TEKsystems Survey Reveals IT Job Seekers Crave a More Personal Touch in the Job Search Process

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TEKsystems Survey Reveals IT Job Seekers Crave a More Personal Touch in the Job Search Process »

HANOVER, Md., Jan 24, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — TEKsystems(R), a leading provider of IT staffing solutions, human capital management expertise and IT services, today announced recent findings from its quarterly IT Professional Perspectives Survey (ITPPS). This quarter’s survey investigates effective sourcing strategies by examining how IT professionals look for jobs, what challenges they face and what makes certain IT job opportunities stand out. The survey reflects the views of 2,424 IT professionals in the fourth quarter of 2011.

The Job Search Starts with Self-Awareness

IT professionals report the number one action they take when considering a career change is to reassess their skills, goals and interests. Following this self-assessment, they begin searching online job boards and company websites for available job opportunities, with 96% utilizing online job boards. Once potential opportunities are identified, the majority of IT professionals (72%) begin networking with professional communities outside of their current company and researching industries with high demand for IT talent.

“As IT professionals go through their own process of job searching, organizations should go through a similar self-evaluation to determine what skills, knowledge and abilities enable people to excel within their organization,” says TEKsystems Director, Rachel Russell. “Job boards are the quickest way for IT professionals to feel like they’re getting out there and searching for a job. But given that so many people are on the job boards, it’s a hard place to stand out. Job boards also present challenges to employers due to the abundance of resumes and the tendency for skill exaggeration on resumes. The unrivaled leader in terms of effective job search tactics is networking. Credible referrals from people you trust are the best avenue to a new job that’s a truly good fit.”

The Most Trusted Resources Address Key Job Search Challenges

IT professionals primarily look for clear and realistic views of a job opportunity and feedback throughout the hiring process–91% and 88% of respondents, respectively, say these two pieces of information are helpful in attracting them to an opportunity. Additionally, 68% of IT professionals indicate that obtaining feedback throughout the hiring process is the most difficult challenge they face when looking for a new job.

When asked who they consult with most frequently during the job search process, 59% of IT professionals report the number one resource they confer with is a recruiter, followed by colleagues (54%), friends (53%) and their networking communities (46%).

“Really great recruiters engage their client’s hiring managers to understand their priorities, the business problems they’re trying to solve, the culture of the team, the perks in working for the client’s company and the intangibles that will really make a job opportunity stand out,” comments Russell. “This insight enables the recruiter to vet candidates appropriately and to share valuable information IT professionals want to know as they weigh their options. The process of gathering this insight also builds a rapport with the hiring managers and is helpful in ensuring the recruiter can collect necessary feedback on each job applicant’s candidacy.”

TEKsystems Survey Reveals IT Job Seekers Crave a More Personal Touch in the Job Search Process