What IT Hiring Managers Check

What IT Hiring Managers Check

IT professionals enjoy a good job outlook, with many companies competing for top talent. If you’re in the market for a new job, it’s still important to know the best way to package your skills and accomplishments to stand out to IT hiring managers. 

Keep the following tips in mind: 

  • Your résumé is your most important calling card. In the age of online profiles, the résumé is still king. According to the IT hiring managers surveyed, 68 percent prefer digital or electronic résumés when evaluating IT candidates. A traditional hard copy résumé is preferred by 23 percent. Therefore, in order to be able to send out your résumé quickly, make sure you have it saved in a number of file formats including a Word document, pdf, and .txt.
  • Alternative résumé formats aren’t widely adopted. Only seven percent of hiring managers prefer to review personalized websites or "digital portfolios"; two percent prefer LinkedIn profiles; and none prefer to receive a video résumé. Clearly, unless a job posting specifically asks for one of these formats, you’re best off focusing on a digital or hardcopy résumé.
  • Your qualifications must match the job description. An overwhelming 78 percent of IT hiring managers agree that this is the most important résumé component influencing their decision of which candidates to interview. Before you send out your résumé, invest some time in tailoring your qualifications and experience to match the job listing. It’s also advisable to feature the same keywords in your résumé and cover letter where appropriate.
  • Social media. Surprisingly, hiring managers of all skill sets do not often check social media to review a candidate’s information or background. Only 14 percent frequently do so. However, those who hire for IT positions were slightly more inclined to review online profiles, with 20 percent reviewing most candidates in this fashion. Similarly, only a small number (12 percent) of hiring managers have ever disqualified a candidate based on a social media review, while those who hire specifically for IT were more inclined (18 percent) to make this judgment call.
  • What about LinkedIn? Of the IT hiring managers who say they do review LinkedIn profiles, 91 percent are reviewing your employment history.
  • What are the benefits of social media? Hiring managers may not always be looking here, but social media may still aid indirectly in your job search. The majority of IT professionals Kelly® surveyed (71 percent) say social media is their primary method of networking, and 41 percent use their social media networks when making career or employment decisions. Add to this the fact that employee and industry referrals are top ways IT hiring managers find talent, and it becomes clear that social media is a vitally important tool for establishing and building relationships with your peers and industry leaders.

To position yourself to your best advantage in the job search process, always make sure your résumé is up to date and tailored to the position you want. For IT professionals in particular, it’s advisable to keep your LinkedIn profile current and your social media profiles active to build your network.

Survey methodology:The 2015 Hiring Manager Research (U.S./Canada) was conducted by RDA Group on behalf of Kelly. Over 1,000 hiring managers in the U.S. and Canada were surveyed. Participants had direct hiring responsibilities for talent in healthcare, engineering, finance and accounting, IT, and scientific fields. Results represent a cross section of industries and career disciplines. Of the total surveyed, 210 were IT hiring managers.

Additional Source: http://jobsearch.about.com/od/how-to-apply/fl/match-qualifications