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IT Consultants Job application advice

IT Job: How to Apply Without a Degree

IT jobs how to apply without degree

Are you passionate about IT jobs but lack a degree in the field? Don’t panic! It’s entirely possible to find a job in IT without a degree. Practical skills and motivation are often more important to employers than academic qualifications. In this article, discover how to land an IT job without prior degrees.

Find your next assignment on our freelance and permanent IT recruitment platform, or join Mindquest so you don’t miss out on any job opportunity!

Identifying IT Job Opportunities

In-Demand Skills

To secure a job in IT, you must possess specific key skills relevant to the sector. Among the most important are programming skills, which include knowledge and mastery of languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, or Java.

You should also have an understanding of networking concepts and security. The ability to conduct data analysis is another essential skill for landing a job in IT, requiring proficiency in tools like Excel, SQL, or Python. Lastly, don’t forget technical support skills, as you will need problem-solving abilities for common IT issues.

Types of IT Jobs

While general skills, like those mentioned above, are important for getting an IT job, you should specialize by choosing the type of job you want to pursue. There is a wide variety of IT jobs, and it can be challenging to navigate.

Here are some examples of IT positions you can aim for as you start your job search:

Training and Certifications

Once you’ve defined which area of IT you want to work in, it’s time to start your specialization. For that, it’s important to undergo training.

Online Training The first step is to train to gain the necessary academic skills. Many accessible and often free online courses are available for IT training.Here are a few platforms we recommend:

  • OpenClassrooms: Offers courses in various IT fields.
  • Coursera: Provides courses created by recognized universities and companies.
  • Udemy: Features thousands of IT courses, often at discounted prices.
  • Codecademy: Ideal for learning programming languages.

Also, check out Khan Academy for basic IT and programming courses, and W3Schools for web development learning. GitHub can also be useful for practicing and sharing your programming projects.

Also, discover the best SAP consultant training.

Certifications for IT Jobs

After completing one or more training programs, we recommend confirming your skills by obtaining a certification. This will validate and demonstrate your abilities to recruiters.

Here’s a list of relevant certifications you can pursue:

  • OpenClassrooms Certificate: Various courses with certificates upon completion.
  • Google IT Support Professional Certificate: A comprehensive training program in IT support.
  • CompTIA A+: A foundational certification in IT support and networking.
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA): A certification in network management.
  • Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH): For those interested in cybersecurity.

Standing Out to Employers to Land an IT Job

Once you have enough to fill your resume in terms of training and skills, it’s time to dive into the job search phase.

Create a Portfolio

A well-organized portfolio can make all the difference. To create an effective one, showcase your skills through personal projects, such as a website you built or an application you developed. Additionally, participate in open-source projects on GitHub to demonstrate your ability to work in teams and solve real-world problems.

Furthermore, write articles on technical topics in a blog, showing not only your understanding but also your passion for the field. By combining these elements, your portfolio will become a powerful tool to enhance your application and prove your practical skills to employers.

Write a CV and Cover Letter

To land a job in IT, your CV must be clear and concise. Highlight your skills by listing the programming languages and tools you are proficient in. Also, mention any practical experience, even if unpaid, and include the projects you’ve completed in your portfolio.

For the cover letter, customize each letter for every job application. Show your motivation by explaining why you want the position and how you can contribute. Discuss your personal projects and what you learned while working on them. Moreover, don’t hesitate to provide quantifiable examples, as this will resonate directly with recruiters.

By following these tips, you can create an effective CV and cover letter that will attract employers’ attention.

Network and Apply to Find an IT Job

To optimize your chances of landing an IT job, networking and effective job applications are crucial. Create a professional profile on LinkedIn and connect with people in the industry to expand your network. Also, participate in forums and groups on sites like Reddit or Facebook, where you can share advice and opportunities with other IT enthusiasts. Finally, attend job fairs and tech events to meet employers directly and learn about job openings.

By combining these approaches, you will significantly increase your chances of finding an IT position.

Also read 6 Simple Steps to Improve Online Visibility as an IT Professional

Conclusion

Finding a job in IT without a degree is entirely possible with the right strategies. Focus first on acquiring practical skills, obtaining certifications, and creating a professional portfolio. Finally, network and stay motivated. With determination and effort, you can land your dream job in IT. Good luck!

