who can sense the thin line between genius and madness (and rarely cross it), it’s almost surprising that such an offer hasn’t been made sooner. While it takes strong experience, an impressive book, and effective interpersonal skills to be an asset in the industry, an amateur who can tweet a witty, clever response (on demand!) most certainly has the raw talent to eventually become an asset. Of course, it takes a keen creative eye to snuff out the duds for the diamonds in the rough, which may explain why McKay re-tweeted the offer yesterday (official reason: “This contest has been re-opened due to humor issues”).
What do you think? Is tweeting job offers for best responses a legitimate method of hiring? Tell us in the comments section below!
Melody Yaghoubi
Interactive Resources
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