Improving Your Chances of Getting Hired for an IT Job

So you’ve finally received your diploma in your IT-related degree and are ready to get your hands dirty and take on an IT job? The reality, though, is that a big percentage of graduates each year are just going to end up being part of the growing number of unemployed individuals, at least for the first few months or even a year after their graduation.

What’s encouraging, though, is that there more and more opportunities opening up for IT graduates, which means you also have a higher probability of getting a job soon after you’ve graduated. Of course, you don’t want to take chances and want to improve the probability of getting hired soon. Well, you can do that by following these tips:

Tailor-fit your resumé – There are jobseekers who can make that mistake of writing a very general objective at the top of their resumé. When preparing your resumé, put yourself in the shoes of the employer or the HR personnel who’ll view it. Would you want someone applying for a job in your company to state a general objective? Or would you be more pleased if the applicant actually mentions your company’s name? Write a clear and specific objective by stating exactly what your expectations are and your qualifications in meeting them and, yes, you can even mention the company’s name at which you’re applying.

Know the technical jargon – Imagine being at a job interview and not knowing how to define a certain technical term that’s being asked. It may not necessarily be the clincher as to whether or not you’ll get hired, but not knowing how to define or describe a term related to your field can be a huge turn-off. Before going to a job interview, make sure you’re familiar with the jargon in your field of expertise.

Be nice – That may sound like a very simplistic tip, but the chances of a nice guy getting hired is much higher than someone who’s cocky and overconfident. You know what they say, ‘nice guys always win.’ It may not be true all the time, but you don’t want to take chances, do you? Even if you know exactly what you’re talking about during an interview, don’t be brash and too self-assertive.

Know your own expectations – You may want to see yourself being involved in field work and doing troubleshooting for different companies or you’re more comfortable just hunkering down in your office and doing your IT thing all day. Make sure you know exactly what your expectations are about the job if you’re asked about them.

Know your strengths and weaknesses – This is one of the usual questions at any job interview. Before facing your interviewer, be sure to have a rundown of what you think your strengths and weaknesses are. As per experts’ advice, focus on 3 key strengths that you have and 1 perceived weakness (we’re saying ‘perceived’ here as it may actually not necessarily be a weakness for others). Make sure you also know how to explain that whatever weakness you have can be turned into a strength.

Get a load of these tips and improve your chances of getting hired for that IT job you want. (For those looking to have a career in ERP or CRM, go here now.)

Howard Smith used to be a head-hunter for a recruitment company in his city. After more than a decade, he decided to work as a freelance consultant where he incorporates his knowledge about the human resources industry.