Top Five Ways That Video Conferencing Can Help Build Your IT Career

For anybody looking to build a career in the IT sector, now is the right time as there are more opportunities than ever and a dire need for skilled IT professionals. Millennials are in the ideal position to fill these jobs as they are the first generation to grow up using computers and the internet. Even so, the industry is increasingly moving from the office to the home work station so it may be difficult for recent graduates to break in if there is no office where they can build experience. However, thanks to systems such as Blue Jeans, it is easy to set up a videokonferenzgespräch for IT interviews or projects. Here are just a few ways this technology can help job seekers in the IT field:

1. Video Interviews

Keep a look out for job advertisements looking for people to work off-site or remotely. This way you can set up a video interview with them and your job options aren’t restricted only to your immediate area. Even if you are sending out speculative e-mails to potential employers, say you are looking to work remotely using video conferencing. Quint Careers has a great guide to succeeding in video interviews, including how to follow up on an interview.

2. Video Resume

It may seem like a cheesy gimmick but video resumes really do work. It is one thing to send out hundreds of resumes and e-mails, but it is also important to bring employers to you and provide them with easily accessible information about your skills and abilities. Video resumes, preferably linking to an online portfolio, are an ideal way to do this. Employers have to plough through hundreds of paper resumes but a video resume stands out from the crowd and shows your dedication to your career.

3. Go Freelance

More and more IT positions are being filled by freelancers. A report by the freelance job site Elance (which has since been rebranded as Upwork) found that the IT sector made up the highest portion of freelance jobs on the site at 41 percent. Trends like this are why increasing numbers of IT professionals are becoming self-employed. If you have the skills that employers are looking for, want to set your own schedule, and are prepared for hard work and self-promotion then freelancing could be an ideal career move for you. Video conferencing has made it easier than ever for freelancers to find new clients from around the world. It is a risky venture and it is recommended to have at least a part time job before starting out to give yourself some financial leeway. It may even be preferable to get some experience from a full time salaried IT job before going freelance.

4. Social Media

People in the IT sector should be expected to keep on top of current trends, and nowhere is the online world changing more than in social media. Job seeking is no exception. First of all, you should be following all of the companies you would ideally like to work for as many promote job openings through their social media feeds. Some even do this instead of posting job ads as it saves them money. Secondly, when you do come across a company you think you’d be ideally suited for, send them a quick, polite, and friendly private message to introduce yourself and link them to your website or online resume or portfolio. Not every company will respond to you but it will at least get your name out there in front of people in the industry. Many people have already found their jobs using this method. Be sure to also keep your own social media pages updated with relevant news and information about the IT sector, but be careful when posting personal views or anything related to politics as this could put employers off.

5. Flexible Working

One of the most important traits for remote workers that employers are looking or is to be accessible at practically any time so it is important to make this impression during the hiring process by accepting an interview no matter the time it is set for (unless perhaps if it is the middle of the night during your local time). This doesn’t mean you will have to work through the night when you do get hired, it just means that your new boss will always be able to reach you in the case of a work emergency.
By following all of the above advice, you will have a head start to building a career or making a career change to the IT industry. Remote working and video conferencing technology makes it easier than ever to build a career and work from your own home no matter your location so take advantage of it and you can build a great IT career.