Need tips on how to find a job in IT? Check out our IT job hunting guide.

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IT Infrastructure Job Descriptions Project Manager

Technical expert: Job description

Technical Expert

Use our template to create a compelling and comprehensive Technical expert job description to attract top talent.

The technical expert is generally a specialist who not only assists and controls but also informs and advises. He or she can particularly be involved in a project as a whole or in part. Here is everything you need to know about the technical expert job, the skills, education and training, career and salary expectations.

Are you looking for IT mission opportunities in the Tech and IT sectors on a freelance or permanent basis? Mindquest can help you find your next IT mission opportunity. Find technical expert missions by browsing our freelance and permanent vacancies available on our digital recruitment platform.

Technical expert: the job

Definition of the technical architecture

Always in accordance with the client’s strategy, the technical experts must analyze the company’s needs to implement the best possible solution to improve the business process. To do so, they will have to carry out internal audits to analyze the existing tools and possibly replace them with more efficient solutions.

They will then have to adapt the products in place to perfectly match the company’s structure. This phase will enable the solutions put in place to be tested to adapt them as much as possible to the company’s needs.

Training of the team

This phase is essential as it consists of training future users about the new product. The expert will assist in the deployment of the new products in order to provide maximum support to the new users.

Monitor and test the implemented tools

The technical expert must set up permanent tests to check the correct functioning of the elements that he/she has installed. In the event of a malfunction, it is important to be able to intervene quickly by analyzing and understanding the cause of the breakdown. As a problem can happen quickly, it is crucial to implement solutions to solve the problem.

Solving complex situations

The expert will have to explore all kinds of dysfunctions and propose a procedure to solve these complex problems. Of course, this procedure will have to be deployed in the company so that everyone can access it.

Also read our article about Project Management, roles, skills and career paths

Required skills of the Technical expert

Technical expert skills

Technical skills

The technical expert must have an excellent command of the technical solutions that fall within his or her field of competence. But it is also valuable to have a more general knowledge of properly technical solutions, such as a good understanding of one’s client’s field of activity.

Knowledge of English

Good knowledge of English is also important for understanding software documentation. In fact, much software is translated into English. The technical expert can attend training sessions in English on certain tools.

Listening, curiosity, rigor

The expert must be able to listen to the customers to respond as much as possible to their needs. Then, curiosity is essential to constantly seek new technical developments. Moreover, rigor seems indispensable. Indeed, to remain competitive, they must thoroughly assess the company’s needs to respond to them as best they can.

Self-education and versatility

The technical expert is a constantly evolving profession. In fact, always on the lookout for new technologies, the technical expert is in constant training to remain competitive. Versatility is also predominant in this profession. The expert must solve technical problems and train future users of the tools in-house.

Be a good teacher

Finally, he or she must be a good teacher in order to train future users of the tools that he or she will have put in place within the company. This training is provided both internally and externally.

You might also find our article on IT infrastructure: components, professional profile, and best practices interesting.

Context

Technical expert, context

Internally, the technical expert is in contact with the technical consultants, the support manager, the designers, and developers, and the product managers. Externally, he/she works with service providers, the client, the IT department, and suppliers. They are also in constant contact with future users.

Careers and Salary

Technical expert salary

Before working as a technical expert, it is preferable to have at least three years of experience in professions such as design and development engineer or IT project manager.
It will be possible for the technical expert to progress to the professions of business engineer, project manager, or technical director.

The average daily rate will be between €550 and €700.

Training and education

Technical expert education

It is possible to become a technical expert after obtaining a Bac+2 (DUT or IUT) but also with a Bac+5 (Engineering school, Master). It is then possible to train in a more specialized field. Finally, a doctorate may also lead to technical expert job.

Find technical expert assignments on our freelance and permanent IT recruitment platform, or join Mindquest so you don’t miss out on any opportunity!

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Job Descriptions Project Manager

Agile Coach: Job Description

Agile Coach
Agile Coach

Use our template to create a compelling and comprehensive Agile Coach job description to attract top talent.

The Agile Coach is an agent of change for companies on the path to agility. It helps businesses transform over the long term. This professional trains and supports the various stakeholders of the company (Product Owner, Scrum Master, analysts, developers and testers), with the aim of bringing them to a common goal of agility. He or she leads, manages and animates organizational transformation projects through management and agile engineering practices.

