Author: Mindquest

Mindquest Connect offers you a collection of articles and innovative content for recruiters and IT professionals.

Categories
Growing your career: permanent & freelance IT Consultants Job application advice

How to Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile as an IT Consultant

How to Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile as an IT Consultant
Knowing how to improve your online visibility is key to your career success. Here’s how to optimise your LinkedIn profile as a tech or IT consultant.

Knowing how to improve your online visibility is key to your career success. In terms of visibility on the web, LinkedIn is a must. Here’s how to optimise your LinkedIn profile as a tech or IT consultant and get that dream job.

IT consultants: how to highlight & optimise your LinkedIn profile

With more than 600 million users worldwide, 40% of whom are active every day, LinkedIn is a major tool for freelancers of all backgrounds. IT freelancers who manage to build a complete and optimized profile are way more likely to appear first in search results and attract the most interesting recruiters. Here are a few steps to make your LinkedIn profile shine and set yourself apart from other IT consultants.

Take care of your LinkedIn profile

The first element to take care of is your profile’s presentation. Your profile should be cared for and frequently updated, allowing you to appear in the best light possible for your future clients. This implies taking care of several elements:

A professional and impactful title

LinkedIn allows you to describe your activities in 120 characters. You need to choose an impactful title, being creative to attract the attention of recruiters while remaining professional. Note that the title is the element that appears directly in the search engine results. It is therefore important to pay particular attention to it. In addition to appearing after your name, the title will largely impact the recruiter’s first impression.

It is advisable to include in the title the mention of your consultant status as well as your area of expertise. The title should include the main search keywords related to your profile.

A professional photo that represents you

A profile with a photo is always more likely to stand out. The photo must be taken from the front, always clear and of good quality. Preferably, you should be smiling –, without exaggeration of course.

A concise summary of your profile and the opportunities you seek

In this rather summary, list your skills and detail your professional experience. So, if you are hyper-specialized in a particular sector, do not hesitate to include that in your summary: this may interest recruiters looking for very technical skills. It is also an opportunity to add your diplomas, your most significant professional successes and everything that makes a company more likely to choose you than another consultant. Try to demonstrate as much as possible that you know how to anticipate the needs of a business.

Also do not forget that your LinkedIn profile allows you to give information on what you are looking for: types of job, location, aspirations in terms of projects and professional development … With this simple step, you will avoid being contacted by recruiters who would approach you with ill-suited assignments or positions.

A more detailed summary of your past experiences to optimise your LinkedIn profile

Your LinkedIn profile is the ideal support for detailing your experience and the various positions you have held — just as you would do on your CV. You can provide background information, technical stacks, and tasks associated with these projects. Focus on your accomplishments by highlighting concrete results.

Share relevant content about IT consulting on LinkedIn

To improve your visibility on LinkedIn as an IT freelancer, it is strongly advised to share content frequently. You can share all kinds of content, including:

  • Links to articles related to your area of ​​expertise and your favourite subjects
  • Infographics or videos to spread a message visually and thus make it more impactful
  • Posts in text form, to share news about your professional life for example.
  • Articles that you have written on the platform, to highlight your knowledge of specific subject. This requires a certain investment in terms of time but can really help you enhance your profile.

It is better to share content regularly, without necessarily looking for the quantity. Unlike other platforms where the organic reach of posts requires sharing content on a daily basis, LinkedIn works differently. Also, remember that LinkedIn now accepts user tags and hashtags, which improves thematic search.

Last tip: don’t hesitate to share and comment on the posts of other people in your network. Taking part in conversations about your areas of expertise will allow you to position yourself as an expert and to be identified by recruiters for the best missions.

Connect by Mindquest Newsletter

Discover our top 10 of experts to follow online:

Categories
Press review Tech Magazine

Weekly News: IT Professionals Feeling Confident Lately

IT professionals feeling confident
IT professionals feeling confident

A renewed sense of confidence for IT professionals

A new report from SolarWinds suggests that IT professionals are feeling more confident during the pandemic. Thus, according to the survey, tech experts admit to having been more proactive in bringing new ideas to the table and taking on a bigger role.

