Recent years have shown how dynamic and fast-growing the IT industry is. The demand for programmers and IT specialists is still high. Firms will constantly be looking for IT Specialists who will introduce new solutions to their companies.
In our article you will find out how a programmer should be prepared for the recruitment process in 2024. We will also provide advice on creating a CV, presentation and more stuff. What should you pay attention to when during looking for a job and preparing for IT job interviews in the IT industry?
Preparing Sotware Developer for recruitment in 2024
There may be many reasons for changing jobs (we described the most important ones in our report for 2024). It cannot be denied that a wave of layoffs has been observed this year. The topic of how to present yourself when looking for a new job is crucial.
What are the main stages of the recruitment process in IT?
Here is a short summary of the four main stages of the IT recruitment process:
- First contact with a recruiter and checking a file with CV – Contact with a recruiter usually starts with sending a message to the programmer. During the interview, the candidate may be asked about the motivation to change jobs, financial requirements, work mode, availability, notice period and participation in other recruitment processes. This is also a good time to ask your own questions.
- Interview with a recruiter – The first interview with the recruiter focuses on assessing the candidate’s soft skills, motivation and fit to the organization. The second interview focuses on checking the candidate’s knowledge, experience with various technologies, and the level of specialization in specific programming languages, frameworks and tools.
- Verification of competences – The candidate’s skills will be verified based on recruitment needs, most often through a technical interview or other methods such as homework, live coding or pair programming. After verification, the candidate should receive feedback on their results, possible tips for the future, and information on whether they have progressed to the next stage of the recruitment process or not.
- Determining the terms of employment and signing the contract – At the final stage of the recruitment process, the terms of the contract and formalities are finally specified, but it is worth remembering that this scheme may be different depending on the specificity of the position and may contain additional stages.
To learn more, we invite you to read the article below and our guide for candidates “What Are the Main Stages of an IT Recruitment Process? Guide and Tips for Candidates”.
Below we present what a programmer should pay attention to while preparing for recruitment in 2024.
Research regarding the IT job market
As we have already mentioned – the job market, and especially the IT market, is constantly changing. Along with technological development, new job positions appear, which respond to emerging market demands. In the face of these changes, companies may encounter difficulties in finding the right candidates for work. Therefore, it is worth keeping your finger on the pulse and being flexible to market changes – following trends and shaping your career along with them may be the key solution.
New technologies – their impact on the recruitment process of programmers
AI is now available in almost every field and industry. Recruiters also use it to improve the candidate recruitment process by automating it. This means that a candidate for the position of IT specialist or programmer should take special care of their CV. ATS systems (more about it in this article) that recruiters work with analyze keywords. Moreover, the right format is important so that the algorithm can correctly analyze the CV file.
Recruiters are using AI-powered ATS systems. Can candidates also increase their chances with AI?
With the help of AI tools, candidate can also quickly and easily prepare the most important information about the company they are applying to. Such notes can make it easier to prepare for the interview. Entering the appropriate prompt will also help you learn about potential questions for specific positions. It is therefore worth using AI’s capabilities for educational purposes. We would like to point out, however, that doing your own research is also good – it will make you remember more (e.g. from the interface and tabs on your potential employer’s website).
Willingness to learn and to improving skills
Due to the dynamic market needs and continuous development of the IT industry, it is important for a programmer or specific IT specialist to constantly improve their skills and expand their knowledge. The IT industry requires constant learning and adapting to new technologies, so candidates should invest in developing their skills. It is also worth seeking mentorship or staying in touch with friends in the IT industry who can help you with what to look out for to increase your chances of getting a job. All of this will help you increase your competitiveness on the job market.
It is worth mentioning during the recruitment interview that we are open to learning and applying new solutions.
Self-presentation
It is worth practicing self-presentation skills to best present yourself as an attractive candidate. It happens that candidates, despite their knowledge and skills, cannot fully present their advantages. It is also a good idea to write down the most important information that you may forget under stress, for example, projects you have participated in or your strengths.
But that’s not all. What can significantly distinguish a candidate for a job in IT is great personal culture and a respectful attitude towards others.
Recruitment process for programmers in 2024
When preparing for the recruitment process, you should take care of two elements: perfecting your CV (and possibly your portfolio) and preparing for the interview with the recruiter.
We encourage you to read our article “Positive Candidate Experience“.
CV
A well-prepared resume in the IT industry is the key to success. When preparing an application, a programmer or IT specialist should remember to primarily specify the information provided in the job description. Then the candidate will be sure that the recruiter will be able to easily and transparently assess whether a given person is suitable for the job position – a CV created for a specific company or for a specific position can significantly increase the chance of being selected for the next stage of recruitment. This option is more time-consuming, but may help you find a new job.
