IT recruiters can make the most of their time by performing a simple Google search at the beginning of the hiring process to weed out undesirable candidates. This can cut out the number of calls you have to make, interviews you need to schedule and also ensure that you find better candidates.

Here are some tips for how to go about screening candidates online:

1. Perform a search: Google is a great first step. Trying searching using the candidate's full name and perhaps other identifying information. This can also be a great way to cross-check employment information listed on a resume.
2. Look for patterns: It's important to review online data in a comprehensive way. You don't necessarily need to eliminate a candidate just because you found one picture of them drinking alcohol at a party. If, however, you uncover dozens of those kinds of images, you may be able to infer that they're not a great fit for certain roles. Similarly, studying Twitter or other sites can reveal a lot about a candidate's personality and how well they'll fit into an organization.
3. Focus on the positives: While discussion is often focused on the negative things that can be found about job seekers, the internet can also be a great tool for uncovering their accomplishments and skills. If the candidate has a solid LinkedIn profile, an industry-relevant blog or website or is highlighted on a website for achievement or success, then these are all marks in their favor.
4. Be consistent: Try to develop a system for how you screen candidates online so you're being fair about your research. Start each search with an open mind – don't bring biases into the situation.

While the internet can be a great tool for recruiters, keep in mind that it should only be part of a broader recruitment strategy. It definitely doesn't replace a phone call or a face-to-face meeting, but it can help you eliminate some candidates early on and give you more time to spend on those who are worth your effort.

SkillStorm is an award winning Technology Services company now hiring recruiters and technology professionals nationwide. Learn more about our career accelerating job opportunities and services in the area of technology consulting, project outsourcing, talent acquisition and onshore managed services.

IT recruiters are good at separating the wheat from the chaff. They know what skills to look for, what warning signs to heed and how to understand a candidate after a short interview. In recent years, one of their best recruitment tools has become the internet. It's easier than ever to screen potential candidates early in the process.

With that in mind, here is some valuable IT job advice: clean up your online identity. Although you've probably heard this before, here are some reasons that you should take this seriously:

• Yes, companies do actually perform online screening: 90 percent of recruiters look at candidates online
• What they find matters: 70 percent of employers on LinkedIn have decided not to offer someone a job because of what was found online
• You won't have the chance to defend yourself: only 27 percent of companies give job seekers a chance to explain online content

These are three compelling reasons to make sure your online presence is squeaky clean. You don't want to lose a job because of a silly tweet, picture or Facebook comment. Here are some ways to make sure your online identity looks desirable to employers:

• Perform a Google search of your name and clean up any problems you uncover
• Limit the negative content you post online, even if you think it's private
• Differentiate yourself from others if you have a common name by inserting professional information or a middle name into your profiles
• Share content that shows you're an engaged, interested and intelligent individual with skills and expertise that a company would benefit from

Having an online presence isn't a bad thing. In fact, it's a great way to market yourself. But you need to be smart about it by managing the information that's out there.

SkillStorm is an award winning Technology Services company now hiring recruiters and technology professionals nationwide. Learn more about our career accelerating job opportunities and services in the area of technology consulting, project outsourcing, talent acquisition and onshore managed services.

Your department's list of IT projects keeps growing, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Now may be the time to pause, reflect and seek out some productivity strategies. Chances are, you and your department aren't being as efficient as possible.

One survey found that the software and internet sector is one of the highest time-wasting industries, with an average of 2 hours and 18 minutes being wasted by each employee every day. There are a lot of reasons that respondents said their work productivity suffers, but the top culprits include:

• Not being challenged
• Long hours
• Lack of incentives
• Boredom

Employers and employees can both make some changes to improve productivity in IT departments.

Employees
Whether you're a project manager, contractor or systems administrator, here are some tips for cutting out waste and making some progress on your to-do list:

• Set limits: A lot of people create massive to-do lists that are impossible to tackle in one day, week or even month. Start breaking this down into manageable chunks. Give yourself a handful of tasks to complete each day and make sure you complete all of them. You'll get into the habit of doing what you need to in the time you've allocated, will take satisfaction in accomplishing your daily goals and will gradually work your way through that longer to-do list.
• Talk to people: Most of us are in the habit of sending an email or chatting with a co-worker online rather than talking to them in person, but this can waste a lot of time. Make a phone call if you need to ask a question or work out a problem, or walk over to someone's workspace and have a face-to-face conversation. This will decrease the likelihood of misunderstandings that can lead to problems down the road.
• Make one repetitive task more efficient: We all have those inefficient little habits or routines that we perform every day. For example, manually creating reports about your network that have to be sent to your supervisor every Friday morning. Is there an automated system that could perform this task instead? Probably. Eliminating that two-hour process from each week would save a lot of hours over time.
• Stop multi-tasking: We love to do everything all at once, but studies have shown that multi-tasking actually slows us down. Get into the habit of focusing on one thing for 30 or 45 minutes. If you're in a position like at an IT help desk where you're repeatedly interrupted, try coming into the office early three days a week so you have an hour or two to focus. Or work out a shift schedule with a co-worker – take a laptop off to a private space for an hour or two while they cover the desk.

