Are you interested in learning about in demand skills, certificates, or available training resources? Your recruiter can be a valuable resource for assessing your strengths and weakness, as well as providing insight on how to develop given skill sets.
Preparing yourself from a technical perspective is one of the best things you can do, but have you ever considered leveraging your recruiter as a tech-prep launching point? That’s right, your recruiter. And chances are that if you have an open and trusting relationship with your recruiter, you’ve discussed your career goals and ambitions. If you haven’t or haven’t recently, now’s the time to start the rapport. Why? Recruiters are a valuable resource! Great recruiters are trained in one or more skill sets, have industry experience and can provide valuable insight when it comes to tech-prep. And, depending on your level of engagement, your recruiter may be one of the best resources for pointing out your technical strengths and weakness, which will help identify where to focus your tech-prep. Just remember to plan accordingly and prepare your recruiter to get the most from your recruiters time.
Preparing Your Recruiter
Before your meeting, let your recruiter know what you’d like to accomplish, so they have time to prepare. Send them questions ahead of time. The idea is to evoke a productive discussion during your meeting with questions like the following:
- What are this year’s tech-trends or next year’s?
- What skills or certificates are (or will be) in demand?
- What are the market rates?
- Where do I fit in?
- What is my worth?
- Can we discuss my technical weaknesses and recommendations for tech-prep?
- You can even ask about this win-win…being paid for learning new tech on the job! That’s right, ask your recruiter if there are ways to try new tech on your current assignment, instead of having to learn outside of work. Many firms offer assistance with course work and certification, while on the job.
Overall, these questions are just a few of many that can be asked. You can make them as specific as you’d like and specific to your tech-prep. In addition, you should be doing your own research; don’t just lean on your recruiter. Although it is likely that your technical recruiter will have great resources and recommendations to offer, i.e. training and development options, online communities to join and access, etc., the ability to access numerous resources is always a simple search away.
