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3 Tips That Will Make You a Successful Remote Worker

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Many tech professionals see the opportunity to be a remote worker as a dream come true. You can eliminate costly and tedious commutes, working in a comfortable environment, and enjoy an additional level of flexibility most office-based employees don’t receive.

However, working remotely comes with different challenges, and it isn’t necessarily the right move for everyone. To help ensure you are successful in a remote position, here are three tips you can begin using today.

1) Discuss Expectations Early and Often

You can’t be successful if you don’t understand what your manager or the company is expecting of you. When you work remotely, there isn’t as much direct oversight regarding your job, making it easy for something to filter if you don’t understand exactly what you need to accomplish.

To begin, you need to make sure you and your manager are on the same page regarding your schedule. This can involve set hours or something more flexible, such as the completion of specific tasks or making a certain amount of progress on a daily or weekly basis. To meet these requirements, you may need to establish a check-in system or schedule times to provide updates regarding your work.

You also need to clarify if there are certain team-oriented activities, such as meetings or planning sessions, for which you must be virtually present. If so, determine how you will participate, such as if you need to attend over the phone or using video conferencing and make sure you keep the details in the calendar invite or somewhere else highly accessible.

2) Establish Methods for Communication

When you are a remote worker, it’s easy to feel disconnected from co-workers. Much of this can be alleviated if the right communication and collaboration tools are in place. Discuss all of the available solutions with your manager and determine which methods are best for which activities. You may also need to find out if your co-workers have certain preferences for communicating, so you know how to reach the people you need whenever the need arises.

You also need to make sure your written and phone-based communication skills are up to par. In most cases, you’ll spend most of your time speaking with managers and co-workers through email or using instant messaging systems. With that in mind, you need to be prepared to convey critical information concisely while maintaining a professional tone. You also need to ensure you’re able to speak clearly over the phone, especially if you are on speaker phone in a conference room. When you communicate in writing or through voice-only options, people don’t have visual cues to help them understand you, so you must take that into consideration.

3) Get Regular Face Time

It is easier to connect with people when you can see them, at least occasionally. Luckily, video conferencing technology is more robust than ever, so it is fairly easy to schedule time to see your manager and co-worker on a regular basis. Consider having key conversations using video chat or attend team meetings using the technology. That way, you can feel like a more cohesive part of the team, and everyone else will feel the same.

Are you looking for a new job?

If you are interested in learning more about working as a remote worker or would like to explore job opportunities in your area, Resolution Technologies can connect you with some of today’s leading employers. Contact us today to see how our services can help you be successful in your next position.

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3 Ways to Continue Your Education While You Have a Full-Time Job

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The idea of juggling higher education with a full-time job is intimidating. Often, it can feel as though there is barely enough time for the life you have today, let alone if you decide to add schooling to your schedule. But there are ways to pursue your dreams of more education while keeping your current paycheck. To help you weigh your options, here is an overview of three ways you can continue your education while working 40+ hours a week.

1) Night and Weekend Classes

Many brick and mortar colleges and universities offer certain programs that can be finished using only night or weekend classes. Often, this is an ideal solution for people who need to work full-time but are interested in a degree that is best served by being in an actual classroom (or who simply prefer this approach).

In some cases, you can actually finish a degree in the same length of time as those taking courses during the day. In others, you may find a part-time school schedule is more conducive to your needs. Either approach will help you earn your degree, so choose the time commitment that works best for you.

2) Online Programs

Thanks to the rising demand, getting a degree online has never been easier. A range of schools, including some of the most reputable institutions in the nation, offer degree plans that can be finished entirely from the comfort of your own home. And, in most cases, you can complete your assignments at any time of day and on any day of the week as long as you meet the deadlines.

For students who are relatively self-motivated, don’t need a lot of direct instruction, and require some flexibility, an online degree program can be ideal. You can also choose from full-time and part-time class schedules, just as you would if you attended classes in person.

3) Certifications

Sometimes, you don’t need a full college degree to keep your career moving forward. There is a range of IT-related certifications that can elevate your resume and assert you have the right skills for your target position.

In some cases, certifications function as proof of knowledge you already have, meaning all you need to do is study and take the test. Others accompany specific classes or programs, but they usually require fewer courses to complete than a formal degree.

In either case, you can formalize your knowledge without having to commit to a multi-year degree plan, which can be ideal for full-time employees looking to advance in their current field and not necessarily start a new one.

Are you looking for a new job?

By using one of the methods above, it is possible to continue your education will maintaining a full-time job. If you are interested in learning how additional education can change your career options or are looking for a new position, the team at Resolution Technologies has the industry expertise to guide you forward. Contact us today to see how education and employment can work together for a brighter future.

