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What Should You Take Into Account Before Learning an In-Demand Skill?

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Being proficient with an in-demand skill makes you attractive to employers. Many companies are offering high salaries and competitive benefits to technologists with specialized skills.

However, knowing which in-demand skills are most desirable can be challenging. Understanding which tech skills are popular in the job market can help you determine which one to pursue.

If you want to develop an in-demand skill, now may be the time to start. Knowing how to approach the process can help you map out the steps to attain your goal.

Follow these guidelines to learn an in-demand skill that can benefit your tech career.

Research the Skill

Data science, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and augmented reality (AR) are among the most in-demand skills. These skills will be increasingly important for years to come.

However, before deciding which in-demand skill to pursue, do some research. Find out which related skills you should learn, the certifications you should earn, and the job opportunities available. This gives you a clearer sense of whether you should pursue the skill.

Gather Feedback

Talk with tech professionals for advice on the in-demand skill. Find out how and what to learn and which issues to avoid.

Gathering feedback on the skill helps guide your path to learning about it. This may include whether you should develop the skill on your own or take specific classes.

Talk with Your Manager About Upskilling

Find out whether your manager will cover your education, training, and certification for the in-demand skill. Emphasize the benefits the company receives from employee upskilling.

Your manager may have part of the budget allocated for employee educational activities. If so, the business might cover your professional development expenses.

Publish Independent Work

When you become certified in the in-demand skill, create an independent project to demonstrate your abilities. Then, share your results on GitHub or your personal website.

Publishing an independent project helps you stand out among other tech professionals. It also can help you land a role focused on your new skill.

Ready to Advance Your Tech Career?

When the time comes to land a job with your new skill, make RightStone part of your search. Here is a link to our job board.

7 Tips to Start Your IT Career Search

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The start of a new year is a great time to start a new job. This may include changing your career to IT.

Starting your IT career search can be challenging. You may be unsure of which path to take or how to enter the field.

Developing a plan to start your IT career search helps you map the steps to reach your goals. Working with a staffing agency that specializes in IT also can be beneficial.

Follow these guidelines to start your IT career search today.

1. Determine Your Career Goals

Understand the type of IT career you want before you begin looking for roles.

  • Focus on your dream job.
  • Include the type, size, and culture of the company you want to work for.
  • Think about the salary, benefits, and perks you desire.
  • Determine the types of jobs that can lead to your dream role.
  • Focus your search on jobs that align with your career path.

2. Update Your LinkedIn Profile

Show you have the qualifications needed for the IT position you desire.

  • Ensure your contact information, profile statement, and profile summary are current.
  • Include your relevant education, skills, work history, and certification.
  • Request endorsements from previous supervisors, managers, colleagues, and coworkers.

3. Create a Digital Portfolio

Use your digital portfolio to display examples of your work.

  • Showcase how your projects benefitted an employer.
  • Include quantitative results from your work.
  • Demonstrate how your skills can add value for your next employer.
  • Include a link to your digital portfolio in your resume and LinkedIn profile.

4. Network

Set up informational interviews with technologists in roles similar to the one you desire.

  • Connect with relevant IT professionals through LinkedIn.
  • Ask if you can talk for 30 minutes about their job, company, and career path.
  • Develop three to five questions that can guide your IT career search.
  • Determine whether a position may be right for you.
  • Find out whether the technologist knows of any job openings or can introduce you to a hiring manager.

5. Apply for Jobs

Customize your resume to the role you desire.

  • Include your relevant education, skills, experience, and certifications.
  • Share your relevant achievements, quantifiable results, and awards.
  • Use keywords from the job posting throughout your resume.
  • Show you are well-qualified for the position.

6. Customize Your Cover Letter

Your cover letter provides information not included in your resume.

  • Discuss whether you are beginning or changing your career.
  • Explain any gaps in your work experience.
  • Show how your qualifications make you stand out from other applicants.
  • Clarify why you are the best candidate for the position.

7. Practice Interviewing

Engage in mock interviews.

  • Research the company you want to work for.
  • Practice answering interview questions.
  • Prepare questions for the interviewer.
  • Monitor your body language.

Partner with an IT Staffing Agency

Partner with a recruiter from RightStone for guidance throughout your IT career search. Visit our job board today.