The Agile Coaches support their interlocutors on best practices in defining needs, planning and development practices, pair programming, refactoring, etc. Overall, they ensure the progress of projects in all phases of the development cycle.

An agile transformation is a project that can be very complex for the company. A project that can end in failure for many reasons: management not very open to agile, change of direction and objectives … The Agile Coach must then know how to face the unforeseen and disappointments without losing his/her dynamism, and lead change.

Agile Coach: the job

Analyze the situation and propose an adapted organization

After having analyzed the existing organization, this professionals must make the choice of the agile methods to use and determine the roles within the teams.

Offer different practices and different frameworks to the team who will make their choices

They should not impose his ideas but lead the teams to make their own choices. They offer his methods to the team, who may or may not be free to apply them. The goal is to achieve the best possible results, guiding the team to gain autonomy for the future.

Supporting the entire company with change with fun workshops, training and excellent communication

The Agile Coaches can support teams in groups or individually, with a real role of trainer. It must make things fun so that the transformation is accepted voluntarily by all stakeholders. These can be group training sessions, job specific training, or participatory workshops to easily assimilate agile methods to the team.

This professionals are generally requested by large companies wishing to be supported in their agile transformation. However, it can very well support a person, a team or an organization.

Also discover the other Project Managements roles and career paths

Required Skills

A high sense of leadership

The Agile Coaches train teams in agile methods and teaches them this new culture. They must become a mentor to people who want to evolve to improve performance.

Great educational qualities

Very good at communicating, they must be a comfortable teacher trainer in their interactions. Moreover, they must know how to adapt to the different situations encountered and to the different interlocutors. They must be able to present the project, to convince and to bring the team in the same direction.

A good technical mastery

The job of Agile Coach requires knowledge of agile project management approaches (Scrum, Kaban) & V-Cycle, as well as technical environments and design / development frameworks.

Salary

The salary of Agile Coaches varies depending on their experience. Thus, the average daily rate of an Agile Coach is between 300 and 700 €.

Training and education of the Agile Coach

To become an Agile Coach, you generally need to have a bac +5 level as a State Engineer in IT Development or in quality management.
Ideally, experience as a developer, within an IT department or as a pilot of production teams is preferable.

Find an Agile Coach mission

Also discover our job descriptions: SEO Expert and Web Designer

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IT Consultants Tips for your daily life as a freelancer

The IT Jobs Market of Today

The IT Jobs Market of Today
In the ultra-competitive IT job market of today, finding the right job is not as straightforward as one would wish. Understanding how it works is a must.

In the ultra-competitive IT jobs market, finding the right IT job is not as straightforward as one would wish. Things move fast, with top skills and technologies changing every few months and a constant stream of qualified IT candidates making it difficult to secure the best jobs out there.

But today’s complex environment is also one ripe with opportunities. Understanding how it works will help you achieve both your professional and personal goals.

Also, need advice on how to start or develop your freelance consulting business in tech or IT? Need to start a new permanent or freelance assignment? Join Mindquest and get support from our team of experts.

The growing IT talent gap

Technological advancement has its adverse consequences – skill obsolescence is a well-known side effect of progress. However, with new technologies emerging at a growing pace and changing the way businesses operate, the IT talent skills gap is rapidly widening.

Not surprisingly, most recruiters cite skills shortage as their top challenge. The lack of qualified candidates drives salaries up and empowers those professionals who possess the most desired skills. These candidates become increasingly hard to attract and retain, which, in turn, perpetuates the vicious cycle. That’s good news for tech experts.

The Top IT Skills to Master in 2024

Remaining competitive in the IT jobs market

Ironically, the same evolutionary speed that often makes IT professionals so valuable and sought-after can be their downfall if nothing is done in response. More so than in other professions, technology experts have the implicit duty to constantly renew themselves in order to remain competitive and grow their careers.

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Emerging skills and niches

New technological and business breakthroughs are constantly updating the list of most desired skills and capabilities. While softer skills like communication and time management are life-long partners of success; technical knowledge needs to be periodically revisited and updated to keep up with enterprise trends. The rise of data science, the AI boom and the strong momentum of cloud computing are all setting the agenda for the most in-demand IT skills.

In addition, the pandemic has put the focus on business-related skills. With companies increasingly looking to hire IT professionals who also understand the business side of things and can coordinate better with the rest of the organisation.