 

What to Expect in an IT Interview

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While many job interviews involve variations of the same questions, IT interviews often include specific technical questions to help assess your skills and capabilities. Hiring managers typically need more details to make sure you possess the experience they need to complete their teams, ensuring you can properly handle the duties of the position.

Even though it can seem like preparing for these questions is difficult, there are ways to anticipate what may lie ahead.

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To help you get ready for your next IT interview, here are some tips for managing the process.

Review the Job Posting

The job posting is your biggest source of information as it outlines the key skills and abilities the ideal candidate must possess. Specific programming languages, systems, software or other knowledge areas listed in the announcement will likely be covered by the hiring manager’s questions, so be prepared to speak about each of them.

To show you are a strong candidate, relate each skill to a specific example from your prior duties or educational experiences. That way, you can provide details beyond just confirming you are not only familiar with the skill, but you know how to use it in a practical way.

Pay Attention to the Interview Type

When most job seekers think of interviews, they imagine sitting across from the hiring manager and answering questions. However, many IT recruitments include a technical interview as well as a traditional variant, and they aren’t managed the same way.

A traditional interview typically matches the image candidates have in their head. Technical interviews can be somewhat different, as they involve more demonstrations and less talk. For example, you may be asked to write some code on a whiteboard during a technical interview to show how you would solve a particular problem.

If you are coming in for a technical interview, it is important to review any fundamental skills related to the position that may be demonstrable. Be prepared to write out responses by hand and give explanations regarding why you took a particular approach.

While you might not know the exact question until it is asked, understanding the format is somewhat different during a technical interview can make it less of a shock when you are asked to write out a response.

Get Up to Speed on Recent IT Developments

Few fields change as quickly as IT, and many hiring managers want employees who stay up to date on new developments on their own. This not only shows you have an interest in the work outside of a formal job setting, but you understand how a role can change over time as new technologies emerge.

Before going into your interview, look up recent announcements and new products that relate to the job specifically. That way, when the interviewer asks if you have an interest in anything upcoming, you have specific examples to provide.

Are you looking for your next IT job interview?

If you are looking for more tips regarding IT interviews or are seeking new opportunities in your field, Resolution Technologies can help. Contact us to discuss your employment needs today.

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Staying Positive During a Difficult Job Search

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Being a job seeker isn’t always easy. Whether you are newly unemployed or looking for new opportunities outside of your current employer, dealing with feelings of worry, frustration or rejection can take a toll over time and make it hard to remain positive about what the future may hold.

However, giving in to negative feelings can hurt your job search, making it less likely you’ll find the kind of opportunity you need. While staying positive doesn’t sound like a simple task, there are methods that will help you keep your chin up even during the toughest of times.

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Here are some tips to get you started and keep you going regardless of the length of the journey.

1) Don’t Give Up

When we get frustrated, the idea of giving up can be pretty inviting. But, if you let yourself succumb to the urge, you are guaranteed not to reach your goal. If you want a new job, remind yourself you can push through and don’t give up. While it might sound easier said than done, remembering you can make it through the challenge can you keep moving. And any forward momentum can keep you focused on the target.

2) Remember Past Triumphs

It’s likely you’ve faced some notable challenges in the past, possibly even when you secured your most recent job. Take time to remember these moments and reflect on what it took to see it through to the other side. You may discover previous activities to help you alleviate any stress resulting from your job search or a reminder of a resource that helped you before.

Look back at your strategies, mental pep talks and other activities to see which can help you stay positive today. Sometimes, when we are faced with what feels like insurmountable odds, it’s hard to remember we’ve faced challenges before and lived to tell about it. A simple reminder may be all you need to get back on track.

3) Take Control of Things You Can

A lot of the process of finding a new position is out of your hands. You can’t force a company to call you for an interview, and you can’t make the perfect job posting appear. Focusing on these points will do nothing but suck your energy and kill your motivation.

Instead of getting lost in what you can’t control, focus on the things you do have the power to change. For example, maybe today is the day to learn how to use LinkedIn more effectively, to sign up for a class to improve your skill set or reach out to a staffing firm in your area.

We can help you land an IT career!

By concentrating on the things you have the power to change, you can find a new point of focus while increasing the chance your future efforts will be successful. If you are interested in exploring new opportunities, the recruiters at Resolution Technologies have the industry expertise to help you move forward. Contact us today and see what our services can do for your career.

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Finding a Tech Job in a Competitive Market

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Today’s job market generally favors tech candidates over the companies looking for new employees. While this sounds ideal for job seekers, it actually presents a situation with unique benefits and drawbacks. Your approach to finding a position may need to be adjusted including anything from the jobs to which you apply and how you handle negotiating an offer.

To help make sure you are prepared to find a tech job in a competitive market such as this one, here are some tips to get you started.