Employers
Companies should also take steps to help their employees be more productive.

• Outsource one initiative: Talk to your workers about repetitive tasks or projects that are taking up too much of their time and preventing them from moving forward on more important initiatives. Consider domestic IT outsourcing as a solution to this problem. By focusing in-house staff on fewer projects, they'll be able to be more efficient.
• Provide incentives: Incorporate rewards or bonuses into your pay structure so that employees have a reason to do more and be more efficient. Also inform them that productivity levels will be factored into performance reviews and decisions about raises.
• Create challenges: Get your employees motivated by giving them a fun or interesting new project to tackle. Allowing them to break away from mundane daily tasks will get them energized and thinking about their workload in a new way. Set aside one week during a slow quarter where they are devoted to brainstorming solutions to a complex company problem.

SkillStorm is an award winning Technology Services company now hiring recruiters and technology professionals nationwide. Learn more about our career accelerating job opportunities and services in the area of technology consulting, project outsourcing, talent acquisition and onshore managed services.

Business success has become increasingly reliant on IT work. Technology has begun to influence how companies set strategic priorities and is also being used to measure business achievement.

New CompTIA research, based on responses from more than 1,250 IT executives, found the following:

• More than 75 percent of companies said technology is important or very important to their success
• Most business leaders said they plan to increase their IT spending this year
• 40 percent of respondents expect to hire new IT staff in 2013

Recent tech employment numbers also confirm this trend. The TechAmerica Foundation reported that the United States' technology industry added 67,400 IT jobs in 2012, which is a 1.1 percent increase over 2011. In total, 5.95 million people were employed in tech jobs in the U.S. in 2012.

But what you might find most interesting about their research is that the average tech industry worker made almost twice as much as the average private sector worker, with a $93,800 annual IT salary compared to a $47,400 non-IT salary.

Most of the growth in 2012 was driven by software-related services, which added 63,900 jobs, explained TechAmerica. Engineering and tech services added 11,300 jobs and internet and telecommunications expanded by 1,800 jobs. The CompTIA report found that business leaders plan to increase technology resources in five major areas:

• Cybersecurity
• Data storage and back-up capabilities
• Network infrastructure
• Web presence, including e-commerce initiatives
• Updating aging computers and software

"Emerging technologies such as cloud computing continue to see adoption gains as well," noted Tim Herbert, CompTIA's vice president of research. "More than half of responding companies say they are either experimenting with or fully using cloud computing solutions."

SkillStorm is an award winning Technology Services company now hiring recruiters and technology professionals nationwide. Learn more about our career accelerating job opportunities and services in the area of technology consulting, project outsourcing, talent acquisition and onshore managed services.

CIOs manage a long list of IT projects. It can be easy to lose track of details about how department funds are being spent on a daily basis. But it's important for CIOs to keep department budgets as lean as possible by considering all possible areas for cutting unnecessary spending. This can free up funds for IT talent acquisition, new IT projects or other important initiatives.

A new survey conducted by the independent research firm Forrester found that 76 percent of IT decision-makers are concerned about the need to reduce costs, but many were missing out on opportunities to cut unnecessary spending. Forrester explained that there are several ways that CIOs often fail to achieve IT budget savings:

• Upgrading network infrastructure prematurely: About 79 percent of respondents said they upgrade their network infrastructure every one to five years because of industry and vendor recommendations, rather than evaluating the actual performance of the network and whether changes are needed. 
• Failing to seek out lower costs in maintenance contracts: Instead, IT department should ask for bids from resellers and third party vendors so they can compare costs and achieve the most competitive pricing.
• Paying firms to perform unnecessary software updates: Many companies pay software maintenance fees even if no new software needs to be installed or if the program is available for free.
• Rewarding value, quality and longevity in IT infrastructure and equipment: While this may mean a shift in IT department thinking, it could ultimately lead to higher savings over time.