Ask Your Employees These 6 Trust-Building Questions

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Creating a cohesive team requires trust. You must trust your employees to complete quality work on time. Also, your employees must trust they will be compensated for their contributions.

Building trust can be especially difficult when you have new, introverted, or remote employees. However, trust is essential to help your employee remain engaged, productive, and loyal to the organization.

Asking questions and actively listening to the answers is an effective way to build trust with your employees. Questions lead to conversations. Conversations build engagement and trust.

Ask your employees these six trust-building questions to increase cohesion among your team.

1. What is a great movie you recently watched?

Talking about movies helps your employees feel like they are talking with a casual friend. This promotes a casual work environment. You may learn about a movie that interests you. Watching it can help you connect with your employees on a personal level.

2. Can you recommend a book you recently read?

The types of books your employees read provide insight into their minds. You can learn about your employees’ thoughts, philosophies, and sense of morality. You also can uncover whether you like the same types of books or authors. This promotes mental connections.

3. What is the strangest meal you ever ate?

Your employees may have eaten tarantulas, snails, or other exotic food. Talking about these experiences promotes a relaxed atmosphere. It also helps you get to know your employees on a deeper level.

4. Do you prefer beer, wine, or neither?

Most employees enjoy humorous discussions about alcohol. You can use this topic to determine whether any of your employees prefer nonalcoholic beverages. This helps you provide appropriate beverages when you host an event.

5. If you could develop a new skill in 10 minutes, which skill would you choose?

Understanding the skills your employees are interested in is important. These skills indicate potential goals and career paths for your employees. You can implement training programs to help your employees reach their goals and advance their careers.

6. Which emerging technological innovation will significantly impact the industry in the next five years?

Find out what your employees think about the future of your industry. Also, determine where they see themselves working long-term. Talk about whether there are opportunities within your organization that may interest your employees. Discussing internal career advancement elevates employee retention.

Do You Need to Hire More Employees?

Hire top technologists with help from RightStone. Learn more today.

Tech Industry Outlook for 2023

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The coronavirus pandemic significantly impacted the tech industry for the past few years. Although the use of technology increased in many areas, such as videoconferencing platforms, it also decreased in other areas, such as the Internet of Things (IoT).

Understanding the tech industry outlook for 2023 provides insight into how your industry and company may be affected. This lets you strategically plan and hire employees in line with your expectations.

Learn about the tech industry outlook for 2023 and how your company may be impacted.

Internet of Things

IoT Analytics estimates there will be 30 billion IoT device connections by 2025. This averages out to be four IoT devices per person.

International Data Corporation’s 2020 Worldwide Internet of Things Spending Guide estimates global IoT spending will attain a compound annual growth rate of 11.3% during the 2020 to 2024 forecast period. This data indicates the steadily growing use of IoT.

IoT devices are popular in the form of connected lights, smart refrigerators, and other items in smart homes. Smart glass, activity trackers, and other wearable technologies also use IoT applications. Urban safety monitoring, traffic and waste management, and water distribution in smart cities use IoT technologies as well.

Security is the top concern for IoT-connected devices. Hacks, data breaches, information leakage, and other attacks are common. Because IoT-connected devices do not come with security features, these features must be added.

5G Networks

5G networks offer faster transmission speed than almost all home broadband. As a result, what used to be done only through computers can now be done with smart devices.

IoT devices can interconnect more smoothly using 5G networks than 4G networks. Also, 5G networks let drones, autonomous cars, and smart cities carry out more complex operations than 4G networks.

Currently, 5G networks are available only in certain countries and areas. Also, greater bandwidth means less coverage and more signal drops. Additional cells must be built to support the network’s high speed. Plus, the networks may be unable to penetrate walls and other materials.

Chatbots

Chatbots simulate conversations with humans. These bots use artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and natural language processing (NLP) to provide customer service for companies.

Chatbots are being used by more businesses than before. These bots serve as responsive, intelligent, conversational agents. They significantly decrease the amount of time and money spent on answering questions and filling customer requests.

Chatbot development is impacted by developments in NLP. As a result, customers may become frustrated when chatbots give limited or repetitive answers.

Chatbots with robust and complex functionalities are costly. Therefore, companies may not have the budget to use them as customer service tools.