Also, experts believe this newfound confidence is the result of IT pros being used to sudden shifts and unexpected situations – a quality that has helped them ride the Covid-19 wave as opposed to being swept by it.

IT has been pivotal to business resilience during this unprecedented crisis, elevating tech experts within their organisations and putting them closer to the decision-making process. 

Luckily, it looks like things will stay this way.

ITProPortal

IT professionals: Bye to VS Codespaces and Flash Player

Microsoft has decided to end Visual Studio Codespaces (formerly known as Visual Studio Online). The cloud-based development environment will then be merged with GitHub’s version of the same product.

Microsoft’s move comes after some developers expressed confusion between the two nearly-identical products. Unfortunately for developers, there is currently no way to migrate existing projects from one platform to the other. 

The company has also warned businesses to get ready for the end of Adobe Flash Player support. Microsoft and Adobe first announced the phase-out of the popular internet media player in 2017. From January 21, Flash will be disabled in both IE 11 and Microsft Edge browsers.

ZDNet / TechRepublic

IT professionals: IT jobs are booming in the UK

IT professionals are feeling more confident so that the government-funded think tank Tech Nation reports a 36% increase in tech vacancies between June and August. 

The sector is experiencing a fast recovery compared to other industries, with 90,000 new jobs being advertised every week across the UK. 

The most sought-after skills identified in the report include:

  • Engineering
  • .net
  • Javascript
  • Java
  • C++
  • Data
  • SQL
  • Python
  • Amazon Web Service
  • Client

CBR

C++ just got an A+

Tiobe Software’s latest Programming Community index points at a revival of C++. 

The 35-year-old language is the fastest growing language in terms of popularity, while C tops the list of most used languages.  

Experts at the company believe the new C++20 standard is responsible for the recent uptick, moreover, the standard includes a new modules feature which replaces the infamous include mechanism function.

Other languages gaining popularity are R and C#, whereas Java has experienced a drop compared to last year.  

ADT Mag

Categories
Hiring an IT consultant IT Decision-makers

Microsoft Certifications Guide

Microsoft Certifications Guide
This quick Microsoft Certifications Guide will provide you with a bird's view of all the company's official trainings and help you advance your career.

This quick Microsoft certifications guide will provide you with a bird’s-eye view of all the company’s official trainings and thus help you advance your career.

Microsoft’s Learn portal offers a multitude of courses and Microsoft certifications for anyone to explore. Obtaining one of these certifications is therefore the first step when starting a career in the ecosystem or advancing or shifting your existing one.

Beyond providing you with theoretical and practical knowledge these certifications will validate your expertise within the industry and among recruiters. This is because, certifications demonstrate that you are up-to-date with current best practices and new tools, with some of them requiring to be renewed every year.

Courses to obtain certifications are free through the Learn platform and can be taken at your own pace from the comfort of your home. There are also several MS-vetted third-parties offering guided lessons and complementary coursework.

Students need to pay only for the practical exams, which can be taken online or at designated testing centres. Microsoft has expanded its online testing capabilities since the start of the Covid-19 crisis.

To start, there are several ways in which you can approach Microsoft training programs. You can focus on a particular platform within the Microsoft Technology Stack, or opt for a specific role and then choose a platform to focus on. You can also choose a specific career path or focus on a very concrete skill that you would like to acquire. Then, Microsoft outlines all available career paths, defining the series of certifications you will need to obtain to reach your career goal.

Certifications are divided according to the level of expertise and seniority: Fundamentals, Associate and Expert. Our Microsoft Certifications Guide will give you an overview, but you will have to dig deeper to find what really makes you tick.

Microsoft Certifications guide: Fundamentals certifications

First, as their name suggests, these certifications are the recommended starting point for anyone starting their career or looking to move into another platform within the MS tech stack. They cover:

  • Azure Fundamentals
  • Azure Data Fundamentals
  • Azure AI Fundamentals
  • Dynamics 365 Fundamentals
  • Microsoft 365 Fundamentals
  • Power Platform Fundamentals

Learn more about MS Fundamentals certifications.

