Look for These 4 Things on IT Candidate Resumes

Many HR teams don’t have technical skills, which makes it more difficult to screen technical candidates. It’s not only hard to find technology candidates, it’s even tougher to discern when candidates are the right ones to fit the job. Here are four signs you have a great candidate just by looking at their resume to help your hiring process run a bit more smoothly.

4 Signs of a Great IT Candidate:

Candidate Longevity

Sure, we know that two-years and out seems to be the standard tenure these days. But it’s also a sign to companies that the candidate is vulnerable to being headhunted away for more money. There’s risk associated with these types of job-jumping candidates. So, if you see that the technology candidate has some longevity in their job along with having the credentials you’re looking for, you know right away that it’s a good candidate. Having tenure in a company means the tech candidate likes low drama and has some loyalty and stick-to-it that you can apply in your company.

Staying Current with Certifications

Technology is always changing, so avoid candidates that have outdated skills. Failing to stay current means the candidate doesn’t mind lagging behind his or her peers. Worse, they may be so out-of-touch, they don’t even realize it. If the candidate has cloud certifications, project management, security, or anything else relevant to the job you’re trying to fill, it means they’re engaged in keeping their skills sharp. It means they’re still interested in the field they’re in and making the effort to stay on top of their game. If the candidate has an active tech project they’re working on the side, that’s equally appealing. Look for candidates that stay current with certifications long after their four-year degree is over. Look for candidates that like to play with drones or a raspberry pi on the weekends. This shows their love for the work they do.

Accomplishments are Important

Look for candidates that use action phrases that show what they accomplished. During the interview, if they keep saying “we did this,” it may show teamwork, but you should clarify and ask them what they accomplished. The same is true on the resume. Instead of having a laundry list of skills and jobs, look for tech candidates that talk about how they met their goals and accomplished tasks. Did they receive a promotion? Did they achieve successful deployments? Did they streamline efficiencies or set up reporting to track metrics? What key benefits did they bring to the job?

Portfolio of Work

Finally, the candidate should have a digital work portfolio. Do they have a GitHub or Bitbucket that has active commits? Do they have a website with a list of projects? If they’re a programmer, much of their code may be proprietary to the company they’re working for, but do they have side projects they can share? Having a digital portfolio of work is a good way to check technical skills but also to get a sense of the person and their eye for organization and/or design. Maybe they even have an app that you can download from the app store? These are all great examples of their work that carve the candidate out as potentially exceptional.

Blackstone Talent Group is always on the lookout for exceptional candidates. Talk with our team to find out more.

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