Know Your Worth

When companies compete for the same candidates, compensation tends to improve. That means you may be able to get a higher salary today than you would have been offered for the same work only a few years ago. Before you get too deep into your job search, it is important to know what your skills can get you today.

Start by doing some research. Information about salaries is widely available online, so seeing what people earn when working in your target position is fairly simple. Just make sure you limit the search based on the location where you would like to work, as the salary offered in one city might not equal what you get in another. Additionally, make sure you have comparable education and experience before setting your heart on a specific dollar amount.

Remember Benefits

Your salary is only part of the total compensation package. Benefits like a flexible work schedule, paid time off, access to training and many other items are also involved in determining the full value of a job offer.

Since the market is favoring job seekers, many businesses are improving their benefits packages as well as salary. And these points can also be negotiated. If you find yourself with a job offer that doesn’t quite measure up, and there’s no room to budge on salary, consider whether other benefits can address the difference. You may find yourself happy to accept a position with additional paid vacation or the ability to work from home instead of seeking out a job with the highest salary.

Consider Growth

While the job market favors candidates today, there is no guarantee it will stay that way. Selecting a position with a company that also offers the opportunity to develop professionally and potentially be promoted can offer additional security as well as the chance to move your career forward. In the end, the ability to learn new skills and gain valuable experience can make a slightly lower pay rate a non-issue, especially when compared to an offer that leaves you stagnant.

You May Not Get an Offer

Even if the job market favors job seekers, that doesn’t mean you are ideal for every position. Factors like cultural fit, personality and soft skills also play into hiring decisions. Not everyone fits into every environment even if they appear to have the right hard skills. So, don’t let a “no” from one company stop you from considering opportunities elsewhere.

Are you looking for a new IT job?

If you are interested in finding out about new tech positions in your area, Resolution Technologies can help you explore your options. Contact us to see what today’s job market can do for you.

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3 Simple Things You Can Do to Grow Your Job Into a Career

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Turning a job into a career is about having vision; you need to see the big picture as well as how you can position yourself to obtain success over the long term. And though the idea seems complicated, it doesn’t have to be a chore. To help you take a job and craft it into your dream career, here are three simple things to help you head in the right direction.

1.Establish Yourself in the Field

A successful career often involves making strong connections with the right people. And part of that journey means building relationships with customers, co-workers and professional acquaintances with other organizations. This network will help support your long-term aspirations and can be the difference between just having a job and developing a career.

But a robust network won’t necessarily form without some investment on your part. Dedicate time to keeping connections strong, be that in person, over social media or through other communication mechanisms. Additionally, you may need to invest some funds and attend events that target your ideal network, like trade shows and conferences.

2.Manage Your Reputation

The reputation you have today will follow you throughout the next few steps in your career, if not indefinitely. This means you need to focus on having integrity in all of your dealings, and actively work to ensure feedback regarding your work is positive.

Professionals in every industry pass on information about their dealings with other companies and individual representatives. And bad word-of-mouth can hurt your chances of turning your job into a successful career. Focus on always being polite and professional. Avoid taking shortcuts that compromise the quality of your work, and never lie or withhold critical truths during your business dealings.

If you can demonstrate you’re a person of integrity, you may find growing your network is simple as people have a positive impression of you even if you have never actually met.

3.Be Accessible

One of the easiest ways to bolster a positive reputation is through responsiveness. When someone reaches out to you in a professional capacity; reply quickly. Even if you don’t know an answer to a question today, you can still send a quick note acknowledging the request, as this lets the recipient know their needs are on your radar.

By being seen as accessible within your chosen field, you are more likely to be seen as a go-to contact for the products or services you provide. However, it is important to extend your level of responsiveness to all dealings, even if they don’t specifically benefit you directly. Again, this helps you create an ideal reputation and increases the likelihood a person who initially sent a general inquiry will later send you something that can benefit you both.

Putting it Together

Much of the process involved in turning a job into a career is about your personal dedication to creating and maintaining the right relationships. While other efforts, such as acquiring additional training and education are also valuable, many won’t hold much meaning if you cannot position yourself as a go-to resource in the field.

If you are interested in more tips for creating a career from your job or are looking for new employment opportunities, the professional staff at Resolution Technologies can help you move forward. Contact us to speak with one of our skilled recruiters today and see how your job can become so much more.

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4 Leadership Tips You Need to be Project Manager

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Project management requires more than superior organizational skills; it requires the ability to lead as well. Much of a project’s success is based on the ability of the project manager to coordinate the efforts of many individuals, at times spread across a variety of disciplines. Additionally, they must also be capable of carrying the vast majority of the burden associated with the project’s completion.

Even if everyone’s leadership style is varied, there are certain fundamental qualities a strong leader possesses. And whether you have years of management experience or are spearheading your first project, everyone can use some guidance from time to time. With that in mind, here are four leadership tips you need to be successful in the position of project manager.