The change of focus makes sense. As higher-level business and management skills can help a great deal in navigating change and identifying new opportunities. For IT professionals and technical profiles, making a lateral career move to become more business-savvy can prove very beneficial.

Need tips on how to find a job in IT? Check out our IT job hunting guide.

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IT Infrastructure Job Descriptions

Cisco Network Engineer

AI expert job description
AI expert job description

What is the role of the Cisco Network Engineer? In this job description, you will learn about their missions, skills, and salary of these professionals.

Almost half of companies today use Cisco solutions. Cisco Systems, or Cisco is an American IT company specialising in the production and sale of network equipment (routers, Ethernet switches and servers, etc.). 

All Cisco solutions use the proprietary IOS ( Internetwork Operating System) operating system. Founded in 1984, the company has been at the heart of networks since the beginnings of the Internet and was notably the first to market multi-protocol routers. Today, the company offers VoIP, security and network storage solutions, IP telephones, software, switches, routers … 

Cisco Systems also offers many certifications that companies value highly. The company is thus a key player in the IT market for both SMEs and large groups.

Also explore the role of the C/C++ Developer

What is the role of the Cisco Network Engineer?

The mission of Cisco Network Engineers is to share their expertise in Cisco solutions to the needs of a company. This professional has different levels of intervention, participating in the development of the network architecture and its deployment as well as during its operation.

They are also involved in the analysis of the network and the diagnosis of problems related to the latter. To facilitate the operation of the network, this Cisco expert is also responsible for the production of documentation related, for example, to architectural designs or migration plans. 

The Cisco Network Engineer is responsible for implementing, managing and improving all Cisco communication networks within a company. They also ensure the perfect adaptation of hardware and software, their efficiency, as well as their constant development. To do this, these experts regularly install new high-performance tools (antivirus servers, etc.). 

The job of Cisco Network Engineers is a very versatile job with varied and diversified missions. It is a profession of contact and expertise which offers real prospects for employment and career development due to the sector which is very promising.

Also read the IT Infrastructure best practices

Required skills for a Cisco Network Engineer

Cisco Network Engineer skills

Cisco networking expertise

The Cisco Network Engineer is an expert in the administration of Cisco networks. These professionals are often required to have one or more Cisco certifications. They must also have a good knowledge of network and telecommunications protocols as well as telecommunications and Internet technologies.

Good computer skills

The Cisco Network Engineer must have broad knowledge in the IT field. They must master administration and management tools and infrastructure software such as operating systems or mail servers. They must also know how to work with databases. Finally, the Cisco Network Engineer must have a broad scientific culture and constantly update their knowledge according to the evolution of the sector. 

Adaptability and versatility

The Cisco Network Engineer must be versatile and able to assist all types of users. They must have good adaptability to cope with their interlocutors and new technological developments. Contact with different partners requires this engineer to have very good interpersonal skills. They must also be rigorous, organised and methodical and have a perfect command of professional English. In view of the risks associated with possible breakdowns or technical incidents, it is also important that this professional has good stress resistance capacities.

Salary of a Cisco Network Engineer

Cisco Network Engineer salary

The average daily rate for a Cisco Network Engineer is generally between $400 and $600. This amount may change depending on the characteristics of the assignment and the professional’s level of experience.

Training

Cisco Network Engineer training

To become a Cisco Network Engineer, university level is generally required. The main way to access this profession is therefore to go through an engineering school and obtain an engineering degree specialising in telecommunications.

It is also possible to enrol on courses offered by a specialized school or to follow a professional computer science master’s degree focusing on this specialty.

Are you looking for IT mission opportunities in the Tech and IT sectors on a freelance or permanent basis? Mindquest can help you find your next IT mission opportunity. Find your next mission by browsing our freelance and permanent vacancies available on our digital recruitment platform.

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IT Consultants Job application advice

IT Pros: How to Prepare for Technical Interviews

IT Pros: How to Prepare for Technical Interviews
A bit of common sense and some broad-reaching advice will help you prepare for technical interviews if you are an IT professional

One of the most common questions that get floated around online discussion groups about IT careers is how to prepare for technical interviews. These are a natural step for positions that require a very specific set of skills. And for which “faking it until you make it” is simply not an option.  

