Right now the IT field across industries is plagued by a skills gap and a lack of qualified talent. For that reason, top performers are being offered eye-popping salaries, expansive benefits packages, unique perks, and lots of workplace flexibility. Companies are so invested in recruiting and retaining this upper-echelon talent that they are willing to go above and beyond when it comes to compensation packages. If you want to establish yourself as one of these top candidates and stand out from the rest of the pack, rely on these strategies:
Do Your Research
You aren’t just applying for any job, you are applying for this job. If you are driven to work for a specific company, research that company as thoroughly as possible. Find out what is working, what isn’t, and where they are headed in the future. Once you are armed with this information, you can position yourself as a candidate with a unique ability to help them solve more problems and seize more opportunities.
Establish Your Culture Fit
Today’s IT companies spend as much time evaluating a candidate’s technical abilities as they do the candidate’s fit for the company culture. Simply put, you can have a brilliant mind, but if you clash with the mission, style, and values of your potential employer, you shouldn’t count on getting the job. As you are researching, learn as much as you can about the company culture. Later, during the interview and any subsequent communications, frame yourself as someone who can fit naturally into that culture and contribute to its overall vitality.
Rely on Metrics
What better way is there to establish yourself as a top IT candidate than to point to some hard numbers which prove it? Any time that you can use actual metrics to demonstrate how much you enhanced productivity, improved efficiency, and went above and beyond the expectations of a project, you eliminate any questions about your value. You also make it clear to the hiring manager how you compare to other candidates being considered.
Rely on a Recruiting Partner
No matter how convincingly you plead your case, it’s hard for hiring managers to accept someone’s glowing recommendation of themselves. That’s why having a recruiting partner in your corner can be such an asset. They serve as an objective buffer between you and the company you hope to work for. They may already have a connection with the hiring manager and have established themselves as an effective funnel for top talent. By working with that recruiting partner, you immediately establish your legitimacy.
Are you currently looking for a job in IT? Would you like to learn about more vacancies and make connections with the best companies in the industry? If so, contact the team at RennerBrown.
