Congratulations on landing an interview! It is clear that employers see your value based on your work history and unique skill set. But that alone is not enough to set you apart from other IT candidates. In an interview, you are offered the opportunity to show employers what value you will provide to them in the future. When it comes to IT jobs, don’t limit yourself to the short term. The IT industry is changing rapidly, but employers want to know that you are able to make an impact now and further down the line. Here are a few ways you should show that you don’t just fill a job opening but will prove to be invaluable over the long run.
Show Them You Think Long Term
While it’s true that many businesses hire in a reactionary manner, the ones who are looking for a long term investment are interested in how you can contribute as the industry continues to change. The question “where do you see yourself in 5 years” is one you should have a practiced answer in hand for. Show interviewers that you care about more than just landing any job, that you are fully invested in their (and your) long term interests. You can do this by expressing your desire to regularly update your training, your involvement in open source and pro-bono projects, industry news, and personal development.
Share Your Understanding of the Business of IT
Your employer has a larger perspective in mind when they make hiring decisions, and you can show your value by helping them understand how you fit into the big picture as well. Talk about customer pain points as well as industry concerns that are likely to influence the market and your company’s overall strategies in the coming years. For example, businesses say that one of the biggest challenges for them is navigating the fractured technology-buying landscape. Talk about managing budget over-runs, uncontrolled technology spend and missed deadlines. You don’t necessarily need to provide answers to large-scale concerns, but your understanding of the large challenges that influence decision making will show your long-term value to employers.
Addressing the Skills Gap
All companies invested in providing their customers with the latest tools and technologies to keep pace with the fast changing business market need to know that their IT pros are able to meet their demands now and in the future. The skills gap is a very real problem that companies are struggling with every day. Their inability to find, recruit, and retain the qualified tech professionals they need is due (at least in part) to workforce planning gaps. This results in bandwidth issues (as reported by 58 percent of those surveyed), missed timelines (55 percent) and productivity issues (51 percent).Your understanding of the skills gap is best leveraged by having the skills you need now and your investment in the latest technologies and systems for the future. Overall, effective workforce planning requires tying technology project to longer-term organizational goals.
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Our team features industry experts who understand the demand of today’s utility market. If you are looking to partner with an IT recruiter who is ready to help you take the next step in your career, contact ESGI today!