What kind of coding challenge should you prepare for when applying for a junior React.js developer position? What sort of test will you need to pass if you want to become a cloud architect at an industry-leading business?  

Well, sorry to disappoint, but there are almost as many answers to these questions as technical positions and companies exist out there. Each technological niche and practice will require you to focus on a different interview prep strategy.  

Yet there is no need to panic. A bit of common sense and some broad-reaching advice can go a long way.  

Find your next assignment on our freelance and permanent IT recruitment platform, or join Mindquest so you don’t miss out on any job opportunity!

Prepare for technical interviews: Do some basic research 

There is just so much that you can find online these days. Visit the aforementioned Internet forums and look for what recruiters and other experts in your line of work have to way. Chances are someone has already asked something pretty similar to your question.  

Review sites like Glassdoor often provide past interview questions and will give you a feel for what you are about to face. Dedicated LinkedIn groups are also a great source of insider information.  

Finally, do not hesitate to reach out to experts themselves. Whether it is a recruitment specialist or a Twitter back-end development star; they will more often than not be more than happy to point you to the best way forward. 

Educate yourself 

Now that you know what you need, go get it. As an IT professional, you are already probably used to the idea of continuing education. Identify what online courses, series of YouTube videos, or coding sites you should follow.  

Get an official certification if it makes sense for that specific application. Even if you don’t end up getting the job, you will be able to list it on your CV. But you will also be able to make the certificate count towards your eligibility for that specific application. So you will have a higher probability of getting the job.  

Practice and practice again 

No secret recipes here. Prepare for the technical interviews by going through a homemade practice test, correct it, learn from it. And repeat the process. If you have a friend or acquaintance that can help you review it, then now is the time to call them. It is also time to open yourself up to constructive criticism.  

Also, when the moment of truth comes, approach every real technical interview as an opportunity to practice and get better. That will take some pressure off of your shoulders and let you focus on the problem-solving you are so good at.  

Need advice on how to start or develop your freelance consulting business in tech or IT? Need to start a new permanent or freelance assignment? Join Mindquest and get support from our team of experts.

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Growing your career: permanent & freelance IT Consultants

The ABC for Landing the Best IT Jobs

The ABC for Landing the Best IT Jobs
Here is a quick refresher of what you’ll need to cover to ensure you are aming for the best IT job according to your needs and aspirations.

Let’s get this out right off the bat. All jobs are fundamentally rewarding and can teach you at least one thing that you’ll be able to leverage for future assignments. But you will need a bit more focus if you want to go after the best IT jobs.

Outlining the best career path according to your needs and aspirations is an art, and; just like with every form of art; you need to start by mastering the basics. Here is a quick refresher of what you’ll need to cover to ensure you are building the career you want, one job at a time.

Need advice on how to start or develop your freelance consulting business in tech or IT? Need to start a new permanent or freelance assignment? Join Mindquest and get support from our team of experts.

Define your professional aspirations

First of all, you will have to figure out what type of assignments you want to pursue. It is at this point that the choice of company and industry becomes essential.

You should learn all you can about that sector and account for the long term. Keeping in mind where you are and where you would like to get to will allow you to develop and implement a solid career strategy that sets you on the right path. For example, if you want to be in the luxury sector, you will have to prioritise companies or industries that are at least linked to it.

Position yourself for the best IT jobs

Then you should define your set of skills and position yourself according to the type of projects you want to target.

You need to make inventory of your skills and update your CV accordingly. Making sure it is aligned with your profiles on social and professional networks like LinkedIn. Define your offering and highlight the capabilities you would like to develop through your next project. And don’t make things up. Recruiters are not stupid.

What you are offering should be in line with the strategic vision of the company or industry you are targetting. Therefore, it is important to understand the current state of the business as well as the possible needs that the company may have now and in the future.

Polish your brand and organise your activity

Finally, having a polished and coherent image is key. The image you project is vital because it reflects both your personal and professional brands. It should be aligned with your offering and the needs of the industry you are targeting to maximise your chances of attracting the attention of the right recruiters.

But your image is worth nothing if you can’t deliver on it. Most recruiters will ask for references from past companies for which you have worked.

Here self-organisation and the proper management of your time are key. There are several organisational tools out there that will make your life easier and will help you optimise your workflows.

Find your next assignment on our freelance and permanent IT recruitment platform, or join Mindquest so you don’t miss out on any job opportunity!

