Getting Hired in IT by the IT Career Guy

Technology Hiring Stats and Advice Are you currently frustrated with your technology career search? Confused after sending out dozens of resumes and applications and still haven’t received any calls from recruiters? Are you feeling down on yourself and questioning whether or not you made the right decision to pursue a career in IT? You’re not alone. In fact, here are some crazy stats for you that have been curated from several sources... 7 Interesting Stats for the 2019 Technology Job Market iCims Study called “Shifts and Trends in Tech Talent Qualifications and Needs, 2018. Technology Employers Are Hiring More but are Faced with Less Qualified Talent 61% of technology hiring professionals state a four-year college degree alone does not prepare job seekers to be successful in today’s workforce. 45% of technology hiring professionals state that in the next two years, a coding boot camp will be as meaningful a qualification for skilled technology jobs as a college degree. 74% of technology hiring professionals have increased freelance technology workers in the past two years due to lower costs and more access to specialized skills and flexibility. 60% of 44% of technology hiring professionals said that in the past year, less than 25 percent of their technology hires had a college degree in a related field. 65% found contract jobs from referrals, such as friends or professional network contacts. 17% found work through mobile-based applications for on-demand jobs. Skills to Know for 2019 AI Machine Learning Automation Big Data Python R C++   Keep an eye on my website... itcareerguy.com sign up for updates and other free bits of information. There are changes coming up that will be providing tons of value for you. Until next time, live life with a purpose.

Technology Talent Shortage ... NOT! Okay... maybe we do have a bit of a talent shortage in areas and especially with years of experience. However, have you considered hiring someone who has the will, the desire, and the energy to succeed and then INVEST in them? If not, then this episode is for you. Benefits to hiring Inexperienced Talent: Easy on the budget Develop those Who Understands the Digital Age ENERGY!!! Yes, you can save money, bring on fresh ideas, and energize the organization by following my advice. Will it take time to develop this new talent? Yes. Is it worth the time and effort to develop them? ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY YES! Take my words for what they're worth, but I am a 25-year veteran and leader who has hired people at all stages of their career and I'm telling you, getting people in the door with energy, enthusiasm, the willing to learn new things, will benefit you and your organization. Take a chance, bring them onboard and see what happens. Let me ask you, do you believe we have a shortage of people who are willing and able to perform? Or are you simply unwilling to put in the effort to develop individuals who deserve a chance. I for one do not believe we have a shortage of technology talent, we simply have a shortage of those willing to develop them. If you disagree, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Also, if you're frustrated of sending resumes and applications into the black hole of the job boards, join me on my LIVE Webinar in March. Sign up for some cool tools on my website and I'll keep you informed of the Webinar status. And as always, you can check out all my shows at www.itcareerguy.com. Until next time, Live Life with a Purpose.

Communication Skills for an Effective IT Manager COMMUNICATION IS THE MOST CRITICAL SKILL YOU CAN LEARN Before getting into the details, I would like everyone to know that I am working two online courses. The first Course teaches you how to get started in IT. I cover all the skills you need to understand and master, in great detail, in order to start that Technology career you want. I will be going over things like... - All the different options you have in the IT industry - Which path is most suited for you - How to go about gaining the skills necessary to qualify for the path you have chosen. - How to create the Winning Resume that will get you in front of the hiring managers. - Give you the best opportunity possible to land the job that will kickstart your IT career For more information, visit my website at ITCareerGuy.Com. Sign up for the Free Tips and Advice that I give out weekly AND if you sign up prior to the release of the course, you will qualify for an extreme Early Bird discount that I will be offering only for those who sign-up early. These courses will make you an indispensable contributor to your organization. By following my strategies and tactics, you will put yourself ahead of the game and create the career you have always wanted. That’s ITCareerGuy.Com... Sign up for a course. The investment will return itself exponentially, I guarantee it. How are Your Communication Skills? You must always practice effective communications if you want your vision to be realized. Communicating Up and Down the chain is critical. There are five primary keys you need to keep in mind about communication... - What are you communicating - Why are you communicating - Who is your audience - How should you communicate (written, verbally over the phone, in person, etc.) - When should you communicate. Going over each of these items in further detail, let's look at each separately: **What should you communicate** - You need to be very careful on what the message should be. - Situations dictate the what... Is the topic updating people on new technologies, letting your boss and/or team know about any changes in important events, communicating to your team about new demands and your ideas about technology? What do you communicate when times are tough and you have to break bad news? Do you tell everyone everything (over communicate) or do you hold back and meter the information carefully? - All these are considerations on the *What*. The Why The Who The How The When Why is Communicating Effectively Important? Without careful and effective communications, you will not be effective, your team will not be effective and ultimately, the business will suffer. If you truly want to make a difference in your organization, build relationships, have a high-performing team, you must master the art of communication. That does it for this lesson. Keep an eye on my website... sign up for updates and other free bits of information. There are changes coming up that will be providing tons of value for you. Until next time, live life with a purpose.

