By Georgia Hart Starting a new job only to realise soon after that it was a wrong decision can be a deflating and sometimes humiliating experience. Many times I’ve spoken with IT professionals who have left a job they’ve just started, often with similar reasons. Reasons including: “I was mis-sold the role.” “The role wasn’t what I expected.” “The company changed direction.” “The skills required didn’t match my experience.” When you want something or someone enough, such as a new job role or a particular job applicant, it’s easy to see the situation with rose-coloured glasses meaning red flags are missed or are sometimes overlooked. It’s important to keep in mind that a job interview is a two-way street; an opportunity for both the jobseeker and the employer to qualify, as much as possible, the potential fit for the role. There is only so much you can research you can do to qualify a company or job role, so how do you open up the job interview conversation to enable an objective assessment? I’ve compiled a list of questions to assist you in qualifying a prospective job role and employer; questions that will also help to demonstrate to your interviewer your level of interest in the company, and how serious you are about the job opportunity. Here are seven things
5 Ways To Get Your Tech Recruiter Working For You
By Jade Bennett Recruitment agencies tend to get a fair bit of bad press with ‘recruiter bashing’ rife on social media. Like most professions, be it legal, accounting, and even technology, there are great operators and, let’s just say, some not so good operators. But more often than not, recruiters are doing their utmost to connect jobseekers with great employment opportunities. For jobseekers in the tech space there’s a lot to be gained by carefully selecting a professional tech recruitment partner to represent you. “Why?”, I hear you ask. Because if you build a good relationship with a specialist tech Recruitment Consultant, they will become your greatest ally as you navigate your career throughout the years. I’d like to share a few tips on how jobseekers can partner with tech recruiters (in particular) to maximise their career opportunity, but first, I think it’s important to clarify some recruitment agent misconceptions upfront. Firstly, recruiters do not derive fees from jobseekers; they are paid by their clients, whom they have more than likely had long standing relationships with. Secondly, recruiters typically spend a significant amount of time mapping out the tech market landscape, locally and globally, to source the best people for their clients. When they contact you the jobseeker, take it as a compliment. They’ve identified something about you that’s made
How To Thrive As A Contractor In The ‘Gig Economy’
By Jade Bennett The rise of the gig economy has been well documented, with over 7.4% of Victorian contractors using over 100 digital platforms to find work. This includes contractor jobs ranging from content creation, UX design and software engineering. With an increasing number of jobseekers opting for greater flexibility, variety of work and career pivots, we offer our tips on how to leverage your opportunities as a contractor in tech. Partner with a recruitment agency that specialises in contract or contingent recruitment Most agencies are heavily geared towards either permanent or contract recruitment across specific sectors. Make sure your recruitment partner knows the tech space well and, more specifically, your domain e.g. Software Engineering, Product Management, DevOps etc. Always keep an eye on the market You may have landed an awesome 6-month contract job, but things can change quickly in contracting land; projects get cancelled, budgets run out, or time simply flies by and before you know it your contract is over. It makes sense to keep close to your chosen recruitment partner so you don’t find yourself with large chunks of time in-between roles. Keep up to date with the latest technology and developments in your chosen field More often than not, companies bring contractors in to fill a tech gap in their existing team. This is usually