The IT Labor Market Will Be Tight

If you need help hiring tech professionals, include RightStone in your process. Find out more today.

Industry Leaders’ Suggestions for Climbing the Current Technology Management Ladder

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Virtually all companies value technology. This increases the number of opportunities available for technology professionals to be closely involved in business activities.

Companies’ increasing dependence on technology creates jobs at every level of the organization. This includes executives who lead technical teams and other leaders who help manage the business.

Industry leaders are one of the most reliable sources of information about management paths for tech professionals. Following their advice for climbing the corporate ladder can increase your career success.

Implement these industry leaders’ suggestions to move up the technology management ladder.

Plan Your Career Path

Determine where you want to be in 5 years. Then, make a plan to get there.

  • Discover the qualifications and steps for advancement.
  • Gain the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to reach your goals.
  • Develop your understanding of the tech side and business side of the company.
  • Understand the needs of the internal customers and how their role fits the bigger picture.

Stay Adaptable

Be ready to change. Adapt along with the company and industry.

  • Continue to add to your skill set.
  • Surround yourself with employees who complement your abilities.
  • Change your strategy until you discover what works.

Diversify Your Skill Set

Focus on developing your hard and soft skills. This helps you more effectively manage employees.

  • Live the company’s mission, vision, and values.
  • Understand the organization’s strategic plans so you can attain business goals.
  • Gain a comprehensive knowledge of fields beyond the one you work in.
  • Continue to find new ways for technology to solve problems.

Network

Develop a network within the company. Include employees at all levels and areas of the organization.

  • Take advantage of the opportunities to meet fellow employees, especially with a remote workforce.
  • Invite colleagues, coworkers, and leaders to lunch.
  • Focus on understanding other parts of the company.
  • Work with your team to overcome the organization’s tech challenges.
  • Use technology to promote innovation and advance the company.
  • Collaborate with your team to innovate business models and increase productivity.
  • Participate in an organization created for tech professionals.
  • Find a mentor for career guidance and advice.

Get Certified

Earning advanced tech certifications can help you move up the management ladder. Examples include the following:

  • Project Management Professional
  • Certified ScrumMaster
  • Certified Business Process Associate
  • Certified Business Process Professional
  • Certified Business Process Leader
  • Certified Brand Manager
  • Certificate in Analytical Skills

Ready to Find a Technology Management Job?

RightStone has the technology management jobs you need to reach your career goals. Visit our job board today.

Weird IT Job Interview Questions

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Before interviewing for your next IT job, you likely will practice answering potential questions. Some questions are designed to get the conversation going. Others are about your skills, experience, and qualifications. More in-depth questions cover your creativity, problem-solving ability, or fit with company culture. This preparation helps you perform your best during the conversation.

You should include some off-the-wall questions when reviewing your next round of practice interview questions. These questions likely have no connection to IT.

Instead, some of these unique questions are designed to assess your personality or critical-thinking skills. Other questions are created to show interviewers how you respond in surprising situations. Knowing how to answer these questions helps you prepare for the unexpected.

Practice answering the following weird IT interview questions to help land your next job.

What would you do if you were the sole survivor of a wilderness plane crash?

Setting up odd scenarios shows how you solve problems and react to challenging circumstances. Include in your answer the steps you would take, in which order, and why. Emphasize your independence, ability to stay calm under pressure, and related personality traits.

For instance, “I would ensure there were no other survivors. Then, I would find the basic necessities I need to stay alive and find help. Next, I would locate a water source, use plane parts to build a shelter, and then focus on being rescued. After that, I would build a fire or start walking to find civilization. Finally, I would devote a set amount of time to one rescue attempt before moving to another.”

How would you direct someone to create a balloon animal using only words?

Show you have strong speaking skills and can give clear directions for complex processes. This is important for the processes you might perform in an IT role.

For instance, “We are creating a balloon dog. I will break down the process into simple steps and guide you through it. Begin by blowing up the balloon. Keep a few inches uninflated at the end for the dog’s tail. Then, every three inches down the length of the balloon, twist the balloon so it looks like sausage links. Next, twist the second and third links together so they interlock for the dog’s ears. After that, lock together the next set of links to form the front legs and the last set of links to form the back legs. Your balloon should look like a dog. Do you have any questions?”

