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3 Ways to Demonstrate Confidence in an Interview

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Interviews often feel like you have been transported back to high school. You need to go meet new people, your clothes and appearance matter, and no matter how much you study, you still feel nervous before a test.

Just as in high school, confidence is key during an interview. Confidence makes you sound authoritative and can even make you more personable. 

Don’t worry: you don’t need to be confident. You just need to act like it (and ideally know your stuff, too). To help you conquer your first-day-of-school fears, follow these three interview tips.

#1 Make Regular Eye Contact

Eye contact can be one of the hardest things to achieve when you’re nervous, but it is important. If you look at your lap or out the window, you appear as though you’re too anxious or even distracted.

When you prepare for the interview, make sure you practice making eye contact, either with yourself in the mirror or with someone sitting opposite you.

#2 Prepare Questions Ahead of Time

“Do you have any questions for us?” It’s one question you can guarantee will come up, but will you have an answer?

This is perhaps the best opportunity to demonstrate your confidence in an interview because you get to interview them.

You may find it helpful to come up with these questions while researching the company. Make a note of them, and read over the questions in the car before you head into the building to keep them at the forefront of your mind.

Asking the right questions shows them you’re engaged both with the role and with the interview process. It also demonstrates both critical thinking and confidence.

#3 Get Rid of Negative Self Talk

What about your experience makes you least confident? Is it your skills, experience, or even when (or if) if you went to school?

Instead of relating these things in a negative manner, write them down and then re-write them in a positive sentence.

By getting rid of that negative self-talk, you’re less likely to believe it and far less likely to repeat it in an interview.  If you don’t talk negatively about yourself, then you won’t give your interview a reason to think that way about you.

Confidence Wins You New Opportunities

Being confident at a job interview isn’t something that comes naturally. It’s a skill you work on overtime.

Fortunately, a job interview isn’t high school. Your interviewer is judging you based on what you present to them, and you’re in control of that.

Are you looking for your next big opportunity? RightStone can help you ace the interview. Get in touch to learn more about what we do.

What’s the Career Outlook for Developers in 2020 and Beyond

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the future is bright for software developers. Not only is the job outlook expected to grow by 21% between 2018 and 2028, but the career is perfectly suited to remote work, which is good news in 2020.

It’s hard to say what the career outlook for developers will be given the current pandemic and looming economic crisis. The good news is that developers are a core function in the digital economy.

What can you expect for the next year and beyond? Here are a few predictions.

The Tech Skills Shortage Will Come to a Head

For years now, there have long been more in-demand jobs than there are skilled workers to fill them. These two forces aren’t unique to tech, development, and IT, but the scale is something to be in awe of.

It is possible that demand could shrink, but it also seems unlikely given they’re looking for specialist skills. What’s more, in the period just before lockdowns swept the nation, there were 114,000 job openings for software and application developers, making them the most in-demand IT staff in February and March.

Did all of those openings result in a hire? Probably not, but they did exist. What’s more, there was a huge influx in job posts that noted the option to work from home, which signaled that industry knew what was coming.

Expect Contract Work to Pick Up Eventually

If you’re in a top, senior-management position and you’re on the hunt for a new job, then you may find you need to wait. The inability to meet and travel will likely mean there will be an informal senior-level hiring freeze — at least for a while. 

Even still, while permanent positions might slow altogether, you might expect contract work and temporary jobs to pick up. Choosing contractors means employers can skip the long-term commitment and need to pay benefits. It will appeal to employers navigating economic recovery and dealing with tight budgets. 

Though, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economy (CARES) Act Paycheck Protection Program doesn’t allow employers to use loans to pay for contractors. So, the recovery funds might not be spent on your services just yet.

Developers Are in a Strong Position Going Forward

The good news is that developers are an essential role, and you were on an upward trajectory until the pandemic stood in your way. Whether and how those new jobs appear over the next five to ten years largely depends on what happens over the next few months.

Are you a developer looking for work? Contract work may be the way forward, at least for now. At RightStone, our goal today and always is to connect the right consultants with the right clients. Get in touch to learn more about how we’re weathering the storm.