1. Strong Leaders Communicate Clearly and Often

Project managers encounter professionals from a range of fields and specialty areas. Additionally, they have to ensure that all of these professionals can work well together, or at least toward the same goal. And that requires effective communication skills.

Leading a project requires everyone to have a clear understanding of the overall vision, as well as a thorough knowledge of the objectives and performance expectations. And you must be able to explain these points to all parties involved.

Additionally, Being able to listen to team members to gain critical insight and having the ability to provide constructive feedback helps keep the project moving forward, and remaining on target, even when unexpected issues or delays arise.

2. The Right Attitude Goes a Long Way

Part of a project manager’s job is to maintain an air of confidence and enthusiasm regarding the project. Keeping a positive attitude helps other members of the team maintain one themselves and can increase overall productivity. Any doubt expressed on the part of leadership will impact the performance of the team, and may actually cause a fear regarding the project’s viability to become a reality.

Additionally, leaders are able to maintain a level of calm even when things go awry. Strong leaders don’t panic when the project isn’t going to plan, and they are able to convey a sense of cool collectedness to the other team members to help get things back on track.

3. You Can’t Do it All

At times, almost every leader is hesitant to delegate; instead, they try to manage every task within their purview on their own. However, a project’s success is often contingent on the collective skills of the members of the team and failing to delegate leaves some of that potential untapped.

It is important to assess the skills of the team and to give them the opportunity to work based on their strengths. Not only will this help keep the project moving forward in a timely fashion, but it will also lower the level of stress the project manager must take on personally.

4. You Must Be Decisive

Decision-making is a requirement in project management, and when a critical decision must be made, it is important to be decisive. Delaying a decision can have a negative impact on the project, and hedging means that team members might not have a clear idea regarding how they should proceed. When it comes time to pick a direction, manage your research quickly. Then, once a choice is made, make sure everyone involved knows the result.

Are you looking for a new job?

Successful project managers rely on their leadership skills as much as their technical ones and having the proper combination will help drive you toward success. If you are interested in becoming a project manager or are looking for your next opportunity in the field, Resolution Technologies can help you explore any opportunities that may be available to you. Contact us to discuss project management opening in your area.

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You NEED These Skills for Your Next IT Placement

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IT is an ever-changing world; those with the most in-demand skills will find themselves in an excellent position in the current job market. But understanding which skills will be given the most priority can seem like a difficult task. To help you ensure you have the right credentials for your next IT placement, consider concentrating on the following areas.

Big Data

Big data analysis provides information that can allow the company to make better business decisions as well as implementing more effective marketing strategies. As the volume of data available continues to grow, organizations want to be able to use these pieces of information to their advantage. Whether you are dealing with semi-structured or unstructured data, being able to collect, work with, and analyze this information will continue to lead to job prospects for the next few years.

These knowledge areas are often needed regardless of your business’ chosen industry, making it an ideal skill for those looking to break into the IT field.

Cloud Computing

Cloud-based computing and storage have provided organizations with a more cost-effective option for a variety of tasks that used to be managed in-house. Candidates specialized in the ability to organize and utilize these services, and work in hybrid environments that still support certain on-premises deployments will have a leg up on the competition which is only familiar with traditional networked internal options.

Mobile

Mobile technology is becoming a staple in most business environments. Whether offering simple solutions to access business email while on the go or providing full access to internal resources through a portable device, mobile technology cannot be ignored. Combine those functions with access to cloud-based resources, and it may even be difficult to continue to justify a need for the traditional desktop computer form factor.

Skills related to mobile operations are varied. You may choose to focus on app development and deployment, device management and security, as well as troubleshooting and service issues. Familiarity with multiple mobile platforms is also helpful even when an organization tends to be brand loyal.

Coding

Coding isn’t a new skill for many IT professionals. Since creating practical, custom solutions for internal or external use is still a standard requirement in strong IT departments and technology-based businesses, the ability to code will continue to have a place when considering the most in-demand skills.

However, certain programming languages may offer better opportunities than others. Java is still in high demand, as well as PHP. Perl, C, Objective-C, Javascript, Ruby, Python, CSS, and R all still have a place in today’s IT work environment. Depending on your precise career goals, you can determine which options are best for you.

Project Management

While not an IT exclusive, project management skills also increase your employment opportunities. Being able to coordinate the activities of multiple groups, create and maintain project budgets, and manage the complexity of large-scale projects within an IT environment can open be a lucrative direction to explore.

If you are looking for ways to improve your odds of placement in the IT field, the professionals at Resolution Technologies are here to help. With a focus in technical staffing, they know which skills are in demand with today’s employers. Contact Resolution Technologies Today!

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