The Recruiter

Where Wages are Headed

We say that a good work environment, friendly co-workers and a short commute make or break a job, but at the end of the day, we’re really working for a paycheck.  To help gauge where wages are headed, we put out a quarterly wage report based on more than 20,000 paychecks to more than 5,000 technology workers.   

Based on the Index of Technology Wages, the summer will heat-up salaries too.  The second quarter of 2006 is predicted to surpass wages from 2005.  Wages declined just slightly this quarter from the record-high from the fourth quarter of 2005 and first quarter of 2006. 

This news should make workers in technology feel confident about the job market and the demand employers have for highly skilled employees.  With the need for strong industry experience in candidates offset by the shortage of talent, wages should remain very competitive in the fall and winter of 2006. 

Although wages are up, hiring this year is predicted to be about half of what it was last year, up only 2.0% from 4.1% in 2005 according to Staffing Industry’s News Bulletin based on research from this study.

Take a look at eWeek.com’s analysis of the Index of Technology Wages.  To sign-up for automatic updates on the Index, click here.

Posted by Christy H.

Information Security

I just wrapped up a segment on Computer America, a syndicated radio show hosted by Craig Crossman. We spoke about the security market and how it has been built up by unethical hacking, terrorism, etc.

My basic point: Security starts at home for companies and individuals. Organizations need to have policies that cover security of information, but also assets. We've been hearing far too often about how a bank of information provider have had laptops stolen. And that the laptops have customer information in them. Well, I think that's one of those policy things that companies need to focus on.

Check out this link for more on Computer America, or click here to listen to last night's show.

Posted by Jim L.

Tech Résumé Tips

Just last week, eWeek posted an article saying that over half the tech workforce will be switching jobs in the next 12 months.   

When looking for a new career, the most important step to get your foot in the door with a potential employer is your résumé.  Nothing can squash your chances of landing a perfect job more quickly than a mediocre résumé. 

With applicant track systems being used across the board, keywords on your résumé are more vital than ever before.  In order to get a set of human eyes to even glance at your résumé, load it with relevant keywords like SAP, Visio or Java.  This will pluck your résumé out of the system and land it on some lucky employer or recruiter’s desk.

Avoid the cookie-cutter résumé templates!  These templates reek of an unqualified or lazy candidate.  Also, remember to format your résumé with your objectives highlighted upfront and skills right below.  That’s right, actually designate your career objectives on the résumé AND your cover letter.  In technology, even more than other fields, employers want to know your specific interest in the industry. 

The one-page résumé rule only applies to rookies.  If you actually have enough pertinent experience to fill two pages, do it.  Just make sure that you’re not wasting space with out-dated or personal information.  Although some will recommend adding personal information to your résumé to add that human-quality, don’t.  It’s great you’re active on your kids’ PTA and enjoy fly-fishing; your future boss doesn’t care. 

If you’re following these tips and still not getting a good response on your résumé, try a quick Ego Search on the web.  Type your name into a few major search engines and see what pops up.  Employers are doing this and so should you.  If the first dozen hits are your profane blog posts or scandalous comments on your myspace account, bingo.  Clean-up your Internet hits by posting industry-related comments on blogs like ours. 

For a complete list of tech résumé tips and job hunting tactics in technology, check out this article. 

Posted by Christy H.

Take It Offline

Technology makes everyone’s lives easier.  Voicemail, text messages and eMail are a huge part of the business world today and not just in the technology fields.

Aside from the convenience these technologies provide, they’re not always good for business or you. 

eMail is a vital part of the modern business world.  It provides information in a fast convenient format.  It also serves as an accurate record of a project as it progresses.  Despite all of positive attributes eMail embodies, it is often impersonal and open to misinterpretation.  When you make a funny comment in an eMail, your inflection and facial expressions aren’t present to reinforce the light-hearted quip.  Instead, people are confused or offended by a seemingly harmless joke.  Also, since eMail is so impersonal, it is never the right medium to reprimand or criticize coworkers.   

The value of phone calls and live meetings can never be replaced with advances in business technology.  Human interaction builds better workplace relationships, makes confusing issues easier to comprehend and it is better for your health.  Seriously.  Interacting face-to-face offers human contact associated with a reduction in stress and anxiety levels.   

It’s a good idea to make it to the water cooler to chat with colleagues and to set-up meetings when projects are complex.  To learn all the business technology etiquette rules check out this article. 

Posted by Christy H.