Someone gave you an elephant and will not let you sell it or give it away. What do you do with it?

Demonstrate your reasoning and problem-solving skills. Include your personality in your answer.

For instance, “Because my backyard will not fit an elephant, I would pay a local farmer to keep the animal. I would begin training the elephant to be ridden to offset the costs of housing and feeding it. I then would take the elephant to events and charge people for rides.”

Want Additional Interview Preparation?

Partner with a recruiter from RightStone for additional help with your job search. Visit our job board today.

Surprise Your Team to Promote Employee Connection

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An April 2022 Gallup survey showed that only 32% of employees were engaged at work. Disengaged employees are not very productive. They lower employee morale and retention.

To improve engagement levels, building employee connections should be among your top priorities. One way to accomplish this objective is by doing something unexpected for your team.

When humans experience change, they process what happened, then return to their typical level of happiness. This is beneficial when, for example, an employee is passed over for a promotion. They will return to their baseline happiness within a few days.

However, this adaptation to change is unfavorable when employees get used to the perks they regularly experience at work. For instance, if you provide bagels for your team every Tuesday, they will expect to eat bagels every Tuesday. At some point, your employees no longer will see eating bagels on Tuesday as an advantage of working for your company.

As a result, you want to regularly provide employees with novel experiences. This consistently disrupts their typical levels of happiness. The more times you add to your team’s happiness, the more fun they have. This increases engagement, productivity, morale, and retention.

Implement these tips to surprise your team and build employee connections.

Promote Creativity

Incorporate the “yes, and!” structure into your next brainstorming session. When one employee shares an idea, the next employee says “Yes, and…” to build on it. This activity encourages your team to develop what they have into something bigger.

Encourage Play

Put board games or question cards in the break room. Suggest coworkers play the games or ask each other questions during their downtime.

If your team is remote, use a video conferencing app like Mibo to create immersive online experiences for your employees. They can interact with each other in the virtual environment. These actions promote happiness and well-being at work.

Facilitate Fun

Create a Slack channel dedicated to fun. The theme may be memes, office pets, or anything else your employees may find amusing. Your team can laugh at the contents to reduce stress throughout the day.

Promote Laughter

Add humor to your presentations by including a meme. Laughter helps make your content more memorable. It also promotes participation, learning, and recollection of facts.

Encourage Collaboration

Plan team-building activities to build employee connections. Also, encourage social coffee breaks and walks with coworkers during employee downtime. Participating in fun activities and socializing with coworkers increase work engagement.

Need Help Hiring?

RightStone has the skilled IT professionals you need to reach business goals. Find out more today.

Here’s Why Gen Z Is Having Difficulty in This Job Market

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According to a July 2022 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, approximately 41% of graduates aged 22 to 27 were employed in jobs that did not require a college degree. Many of these graduates are trying to find their fit in the workforce or reevaluate their career goals.

The graduates’ decisions to take on low-paying jobs could impact their long-term financial health. This may have economic consequences for the entire United States.

Discover why Gen Z is having challenges entering the job market and the potential long-term impact on the US economy.

The Pandemic and Gen Z

The coronavirus pandemic caused significant setbacks for Gen Z. The pandemic impacted the time in their lives when Gen Z should be making their marks on the world.

The pandemic-related recession caused Gen Z to struggle to find high-quality jobs. Also, the shift to remote work decreased these graduates’ abilities to make professional connections and find careers that match their skills and interests.

Underemployment and Gen Z

Gen Z’s growing underemployment rate means it likely will take longer for the group to generate wealth. Low-wage employment typically leads to a cycle of turnover and replacement. This moves the labor market to an unfavorable equilibrium.

Underemployed workers typically see slow increases in earnings throughout their careers. The main reason is that low-wage employees work in fields that do not focus on skill development for higher-paying jobs. As a result, not having Gen Z work in jobs that require highly developed skills will adversely impact the long-term growth of the US economy.

Teenage Employees, Millennials, and Gen Z

Teenagers are willing to work for lower wages than college graduates. This makes teenage job seekers more attractive to employers than Gen Z. As a result, more jobs have been filled by teenagers than by Gen Z in the past few years.