Credentials

To continue, some MS certifications encompass more than one platform and require you to multiple individual certifications. Also, each of these certifications is tailored to a specific area of IT (security, networking, cloud, etc.)

Also, there are three tiers of certifications depending on the level of expertise:

  • Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA)
  • Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA)
  • Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) /Microsoft Solutions Developer (MCSD)

Learn more about MS certification credentials.

Sign up to mission control center newsletter

Role-based and specialty Microsoft certifications

Certifications targeting specific roles are a great way of specializing or moving from one role to the other within the Microsoft ecosystems. Moreover, roles can comprise multiple MS platforms or focus on a particular one, and include:

Administrator

Administrators oversee the implementation of Microsoft platforms, thus maintaining solutions for storage, networking, computing and security.

AI Engineer

Then, AI engineers design and implement artificial intelligence solutions by leveraging different MS tools.

Data Engineer

Being in charge of mapping out and executing the management, monitoring, security, and privacy of data, Data Engineers are therefore proficient in a platform’s different data services and tools.

Data Scientist

Not to be confused with a Data Engineer, this role requires a deep knowledge of data science and machine learning. Moreover, expertise in data modelling is a must.

Developer

At the frontlines of deployment and operations, Developers partner with architects and administrators to design, create, test, also they maintain cloud applications and services.

DevOps Engineer

Advocates of agile methodologies for software development, DevOps professionals unify teams, processes and technologies in order to streamline the product pipeline.

Functional Consultant

Moreover, functional consultant implements core application setup processes that help businesses in areas like marketing, sales or supply chain management.

IoT Developer

On the other hand, IoT Developer designs, develops and maintains Internet of Things solutions and devices within MS environments. From coding to the set-up of physical devices.

Security Engineer

As the title suggests, security professionals protect the integrity of data, applications and networks by implementing threat detection and security controls.

Solutions Architect

To conclude, the Solutions Architect is the first person to be involved in a platform deployment process. Moreover, Architects must have a deep understanding of the entire ecosystem to design solutions that run on it.

Has our Microsoft Certification Guide sparked your interest? Explore all role-based MS certifications and specialty certifications.

Learn more about pursuing a career in Microsoft Technologies with our comprehensive Microsoft Technologies careers guide.

Categories
Growing your career: permanent & freelance IT Consultants

Microsoft Career Paths

Microsoft Career Paths
Here is an overview of the different Microsoft career paths and what every different role implies in terms of roles and responsibilities.

Here is an overview of the different Microsoft career paths and what every different role implies in terms of roles and responsibilities.

The Microsoft Career Paths

Administrator

Administrators oversee the implementation of Microsoft platforms and maintain solutions for storage, networking, computing and security.

Responsibilities and skills include:

  • Managing subscriptions and resources
  • Implementing and managing storage
  • Deploying and managing virtual machines
  • Configuring and managing virtual networks
  • Managing identities

AI Engineer

AI engineers design and implement artificial intelligence solutions by leveraging different MS tools.

Cognitive Services, Machine Learning, and Knowledge Mining are part of their toolset. For Azure, for example, areas of focus include:

  • Natural language processing
  • Speech
  • Bots and agents
  • Computer vision

Data Engineer

In charge of mapping out and executing the management, monitoring, security, and privacy of data. Data Engineers are proficient in a platform’s different data services and tools, using them to:

  • Implement data storage solutions
  • Manage and develop data processing
  • Monitor and optimize data solutions
  • Design data storage solutions
  • Design data processing solutions
  • Design for data security and compliance

Data Scientist

Not to be confused with a Data Engineer, this role requires deep knowledge of data science and machine learning. Expertise in data modelling is a must.

A good MS Data Scientist knows well how to:

  • Set up data lake relationships
  • Learning workspace
  • Run experiments and train models
  • Optimize and manage models
  • Deploy and consume models

Developer

At the frontlines of deployment and operations, developers partner with architects and administrators to design, create, test and maintain cloud applications and services.

