Applying for an IT Job in Buffalo, NY can be challenging. Like in many cities across the globe, IT Professionals are in high demand in Buffalo. With high salaries and so much at stake, IT Hiring Professionals are diligent in their search for the right IT Team Members for their Teams. How You Apply for an Open IT Position can determine whether or not you get through the long list of resume applicants and into an actual IT Job Interview. Here are some tips to help you increase your chances of success as you apply.
Write a Brief Cover Letter
There’s something to be said about a Good Cover Letter. *Note we said ‘Good’ Cover Letter, not ‘Long’ Cover Letter.
A Good Cover Letter will answer the following questions:
Why are you a great fit for this IT role?
What experience do you have that should be highlighted as beneficial to this IT Position?
What is your availability for a next step interview?
When would you be able to start the position if you were the right candidate?
With this being said, each of the answers to these questions should be only one or two sentences in length – keeping the Cover Letter brief. Brevity is important to HR Directors, IT Hiring Managers, and IT Recruiters as they attempt to sift through the large volume of applications and resumes submitted to each IT Job. Your goal with your Cover Letter is to quickly make an impact – enough so that your resume gets read.
Supply References Up Front
References and testimonials help resumes stand out in the stack. If your resume looked somewhat identical to another applicant’s, but yours had 3 testimonials or references from industry professionals praising your work, who do you think would have the upper hand in getting a call back for an interview?
Buffalo is the type of area where relationships go a long way. Show high-level professionalism and build trust by providing 3 testimonials or reference letters up front, to go along with your Cover Letter and Resume. References from industry peers with position titles appropriate to the IT Position you’re applying to add some weight to your application.
Apply to Different Positions
Your 10 years of Project Management Experience makes that Open Project Manager Position an obvious choice to apply to, but what about that Program Manager Position, or Director Role?
Like drafting in the National Football League, if the talent and skills are there, good organizations will find a spot for you. Getting outside of your traditional IT role during the application process can open up new doors (ones you may not have known existed), and also help you stand out during the application process.
The job you’re applying for may be highly competitive. Apply to that job but then take a look to see if the company is hiring for any other positions that could be applicable to your skill set, even if they’re outside your traditional IT role/title. This can increase your odds of getting an interview with the company, and possibly an interview with the same hiring manager for that open position in your wheelhouse. Any interview with them is an opportunity, and keeping an open mind could lead to tremendous opportunities you hadn’t considered before.
Apply through Multiple Job Board Websites
As many IT Professionals know, there are a number of different job board websites with available IT Job postings that you can apply to. There are IT-specific job board sites like DICE, non-IT-specific sites like Indeed, and social sites like Linkedin, all of which carry job boards with job postings for you to apply to. In most cases, a Company with an Open IT Position will post an IT Requirement across multiple job boards.
To increase your chances of getting your resume seen, you can choose to apply to the same position through multiple job board websites. Doing so doesn’t necessarily mean you will receive a call back on your resume, but it does increase the odds that your name and resume will be seen – perhaps multiple times. An increase in visibility can trigger a response from an IT Recruiter or Hiring Manager.
Follow Up with a Phone Call
You’ve written a brief but direct Cover Letter. You’ve supplied Testimonials from other relevant IT Professionals regarding your IT Skills and Work Experience. You’ve Applied to Different IT Positions through Multiple Job Board Websites. Now its time to pick up the phone.
As we stated before, in Buffalo, NY, relationships mean a lot. The City of Good Neighbors can require a personal touch in the workplace to move things forward. Your best next step is to pick up the phone and call the Hiring Manager, IT Staffing Agency, or IT Recruiter to verify that they’ve received your resume, thank them for their consideration of you for an interview, and find out if there is anything else you can do to move the process forward. Taking this step will help you develop relationships and build trust, and may just push you through to the next step in the IT Hiring Process.
The IT Job Application Process can be a nerve racking one for some IT Professionals. There are certain times when one application is all it takes to get an interview, and other times when multiple applications yield no results. Working with a Professional IT Recruiting and Staffing Firm can take some of the anxiety and required effort off your shoulders.
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