Need tips on how to find a job in IT? Check out our IT job hunting guide.

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Press review Tech Magazine

Weekly News: Robot Farmers

Robot Farmers, Microsoft jobs, Ada Lovelace Day: discover our weekly news about IT & Tech.
Robot Farmers, Microsoft jobs, Ada Lovelace Day: discover our weekly news about IT & Tech.

Robot Farmers, Microsoft jobs, Ada Lovelace Day: discover our weekly news about IT & Tech.

Robot Farmers

Google‘s parent company, Alphabet, has presented a prototype for a new line of farming robots to help farmers monitor the health of crops and multiply crop yields.

Consequently, project Mineral consists of swarms of “robot buggies” that go up and down the fields inspecting every plant. They do so on upright pillars, coasting on top of the plants much like harbour container cranes do.

Meanwhile Alphabet’s goal is to accumulate large amounts of data about how crops grow to help the agricultural industry tackle the world’s increasing need for food and the sustainability of growing it.

BBC

Microsoft wants to create 1.5M jobs

In addition, Microsoft has made a pledge to create 1.5 million tech jobs in the UK over the next 5 years, with and additional 300,000 depending directly on them.

Called Get Go 2021, the campaign targets people currently in education, those looking into pursuing a career in tech, and those already in tech and wanting to change careers. The initiative is also meant to help those whose jobs have been affected by the Covid-19 crisis and bridge the IT talent gap. It will be based on education and training programs.

The company will also leverage LinkedIn data to anticipate the need for more than 3 million skilled IT workers. 

IT Pro Portal

To discover more about Microsoft: A Microsoft Technologies Careers Guide.

Ada Lovelace Day

Born in early 19th-century England, Ada Lovelace was a pioneering mathematician and writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage’s “Analytical Engine,” a steam-powered calculating machine now regarded as the first fully-automatic mechanical computer.

Although she wrote the first-ever algorithm, Lovelace’s true genius lied in her ability to envision the computer’s potential beyond mere arithmetic calculations. She is hence considered to be the first computer programmer, a “prophet” of the computer age.

This week we celebrated Ada Lovelace Day, reflecting on women’s countless contributions to science, technology engineering and math (STEM) — something we should honestly do every day.

Let this day serve as a reminder of how much work is left to do to ensure equal representation of women in tech.

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Growing your career: permanent & freelance IT Consultants

How to become an IT consultant that stands out from the crowd

How to Become an All-Terrain IT Pro
Standing out from the crowd as an IT professional isn't always easy. Here are a few quick pointers that will help you get to become an all-terrain IT Pro.

Nowadays, it is not enough to become an IT consultant, you need to stand out from the crowd to succeed in your career.

Here are a few quick pointers that will help succeed in your career path as an IT consultant.

Become an All-Terrain IT Pro

1# Reach a good level of experience

Cultivating a solid background at the end of your studies will allow you to differentiate yourself from candidates who are either too junior or too senior and therefore too expensive. Five to ten years of experience is usually the sweet spot in terms of employability.

2# Forget hyperspecialisation

Locking yourself into a skill and mastering it from start to finish may seem like the right way to go in order to differentiate yourself from overly generalist profiles. And in fact, there is nothing wrong with specialisation. It can be a solid career strategy. However, in the world IT —and especially if you are an independent contractor— it pays to adopt a multi-specialization approach. You don’t have to confine yourself to a single language or skill. You should not be satisfied with simple expertise either. Aim for “mastery”. Recruiters will move on quickly if mastery is not conveyed through your CV and profile.

3# Certify yourself

Having the right certification for the right position is a good approach. Certifications worth pursuing include Microsoft certifications, Ninja, Dev Star, and Code Crazy.

4# Soft Skills

Mastering the technical part of a position is not everything. Your personality will also weigh in the balance. Recruiters are looking for candidates who can be at the same time pleasant, knowledgable, committed, brilliant, altruistic, punctual, cunning, eloquent, humble, methodical, polite… Whether it is negotiation or communication, you need to master your soft skills as well. These are the essential soft skills every IT professional should have.

5# Compensation

Sensitive topic, but be realistic with your salary expectations and be ready to lower them a bit is the market calls for it. Especially considering the economic uncertainty brought about by the o pandemic.

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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.

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