Among the core competences of developers:

  • Development of infrastructure and storage
  • Development of platforms and solutions
  • Implementation of security
  • Monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimising solutions
  • Connecting to third-party services

DevOps Engineer

Advocates of agile methodologies for software development, DevOps professionals unify teams, processes and technologies to streamline the product pipeline.

Expertise is required in:

  • DevOps development processes
  • Continuous integration & continuous delivery (CI/CD)
  • Dependency management
  • Application infrastructure
  • Continuous feedback

IoT Developer

Designs, develops and maintains Internet of Things solutions and devices within MS environments. From coding to the set-up of physical devices, the IoT Developer is responsible for:

  • Implementing the Azure IoT solution infrastructure
  • Provision and management of devices
  • Implementing Edge Processing and managing data
  • Monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimising IoT solutions
  • Implementing security

Security Engineer

The title here says it all. Security professionals protect the integrity of data, applications and networks by implementing threat detection and security controls.

Functions include:

  • Managing identity and access
  • Implementing platform protection
  • Managing security operations
  • Securing data and applications

Solutions Architect

The Solutions Architect is actually the first person to be involved in a platform’s deployment process. Architects must have a deep understanding of the entire ecosystem to design solutions that run on it.

They must have expertise in:

  • Deployment and configuration of infrastructure
  • Implementing workloads and security
  • Creating and deploy apps
  • Implementing authentication and securing data
  • Developing for cloud and for other storage
  • Determining workload requirements
  • Designing for identity and security
  • Designing a data platform solution and a business continuity strategy
  • Designing for deployment, migration, and integration
  • Designing an infrastructure strategy

Want to learn more about the various Microsoft career paths and how to pursue them? Explore our comprehensive Microsoft Technologies careers guide.

Sign up to to Mission Contol Center Newsletter
Categories
Press review Tech Magazine

Weekly News: Game Streaming and Emissions

Weekly News: Game Streaming and Emissions
The next generation of video game consoles is hitting the shelves this holiday season. Discover news about Game Streaming and Emissions...

Game Streaming and Emissions, or Game vs. the environment

The next generation of video game consoles is hitting the shelves this holiday season. An epic marketing battle precedes its launch, with the PS5 and Xbox Series X fighting to get a head start on each other by selling more consoles than the other.

Yet, ironically, this new generation of consoles might be the last. 

Like it happened in other industries, video games are moving away from local hardware in favour of a distributed computing model. Why spent money in a pricey box when you could stream higher-quality video games directly to your TV or phone in real time? 

With companies like Google and Microsoft having already released their proprietary cloud gaming platforms, it’s just a matter of time before most gaming is done this way. But, as convenient as it sounds, this could have severe environmental implications.  

A new report suggests emissions could rise as much as 30% in a future where game streaming was the norm.

BBC

Low-code is coming to Teams

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced it was building a low-code Dataflex solution for Teams that would allow users to easily develop custom applications without leaving Teams. We got more details this week.

Code-named Project Oakdale, the platform will let teams create quick applications based on shared databases. No need for third-party tools to build an HTML or JavaScript feature that runs on Teams. Just install Project Oakdale and use an Access-like table and form creator to get the job done.

Each team will get its dedicated data environment so that team members can exchange actionable insights and access more relevant information. The applications will also be able to connect with the rest of Microsoft’s ecosystem.

Although it has its limitations, Project Oakdale will be included in the Teams subscription — a big step towards democratising low-code development within the enterprise.

TechRepublic

Also discover our article: The IT Jobs Market of Today

Categories
Uncategorised

Pentester

React.js Developer
React.js is a JavaScript code library. React.js Developer is mainly responsible for front-end web application development.


The pentester is a role related to the field of cybersecurity security. Its name comes from “penetration test.” The main role of a pentester is to ensure the security of information networks and applications (back end of a site, applications, etc.) and protect systems against cyber attacks.

What is the role of the Pentester?


Check website reliability

As the name suggests, the pentester performs tests with controlled intrusions into the company’s computer systems to find possible vulnerabilities.