Why are Technical Skills Critical? You must possess strong technical skills to manage an IT team. This may be a bit obvious, but most of these skills are obvious. A lot of people go into management because they are tired of chasing the technology and want to do something else. However, you can’t fully let it drop. You must stay on top of the tech. Think of yourself as the mentor for your most senior guys. I’m not saying you have to know all the details at the same level of your team, in fact it’s impossible for you to do so. What you need to do is have a good enough understanding to know when good is good and bad is bad. Why is this important? 1. Respect 2. Protect your team 3. Communicate effectively both up and down the ladder 4. Deal with vendors without having to drag your most valued individuals into all those meetings with vendors. 5. To make wise strategic decisions, you must understand the technology. In order to be an effective manager, you must continue to work on your technical skills and knowledge. Do not let yourself get into the "Markitecture" of technology, concentrate on the "Architecture" and what really works. This will help you create more sound decisions around strategy and direction. Above all else, let your people work out the details and have input. Let them own the solution. You simply provide the direction and help them move forward. www.itcareerguy.com

Skills of an Effective Manager Part 1: Organization Effective managers must know how to manage: People, Projects, Teams, and Budgets Sure there is more to it, but these are the basics. Organizing People. This is the art of putting the right people into the right positions doing the right things. Step 1. Create an Executive Proposal of why you are reorganizing and the Value it brings to the organization. Step 2. Rules of the Road. Create a decision matrix that outlines the logic for how you are going to achieve our goals. Step 3. Create a Job Model for every necessary position. Step 4. Determine the labor force needed. Step 5. Decide how you want the organization to work together. Step 6: Alow for the ability to formally make changes to the plan. Step 7: COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE.... but don’t over communicate. Some things need to be left for discretion of the leaders. **Helpful Tips** Here are some of the factors you need to keep in mind when organizing an IT department: What does the IT department need to best support the business? What skills and experience is needed? What opportunities are there to move people up or laterally to more fitting positions? Who are your future leaders? What levels of management are needed? Remember, a single person can’t manage more than 7-10 people effectively in an IT department. What style of IT does the business need? Agile, DevOps, Traditional or Hybrid? Personalities... keep in mind who you’re matching up on specific teams. If you know two individuals can’t work together take the opportunity to make a correction.

Why does team conflict exist? Different personalities Different perspective on how to do things Leadership isn’t on the same page Leadership fails to create a cohesive environment The Fix Leadership must: Take ownership of the problem. Establish Why You Are Here... bring the teams together under a single purpose. Build Understanding Create cross-team working groups to establish standards and create solutions within specific guidelines. Important Tips Leadership must buy into the lines that everyone must work within. Create working groups across the team to establish standards and create solutions. Get Help!