 

 

 

The IT Talent Shortage Is Still On – How Are Companies Connecting with Top Talent?

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It’s common knowledge that IT staff with in-demand skills are in short supply. The combination of the allure of big tech and the high demand for specific skill sets are making it harder than ever to attract top talent. At the same time, if you can’t hire those in-demand workers, you can’t compete.

Workers with skills in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, and Python are some of the most sought-after in the country. Everyone wants them, but they have skills that you can’t learn overnight. Many of these workers dedicated years to building up these skills, and now, they’re reaping the rewards.

How do you connect with top talent if you can’t compete with Google and paying sky-high salaries isn’t an option? 

Improve Your Image

In-demand employees know they can seek out top salaries. While big money is attractive, it’s not what matters most, particularly to many millennials and members of Gen Z. They place as much weight on who they work for as they do what they earn.

Before you start trying to lure in new talent, ask yourself: what makes your company attractive?

Does your website include up-to-date information about what it’s like to work with you? What are your Glassdoor reviews like? What are your current and past employees sharing about you?

Your image needs to be stellar so that when a prospective candidate looks you up, they like what they see.

Ask for Referrals

You already have one of your best recruiting resources: your employees. Employee referrals are a phenomenal way to hire new staff. Not only are they cost-effective compared to advertising a position, but employees only refer the kind of people they want to work with.

Let your employees know that you have a referral scheme in place. You might be surprised by the number of employees who have a friend who would be a good fit!

Consider Contract Staff

The current hiring landscape means more and more skilled employees are also using contractor roles rather than hunting down full-time gigs. What’s more, today’s IT landscape also means that you don’t need to hire full-time permanent employees for every role. 

Contractors add real value and desirable skills to your team over the short-term. By turning to contracts, you get access to desirable skills when required without requiring a full-time commitment from either party.

Are you on the hunt for someone with cybersecurity or AI skills? We’re ready to help connect you with talented candidates who will add real value to your team. Get in touch to learn how we do what we do.

Why Customer Service Still Matters in a Technical World

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In today’s world, it’s not uncommon for the entire customer journey to happen solely online. From discovery to purchase to service, there’s nothing you can’t do with just your website. They particularly love the option to connect via live chat, which has a customer service satisfaction rating of 73% compared to just 44% for chats over the phone.

As a business owner, you see these channels and you spot ways to save money and maybe win over a new customer demographic. But you shouldn’t be too quick to adopt a bot: human customer service is as important today as it is now.

Are you reconfiguring your customer service strategy? Read this before you go any further.

Only Humans Can Empathize Like Humans

No one has ever hung up the phone after chatting to an automated system and said, “I’m so glad I got to talk to that voice recording.” It’s never happened. You can only have neutral experiences with a non-human.

Whether you’re considering a chatbot or an automated phone system, it’s important to remember that there are many situations where these technologies are suitable. The nuances of language and tone can mean a lot for the customer experience, and your bot can’t pivot when a customer feels frustrated.

Yes, these technologies have a role to play in the way customers get service, but they need to be deployed carefully.

You’ll Miss Out on Valuable Insights

Automating your customer service seems like a win-win: it’s cheaper for you, frees up your team’s time, and helps customers get speedy results. While your program will offer you some helpful data, you’ll miss out on the kind of insights that only human-to-human communication can provide.

For example, data from a bot might tell you that a system isn’t working. But will it be able to tell you why? Only if it’s spoonfed the information by the customer and programmed to ask.

Technology Amplifies Customer Service

Ultimately, your technology won’t replace your customer service. Instead, new tech should amplify it. Technology provides new ways to provide superior service, but remember that the point of customer service isn’t busywork: it’s a huge part of your engagement strategy.

Go ahead and automate the rote tasks that eat up staff’s time, but make sure you keep a human at the other end of the line. Your customers will miss them when they’re gone!

At RightStone, we understand that the human connection is more important than ever, especially in our technology-focused world. Get in touch to learn how we can connect you with qualified workers, who provide the customer-focus you need to grow your business.