Fix issues

After the testing stage, the pentester has to find and implement solutions to resolve the flaws identified. They will then have to reinforce and optimize the security of the applications.

Provide advice and guidance

The pentester also plays an advisory role. They must anticipate threats, put in place best practices and recommend more effective protection tools.

Required skills

Programming mastery

The pentester should be proficient and familiar with programming and web programming languages, cryptography, coding systems, and network security auditing (Python, C / C ++, Java, PHP, etc.)

An educational vocation

The pentester must be able to effectively convey encountered flaws to site and application developers. They must therefore be educators with the ability to communicate well with the developers and technical teams, to know how to clearly communicate problems to help manage them as well and quickly as possible.

Rapid action

When an intrusion occurs or a security problem is identified in a computer system, it must be resolved quickly. A poorly protected system can be devastating for the business. The pentester must therefore demonstrate reactivity and proactivity.

Within the industry

A pentester can progress to a managerial position or any other senior position in the field of cybersecurity. Their job is critical in an IT world where cyber attacks are growing more and more recurrent.

Salary

The average daily rate of a pentester fluctuates between €300 and €600.

Training

To be a pentester, you usually need to have an undergraduate or graduate degree in an IT-related discipline and demonstrate at least a base level of cyber security knowledge and experience.

Categories
Press review Tech Magazine

Weekly News: The Best Language for Economic Research

Weekly News: The Best Language for Economic Research
Python, Matlab, Julia -- R. Who would win the battle of the best language for economic research? Hint: the winner has a woman's name.

The Best Language for Economic Research

Python, Matlab, Julia — R. Who would win the battle of the best language for Economic research? That’s probably one of the most common online queries in the programming world. There is just something about humans and our obsession with chasing the very best of the best. 

Discover Python Projects to Try – From Beginner to Advanced

In reality, of course, each language has its nuances and areas in which it shines. Anyone claiming to have a definitive answer on the matter should come up with some solid arguments to back their verdict.

And that’s exactly what two London School of Economics researchers did. They looked at different languages based on the power of available libraries, the speed and possibilities when handling large datasets, and the speed and ease-of-use for a computationally intensive task.

Hint: the winner has a woman’s name.

Thanks, but no thanks

That’s the polite version of what UK students were shouting in front of the Department of Education over a week ago. The cause of their anger was an algorithm.  

University admission exams had been cancelled because of the pandemic. Teachers proposed predicting their student’s scores as a way to compromise. The education department dismissed the idea on the grounds that previous research had proved such estimates to be biased. Instead, they decided to use an algorithm.  

Well, that one turned out to be even more biased. Close to 40% of students received lower grades than what their teachers had predicted, potentially harming their chances to get into their university of choice. Those in working-class and disadvantaged communities were disproportionately affected.

The issue has now been fixed, but it’s a textbook examples of the dangers of AI bias.

Join our community and find your next job or expert in IT

How To Learn Python With Rune

Categories
IT Decision-makers Tips & errors to avoid

The Microsoft Technology Stack for Business

The Microsoft Technology Stack for Business
When it comes to all things enterprise technology, these are the principal platforms that make up the Microsoft Technology Stack.

When it comes to enterprise technology, the Microsoft Technology Stack reaches almost as far as the eye can see. From operating systems and development tools to cloud computing, the company owns an extremely diversified portfolio of solutions that can be hard to keep track of as an IT professional.

Don’t get lost in the clutter. These are the principal platforms that make up the Microsoft Technology Stack.

.NET

An open-source, cross-platform development framework used to build all sorts of applications. .NET, allows developers to choose among a wide variety of programming languages, code editors and libraries, giving users the flexibility and scalability to build solutions for everything from web and mobile to IoT.

It is these broad capabilities that make .NET one of the world’s most popular developer platforms. As such, it benefits from the support of a vast community and an extensive repository of libraries.

GitHub

GitHub has been part of Microsoft since the company acquired it in 2018. The platform is used by both amateur and expert developers to host code, review it and collaborate by focusing on version control and following a continuous integration, continuous delivery (CI/CD) philosophy. 

