It’s a great time to be looking for a job in Information Technology, whether that is as a technician, a Project Manager, or any of the myriad of available positions. Depending on where you are located you may find yourself in an area with negative unemployment- where demand is so high that many professionals are working more than one position.

With such high demand and such low numbers of truly qualified professionals, it must be easy to find yourself the job of your dreams! But not so fast. Not all avenues for finding employment are created equally, and while there are more modern means of finding work, some of the classics may be the best. Finding work is often more art than science. It may take some time to perfect the process and determine what works best for you. As a Hiring Manager who has brought on dozens of technicians and supporting staff, here are some places to begin your search for your next employer.

Recruiters

Building relationships with recruiters is a good idea, not only for finding the next position you need or want but also for continually building upon your past successes and maintaining a pipeline of possible future opportunities. Recruiters need to maintain at least two relationships at all times to be successful: one with the candidate (you!), and one with an employer with a need to hire. If your recruiter is good at what they do, then they are constantly building new relationships with a pool of talent and a pool of businesses in need of talent.

This is all good news for you. You have found for yourself a resource that has a steady stream of information regarding both the job openings and talent availability in your area. That is some powerful insight!

The precise process of working with a recruiter may vary from firm to firm, but they largely follow the same plan. As a candidate looking for your next opportunity, you meet with the recruiter (sometimes only virtually) and discuss what kind of opportunity you are looking for. This might include the line of work you want to pursue, the days and hours you are available to work, and the pay rate you are expecting. You will submit to the recruiter a resume, and there may be some back and forth regarding its contents. Listen to their feedback, and if they don’t provide it readily, ask for it!

Employers will contact your recruiter to let her know of openings at their businesses that are coming up soon or are available immediately. As these openings stream into your recruiter, they will be on the lookout for opportunities that match your skill set, personality, and needs. When there is a match, bingo! You’ve got yourself a new job!

Some things to look out for when using recruiters

There is one fact you must face when using a recruiter- they are a business. This means that your recruiter is motivated to place as many candidates in as many jobs in the shortest amount of time possible.

Does this mean that your recruiter will bend truths, or present the best possible image of an opportunity to ensure that you are interested? Perhaps. If your recruiter is thinking long term, she will know that placing you in the wrong position will make you cynical and untrusting. Therefore, she should work hard to find the right opportunities for you and maintain a long-lasting professional relationship.

You will have to advocate for yourself, however, and double-check on any opportunity presented to you. Does it meet the basic needs you outlined? Does the company culture seem like a good fit? Are you in alignment with the organization’s mission and purpose? This is your career we are talking about, and the only one who can make the final decisions on where you take it is you.

Tech-Focused Job Boards

If going out and meeting recruiters does not sound like how you want to spend your day, you are in luck. The Internet Age has brought with it new avenues for finding work as a tech professional. Job boards with a focus that is narrowly sighted on the industry or positions you are seeking. Many of these have become household names (at least in my household), and new ones seem to pop up regularly.

Some of the top tech-focused job boards are:

  • Dice
  • Hired
  • Stack Overflow
  • IT Job Pro
  • Tech Careers

Of all the places to find quality job postings, these job boards are nice because of much of the filtering of unnecessary noise is done for you right out of the gate. This means you won’t be slashing your way through a jungle of listings for Property Managers, Executive Assistants, or Automotive Technicians. Instead, you’ll find things that are at least tangentially related to the line of work you are looking for.

The downside of all of this filtering is that you may miss out on opportunities from organizations that are not themselves in the Technology field but require technical talent to handle their operations. These organizations may handle all of their hirings through one or two more generic job boards, such as Indeed or Monster, and avoid entirely the role-specific job boards. With this in mind, it is a good strategy to use tech job boards in conjunction with those more generic options. They all generally have a free option for signing up and using their service, so cast a wide net!

Other options

We’re not done talking about how to find your first, or next job in IT. Continue reading in Part 2 as we move on to more traditional resources for finding work, and my personal experience with using these tools to recruit new employees.