"After surveying 304 IT decision-makers, Forrester found that even though IT budgets are under constant scrutiny, businesses have defaulted to vendor influence which has blinded them to the rewards of extending hardware lifecycles and third-party maintenance solutions," Forrester explained about the research.

SkillStorm is an award winning Technology Services company now hiring recruiters and technology professionals nationwide. Learn more about our career accelerating job opportunities and services in the area of technology consulting, project outsourcing, talent acquisition and onshore managed services.

There's good news if you're just graduating and starting an IT job search: The National Association of Colleges and Employers found that companies plan to hire two percent more college grads this year than last year. Plus, computer science majors will be one of the most sought-after groups.

Even with this advantage, make sure that your job search starts off with a bang. Here are some career tips to keep in mind as you begin preparing to transition from full-time student to full-time professional:

• Technology and online networking is becoming more prevalent, as 60 percent of companies plan to increase their use of online recruiting through sites like LinkedIn and Facebook. Make sure that your online social networking profiles are complete, up-to-date and professional. Also make sure that there isn't content posted online that you don't want an employer to find. Now is the time to clean up your online identity.
• Incorporate keywords into your resume and cover letter that are relevant and related to the jobs you're applying for. A lot of companies automatically filter candidates using a computer system. No mention of key skills and technical programs on your application means your resume probably won't make it through that first screening.
• Create electronic portfolios of your work. Employers often want to see more than just a resume. Post college projects or examples of work completed using a certain program. This is a great way to demonstrate your skills and stand out from the crowd.
• Use your education to your advantage. A lot of new graduates undersell themselves by failing to include skills and experience they gained in classes on their resumes. Make sure you include all of your abilities. If you have skills gaps that are going to hurt your job search, consider taking an extra class or seeking out certification that will make you more desirable to employers.

SkillStorm is an award winning Technology Services company now hiring recruiters and technology professionals nationwide. Learn more about our career accelerating job opportunities and services in the area of technology consulting, project outsourcing, talent acquisition and onshore managed services. 

Today’s IT jobs are increasingly diverse across different markets, areas and within specific settings. The data center, for example, has positions that span a variety of skills and responsibilities. Here are the top five data center jobs that will be in high demand over the next few years:

1) Data scientists are helping companies and data centers find new ways to use resources, analyze information and make decisions about operations. They can often earn more than $100,000 annually because this combination of analytical, creative and technical skills is so prized.

2) Technicians are needed to keep data centers functioning properly. In the mobile device market in particular, companies need new tools and people to manage them so that mobile growth is supported. Knowledgeable technicians who can troubleshoot and manage a variety of data center needs are valuable and in high demand.

3) Architects are the people who know not only how to build IT infrastructure but how to leverage it to maximize its effectiveness. For instance, they can help companies understand how to host cloud applications, configure them and negotiate service level agreements. As infrastructure continues to become more complex, architects will only become more important.

4) Help desk workers can be surprisingly hard to find because they need a range of technical skills and experience, strong communication abilities and great problem-solving skills. As more employees without tech backgrounds rely on technology, these professionals will be needed in growing numbers. A recent survey has found that they’re also being valued more highly, with salaries now 4 to 5 percent higher than they were last year.

5) Security experts continue to be a key player in the data center. They can help companies develop safeguards that will protect critical data from malicious attacks. Many companies are expanding their IT security leadership and staff, with security personnel growth over the past three years resulting in 50 percent more demand now than there was for these positions in 2010.

Interpersonal skills key in the data center

If you want to land one of these data center jobs, you should seek out a blend of knowledge, industry expertise and broad technical understanding. But one of the most important things you may not have considered is how critical people skills are in a data center setting.

“This increased need for teamwork brings with it a higher necessity for effective interpersonal skills,” explained Andrew Hillier, CTO and co-founder of data center software company CiBRA. “That is to say, there are slowly but surely becoming fewer jobs where you can simply sit in the corner of the room and do your job. As a result, more than ever, your ability to communicate with others will have a direct effect on your professional success.”

SkillStorm is an award winning Technology Services company now hiring recruiters and technology professionals nationwide. Learn more about our career accelerating job opportunities and services in the area of technology consulting, project outsourcing, talent acquisition and onshore managed services.

While your company may be focused on IT talent acquisition, don’t forget to stay up to date with the latest gadgets, gizmos and tech trends. The consumerization of IT is leading to some pretty radical changes at home that could soon be arriving in the office too. In fact, some are already being implemented by adventurous managers and CIOs.

Want to keep your IT talent excited, engaged and ready to stay ahead of the curve? Make sure you’re keeping your eye on these new tech trends:

1. Natural user interfaces make it easier to interact with technology. Instead of tapping or clicking your mouse or keyboard, 3D gesture, voice, emotion or brainwave recognition will enable a more seamless interaction between technology and users.