Its impressive community is what really fuels GitHub. Millions of programmers upload their work and review each other’s code through the platform. As such, GitHub is one of the world’s largest open-access repositories and collaborative projects platforms.

Furthermore, the fact that is used by hobbyists, corporations and top professionals alike has turned GitHub into a sort of LinkedIn for developers and tech enthusiasts. A place to showcase one’s talent and concrete achievements.

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is one of today’s leading cloud-based productivity platforms. It combines the traditional MS Office suite with a set of collaboration tools and features like cloud-based storage and Teams to provide organizations and individuals with the means to get things done wherever they are located.

It is a mix of software like Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with flexible and scalable cloud storage and security and world-class security. From an IT perspective, it requires companies to deploy, maintain and update an infrastructure that is adapted to business needs while preserving security and a nimble spirit.

Microsoft Careers

Dynamics 365

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are all-encompassing software toolsets with capabilities extending across marketing, sales and customer service. As a leading CRM, Dynamics 365 allows organisations to easily plan and execute operations from a single platform. The speed, efficiency and cohesiveness derived from its use have made CRM a staple of today’s business management – as well as one of the most profitable specialisations in the IT world.

Dynamics 365 is a scalable solution that allows for advanced customization, making it adaptable to the needs of each company. It is the job of technical MS experts to set up, customize and maintain this environment in a way that maximizes efficiency, user satisfaction and customer loyalty.

Test these upcoming Dynamics 365 features

Azure

Microsoft Azure is the company’s public cloud computing platform. A competitor to Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and IBM Cloud, Azure provides companies with a wide range of cloud services, including computing, storage, analytics and networking.

Azure is an open-source-friendly, adaptable and scalable platform that fits the needs of every customer. Furthermore, Azure is industry-specific, providing dedicated tools to sectors like healthcare, e-commerce or retail. It offers 4 different types of cloud computing: infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), software as a service (SaaS) and serverless.

A whole army of professionals is needed to design, deploy and maintain such cloud ecosystems.

On Learning Azure IoT and Being an Active Member of the Community

Microsoft Power Platform

The Microsoft Power Platform enables businesses to create and deploy custom-made workflow apps and reports that help them easily extract, process, and analyse data. The Power Platform is integrated with the rest of Microsoft’s ecosystem of platforms as well as with other third-party apps.

It is a key tool in today’s data-driven business world, providing actionable insights in real time. It requires a team of technical experts to deploy, maintain and expand, as well as to train end-users and offer them support on a daily basis.

Microsoft SQL Server

SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS) by Microsoft. Also called MSSQL, it serves as the backbone to data registering, accessing and manipulation for its enterprise customers.

It is protected by high-grade encryption and caters to a variety of businesses depending on size and data needs.

Learn more about the QlikView Developer Job

Visual Studio

Microsoft Visual Studio is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that can be used to build anything from the ground up. In a way, IDEs are the word processors of the programming world, allowing developers to create applications for a multitude of platforms from a single place. Visual Studio includes debugging, automation and team collaboration features, creating a holistic environment to conceive and deliver high-quality applications.

Learn more about the Microsoft Technology Stack and the various roles within Microsoft Technologies in our comprehensive Microsoft Technologies Careers Guide

Sign up to to Mission Contol Center Newsletter
Categories
Press review Tech Magazine

Weekly News: A crypto-worm is stealing AWS credentials

IT news

Researchers have discovered what they believe to be the first-ever crypto-mining worm that also manages to steal AWS credentials. 

Crypto-mining worms have been around for a while, stealthily infiltrating a network and using its computing power to mine cryptocurrency. This new worm is actually not even that good at it, having only made a mere $300 in profits. 

However, the attackers, who go by the name TeamTNT, have managed to incorporate the credential-stealing feature into their code. The researchers believe the attackers have recycled this functionality from a previous worm that targetted Alibaba’s cloud. 

This points to an emerging trend of copy-and-paste, opening the door for future malware to replicate TeamTNT’s code and go onto steal AWS credentials and compromise cloud ecosystems.