Employers who were paying higher wages when the pandemic began preferred to hire millennials over Gen Z. Many millennials had more developed skills and work experience than Gen Z. As a result, more jobs were filled by millennials than by Gen Z in the past few years.

Want Help Filling Your Vacancies?

Partner with RightStone for help filling your IT vacancies. Get started today.

You Just Landed Your Dream Job! Now What?

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Congratulations on securing your dream job! Your hard work and dedication paid off.

Now comes the challenging part. You must show your employer they made the right decision when they hired you.

Most employers can tell within a few weeks whether a new hire will be successful in their organization. This means you must pay close attention to what you learn each day to maximize your performance.

Follow these guidelines to make a positive impression during the first week of your dream job.

Clarify Expectations

Meet with your manager to determine what is expected of you. Once you have a clear understanding, you can begin working toward your objectives.

Find out what a successful first month and first 6 months look like. Asking questions to uncover the details helps you perform at the level your manager wants.

Understand that you need time to work toward reaching these expectations. Be sure to learn from your mistakes and do better going forward.

Listen and Observe

Pay attention to the things that go on around you. You need to develop an understanding of what is happening, who your main partners are, and how you can add value to the organization.

Take the time to establish a foundation in your role. Then, you can start making changes and impacting the organization.

Learn the Company Culture

Focus on how your colleagues and coworkers interact and have fun. This shows what the company culture is like.

Paying attention to the signals around you helps you blend with the culture. This includes the typical work hours, how long lunch is, and how employees communicate throughout the workday.

Ask Questions

Use your available resources to learn more information about things. If you are unable to find what you are looking for, talk with a colleague or coworker for the answer.

Asking questions shows your ongoing interest in learning. It also demonstrates engagement in your work.

Monitor Your Work Hours

Continuously being the first to arrive at the office and the last to leave does not increase your value to the company. Instead, it can lead to overworking, increased stress, and poor performance. Other results may include job dissatisfaction and burnout.

Instead, prioritize work-life balance. This includes watching the range of times when your colleagues end their workday. You should leave sometime around the midpoint. This shows you will not always work late during your time with the company.

Partner with a Recruiter

When the time comes to find your next opportunity, include RightStone in your job search. Here is a link to our job board or to submit your information.

IT Job Security

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The latest IT trends are changing the way companies and consumers interact. This elevates sales, marketing, and ways of conducting business.

These IT trends also are creating job opportunities for technologists. As a result, you have more employment choices than before.

Discover some of the latest IT trends and how they create IT job security.

Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the belief that all tech-enabled devices can connect to the internet and each other to blend the physical and digital worlds. This increases opportunities for consumers to engage with products. The data can be used to maximize the results of marketing campaigns and user experiences.

IoT is changing the way business is conducted and the models used to do so. For instance, pay-per-use models are increasing in popularity as additional customer data becomes available. The growth of IoT increases the IT jobs related to it.

Machine Learning

More computers are able to analyze data and track patterns to facilitate learning. For instance, social media platforms use machine learning to analyze users’ likes, shares, and comments to see how users connect with the members of their networks. The platforms use this information to show users content from their closest connections.

Machine learning lets companies more effectively do business with customers. The technology helps businesses interact with customers to better anticipate and meet customers’ needs. The increasing need for machine learning means ongoing job opportunities for technologists.

Virtual Reality

Ongoing improvements in the hardware and programming of virtual reality technology impact almost every industry. In addition to its use in video games, virtual reality lets companies more effectively engage with customers.

Increased customer engagement maximizes sales and marketing campaigns. It also promotes learning, especially in educational organizations. All of these developments increase the number of IT jobs in the market.

Touch Commerce

Blending touchscreen technology and one-click shopping lets consumers purchase products from their mobile devices. Consumers link their payment information to their accounts so they can purchase virtually anything.

The increase in touch commerce increases sales related to this technology. It also creates new jobs for technologists.

Cognitive Technology

Natural language processing and speech recognition are examples of cognitive technology. These technologies are used to automate tasks previously done by people. Examples include certain accounting and analytics tasks.

Automated analysis of user data is especially beneficial for software companies wanting to scale. Staying current on cognitive technology in a given industry opens up a range of opportunities for IT professionals.

Ready for a New IT Job?

Partner with RightStone to land your next IT job. Visit our job board or submit your information today.