What Veterans Day Means to Me My Experience I joined the US Air Force in the summer of 1991 and shipped out on February of 1992. This was right at the end of Operation Desert Storm and during Desert Shield. I had been married for a year and a half and had a seven-month old daughter when I went to Basic Training. My “Why” of joining was three-fold, to further my professional life, get away from family pressures, and do something I believed in. It was an exciting time. A proud time. And a sad time. I was excited about new opportunities and the unknown. My friends and family were proud of what I was doing. Some were sad and hurt. I was somewhat conscious of all that, but the excitement of embarking on something new overrode everything else. Unexpected Turn Professionally, I thought I wanted to be a software developer. I knew that was where the industry was going and there was this wild intangible about creating something out of absolutely nothing which fascinated me. However, my ASVAB scores were not good enough and I had to settle for being a Communications Computer Operator, a 491x1 at the time. It’s been reclassified a few times since then. It was a bit humbling for me and definitely disappointing, but I knew it was a foot in the door and figured I could work my way up. And I did. This is where preparation met opportunity.   Fork in the Road All this led into the opportunity I’ve been waiting for, in the fall of 1993, the Air Force had a huge project to consolidate all of their mainframes into the Regional Processing Centers (RPCs) and since I had shown exemplary performance and initiative, they gave me the option to either become a Systems Administrator or a Database Administrator. My career was in full blast as an IT professional and wasn’t even aware of it. I just wanted to learn as much as possible and do the best job I could do. Overall, joining the military was the best professional decision I had ever made in my life. I am extremely proud of what I did and would still be serving today if I could. Lessons Learned Sacrificing for others will always pay you back ten fold. Despite my sacrifices (which were very few compared to our fighting men and women in the other services), the military had given me a set of skills that directly translated to the public sector and most of all, the pride of serving my country. Nothing can nor will ever take away that pride. Serving your country means to do the things your country asks of you without expecting anything in return. That’s true about serving at any level or anything. Be proud of serving, continue to server whether or not you’re in the military. "Leaving the Battlefield" story is by Chaplain Major Carlos C. Huerta USA; April 2012; https://www.army.mil/article/78562/leaving_the_battlefield_soldier_shares_story_of_ptsd   **Important Tips** - Join a movement in your area, support the troops and their families

Adversity Leads to Success “I don’t need easy, I just need possible.” — Bethany Hamilton Are you struggling to get that certification done? Are you facing your tenth job application and have been turned down nine times already? Did that project you were working on face a setback due to budget shortfalls? No matter your problem, you can overcome. The trick is to stay “gritty” as Joe De Sena would say. We all face challenges and rejection. I have lost it all at one point but quickly bounced back from absolutely nothing but my family, friends and good relationships I built over time. A true test of character is how you respond to adversity. Get up. Face your trouble... stare it down... overcome. Need Help? Go to http://itcareerguy.com/contact and let me know what you’re challenged with, I’m here to help you.

Excuses are Dream Killers Excuse #1: “I’m too tired”.  If you have a couple of hours between now and bedtime, then I’m calling you out! Excuse #2: “I don’t have the money to take the class.” There is so much free information available on the Internet, money should not be a factor. Also, if you cannot allocate $25 per month to learning the skills necessary for you to achieve your dream, then sacrifice something of lesser importance to you and your family. Like that cell phone or coffee habit! Excuse #3: “I’m not smart enough to do this!” I’m just an average student. It takes me twice the time and effort it takes an average person to learn something. If I can do it, so can you. What you’re probably doing is overwhelming yourself with too much at one time. This is not an overnight journey. It’s going to take time. Break your activities into small, digestible portions. You are smart enough! Excuse #4: “I don’t know where to start?” If you are having problems of getting off the ground, reach out to a mentor or even myself. I’m here to help you make sense out of the process and the details. Excuse #5: “I don’t have any experience!” Sure you don’t, but you have to start somewhere. Volunteer your time and get experience. Dive into the multitude of sample exercises online to help you. Need Help? Go to http://itcareerguy.com/contact and let me know what you’re challenged with, I’m here to help you. Reference: “The Spartan Way” by Joe De Sena — Highly recommended for getting things done!

Motivate! Find the Will to Move Forward “Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.” — Will Rogers Practice Enthusiasm Steps to Find Enthusiasm - Reference "The Spartan Way" by Joe De Sena Fake it Talk to Yourself in Third Person Get Fired Up - Clapping Therapy Crank It Up - Music is motivating Visualize Yourself Winning Helpful Tips Remind Yourself Everyday of WHY You’re Doing What You’re Doing! Share what you’re doing with someone else. Send me your status and what you’re doing... let me help! www.itcareerguy.com