Fired for skipping the firewall

A whopping four out of ten businesses in the UK admit having dismissed employees for breaching the company’s security protocols. That’s according to a new survey by Centrify, a privileged access management solutions provider.

Most incidents were related to work-from-home scenarios, as a large proportion of employees tends to circumvent safety measures in favour of comfort or portability. 

As a result, 65% of companies have made important changes to their cybersecurity policy. Shadow IT was already a huge problem before the workforce transitioned to remote work. Now it’s become even more difficult to ensure that employees don’t use personal devices to access company networks and files.

Well, just keep in mind that you could get fired for it.

Categories
Hiring an IT consultant IT Decision-makers

Remote Hiring is Here to Stay: a Fresh Take on IT Recruitment

Remote Hiring is Here to Stay: a Fresh Take on IT Recruitment
Remote hiring has become as much of a necessity and a reality and, just like telework, it comes with its own set of challenges and peculiarities.

Any activity that could afford it went remote with the arrival of Covid-19. Now, as the months ahead remain uncertain and companies discover that is possible to operate remotely, the exception has become the norm. A recent Gartner survey confirmed the writing on the wall: a sweeping 82% of business leaders are planning on allowing at least some level of remote work moving forward, even after the pandemic is over. Yet despite being the other side of the employment coin, recruiting has not received that much attention thus far. In fact, remote hiring has become as much of a necessity and a reality and, just like telework, it comes with its own set of challenges and peculiarities.

Remote hiring & the new recruitment landscape

Gone are the days of overcrowded career fairs full of eager master’s students elbowing each other to get a minute with a representative of one of the top companies present. So are the endless rounds of in-person interviews that have candidates repeatedly come into the employer’s offices and meet half the team.

From now on, businesses will conduct fewer and more focused interviews, mostly online. Only the more critical and senior positions will get greater face-to-face time, with the rest of candidates being interviewed remotely except for perhaps the last interview, which is often just used to meet the chosen candidate and establish a more personal connection — something rather important in the colder remote work environment. In the case of IT contractors and temporal employees, however, the selection process is most likely to move completely online as flexibility and speed can be more of a priority.        

Career fairs and other networking events will also move online or even disappear completely, in favour of a new model that can accommodate safety measures while allowing for talent attraction. Eliminating the physical barriers of traditional career fairs will, in turn, expand the pool of candidates available to companies and democratize access to the top positions. Companies will be able to seek the best candidates regardless of location, while candidates will get to apply to positions that otherwise would have been completely out of reach.

A new series of challenges for employers with remote hiring

But moving the hiring process online will create new problems while solving existing ones. Assessing a candidate’s fit for the position and the company is more challenging when done through a computer screen. And there is a lot to assess in today’s candidates.

Hunting for the most in-demand technical IT skills was already tricky before the pandemic. Especially for the more niche skill areas, HR managers and recruiters who did not have that deep a technical expertise often had troubles assessing the technical skills of IT candidates.  

On top of that, the current crisis has created a need for IT professionals to possess a series of more business-focused skills. From change management and compliance to business intelligence, recruiters now have one more checklist to worry about when evaluating candidates.  

Additionally, the unique conditions of remote work make soft skills more important than ever. Softer skills like creativity and entrepreneurship were already becoming a must-have for IT experts. Now, interpersonal and communication skills are key to ensuring efficient teamwork dynamics and workflows. So is cultural fit. Employees need to be proactive in reaching to colleagues, making their work more visible and being open about their needs. Unfortunately, soft skills are some of the hardest qualities to assess when not face-to-face.  

Looking ahead

Both the new recruitment environment and the difficulties it brings along are forcing companies and hiring managers to come up with new best practices and processes in order to attract and retain the best candidates.

Ideally, the new approach combines a better and more targeted online interview model, with personal know-how and the use of the latest technological tools. For example, AI can help recruiters identify candidates who match the job’s criteria and are a

🔊 Subscribe to the podcast

Join our community and find your next job or expert in IT