2. Enterprise gamification is going to make work a whole lot more fun – and more productive too. Workers can engage in challenges or earn points for improving sales performance or increasing customer engagement. This may also impact how the human resources department tracks candidates, evaluates performance and provides rewards for workplace achievement.

3. Virtual assistants of the future will make your to-do list or even your smartphone seem so 20th Century. Some of the new technology being developed is so smart that it operates like an extension of your brain, anticipating your needs and even proactively providing assistance when it thinks you need it.

4. Augmented reality has already begun to emerge in the smartphone app world, with data overlaid onto your screen when you hold up your phone near an AR-enabled object or place. This could be used by employees to mimic a work environment at home or while traveling. The comforts of home – or at least the familiar – could be right in your pocket.

SkillStorm is an award winning Technology Services company now hiring recruiters and technology professionals nationwide. Learn more about our career accelerating job opportunities and services in the area of technology consulting, project outsourcing, talent acquisition and onshore managed services.

If your company is considering IT project outsourcing, should IT certification be factored into hiring decisions? The answer is both yes and no.

One IT director pointed out that when interviewing job candidates 10 years ago, he valued a four-year degree more than a technical certification, but today that’s no longer the case. Because of the rapid pace of change in today’s IT world, certifications can provide solid networking, systems and help desk knowledge as well as education about new mainstream tech.

Some certifications that are especially valuable include:

• Microsoft Technology Associate certifications provides basic foundational knowledge for those interested in developing their server, networking, security and desktop OS skills
• Cisco Certified Network Associate educates candidates about basic networking principles
• VMware Certified Professional provides network virtualization training and explains how to implement and maintain VMware-powered virtual environments
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional makes sense for IT security pros just starting out, but doesn’t provide an advanced level of proficiency

While these IT certifications can certainly be an asset, as they show a candidate has taken the time to become educated about a specific topic or area, it’s still not an IT ​job quality assurance. Ultimately, companies need to establish IT infrastructure that will enhance the skills of IT professionals. No certification will allow someone to come into a job and be successful if the necessary tools and structure are lacking.

“My fear is that as we concentrate more on the enabling technology and its accompanying certification programs, the strategically challenged will find more excuses to ignore the larger issues,” explained InfoWorld’s David Linthicum. “While certification programs have their place, they do not replace a larger understanding of the technology you’re looking to implement or an honest assessment of your business issues.”

SkillStorm is an award winning Technology Services company now hiring recruiters and technology professionals nationwide. Learn more about our career accelerating job opportunities and services in the area of technology consulting, project outsourcing, talent acquisition and onshore managed services.

Whether you're a contractor or a recent hire starting a new job, you need to do more than just dress for success. There are a lot of dos and don'ts that could mean the difference between a promotion or a pink slip:

• Accountability: Your new boss is probably managing various people, all of whom have different tasks, deadlines and projects. Showing that you can be trusted to complete your work well and on time will go a long way toward impressing your boss and co-workers. If you say you're going to complete a task or a project, make sure you do it.
• Preparation: From taking notes to asking good questions, it's important to show that you're taking your new job seriously. For example, before you have a meeting about a new project, try to ask some questions so you know the background, individuals involved, past problems and future goals of the project before joining the discussion.
• Innovation: In the IT field, everyone is always looking for the next best thing. If you can deliver it to your new department or company, they will love you. Anything that saves time or money is valuable to companies and is a good way to show that you're a key asset.
• Efficiency: Working hard is important, but so is working smart. Your boss isn't going to appreciate long hours if you're wasting them by failing to use software properly or because you aren't managing your time well. While there's a learning curve at the beginning of a new job, you should still try to develop smart work habits from day one.
• Communication: One of the biggest complaints that managers have, especially of technical staff, is that they lack the communication skills needed to express ideas, projects or technical issues. Know your strengths. If you're not a great writer, then pick up the phone and call someone instead of emailing them. Not good at presentations? Spend extra time rehearsing beforehand. Be proactive about improving your communication abilities now and it will pay off in the long term.
• Education: IT training never really ends, as new software and hardware is developed and introduced each year. Talk to your manager about ongoing professional development. Also, make sure you read about new tech trends and think about how they could be implemented in your department.

SkillStorm is an award winning Technology Services company now hiring recruiters and technology professionals nationwide. Learn more about our career accelerating job opportunities and services in the area of technology consulting, project outsourcing, talent acquisition and onshore managed services.