Writing the right information or keywords will also ensure that the recruiter’s ATS system algorithms can analyze a given document in the most optimal and fastest way possible and provide clear information on whether the CV is worth re-analyzing or rejecting.
How to create a CV that will increase your chances of success in IT recruitment?
1. Is it worth adding a photo to your CV?
Answer: This is optional. If we are going to add it, it is important that it is professionally done and that we are the only person on it.
2. Remember things that cannot be missing:
Answer: About the GDPR confidentiality clause – without it, the candidate cannot take part in the recruitment process. Also check for potential typos – we know of cases where someone did not receive a response to the application because they entered the wrong phone number in their CV 🙂
3. How many pages should a CV have?
Answer: There is no upper limit, but it is good if it fits on 1-2 pages of A4.
4. What else can, but doesn’t have to, be added to CV?
Answer: At the beginning, you can add 3-4 sentences generally describing why you are suitable for the position you are applying for – this practice can help you stand out.
5. What format should a CV be saved in?
Answer: It is best to use PDF format, because each recruiter can use different programs. PDF format protects our CV from various surprises 🙂
6. What should the CV file be named?
Answer: It should be simple, but also informative about who the CV is from. It is worth signing it with our name and surname and the position we are applying for.
7. Which CV template is better? Colorful and graphically advanced, or simple and in colors like black font on white background?
Answer: A CV must be easy to read and the most important information must be found quickly. We advise you to go for simple solutions. White background and black font (or if you want to add color, max. 1 or 2). When it comes to the layout of information – let it be standard. The more creative and complicated the CV – the greater the problem in finding the most important information. Remember that we want the recruiter to find information related to the job position the candidate is applying for as easily as possible. Let’s be careful not to reduce the chance of this by choosing wrong colors and patterns 🙂
8. Are diagrams showing how well you know a program or technology okay?
Answer: They provide little information and are too general – we recommend avoiding them.
9. In what language should a CV be prepared for a job in the IT industry?
Answer: It is best to check what is written in the requirements. Most often, Polish and English versions are required – it is worth having both prepared.
The interview in the recruitment process
After a successful CV analysis, if the candidate meets the requirements of the job position, they are invited to an interview with a recruiter. During the interview, topics such as knowledge of specific technologies, hard and soft skills, and the candidate’s financial requirements are discussed. The candidate presents their experience in the industry and in the projects they have participated in.
After a successful interview with the recruiter, the candidate moves to the next recruitment stage. It may involve completing a task or an exact verification to check whether the skills presented in the previous stage correspond with reality.
IT job offers for programmers
Are you a programmer looking for IT job offers? If so, we encourage you to check out our Job Offers tab.
Is there no job offer you are looking for? Send us your CV! 🙂
When looking for job offers, it is worth being properly organized. First of all:
- set a job search schedule, specifying the days and hours you will devote to browsing offers, sending applications and preparing for job interviews,
- take breaks to keep your approach fresh and motivated,
- if your applications remain unanswered for a longer period of time, check if your CV is constructed correctly – ask friends or specialists for feedback,
- you can also invest your time in training and courses to make good use of your free time.
Recruitment of programmers – cooperation with Next Technology Professionals
If you are looking for a programmer for your company, we will be happy to help you 🙂
We are an IT recruitment and IT outsourcing agency, specializing in Talent Acquisition services. In 9 years on the market, we have conducted over 1,000 successful recruitment processes. Our priority is always professionalism and a unique approach to each client. We make every effort to find the candidate best suited for a given position.
We encourage you to read our article “IT Recruitment Agency and IT Outsourcing in Poland – Q&A 2024” in which we answer why cooperation with us is the best solution!
Do you want to build your IT team? Learn more!
What does the cooperation process with an IT recruitment agency look like?
If you have questions related to cooperation, IT recruitment or need other data – write to us at contact@nexttechnology.io. We will be happy to talk to you and provide all the answers.
We also encourage you to download our report “Prepare for the IT recruitment process in 2024 – IT job market in Poland” where you will find salary ranges for the most popular IT positions.
Do you need a payroll audit? Fill out the contact form and let us know. We’ll get back to you with information on what data we can prepare.
Recruitment of programmers with an IT recruitment agency
In summary, to successfully go through the recruitment process in 2024, candidates should focus on understanding the labor market and tracking its changes, preparing a professional and reliable CV, improving their skills and knowledge of new technologies. It is worth investing in cooperation with a recruitment agency to save time and costs when recruiting the best talents on the job market.
