MISSO

IT Hiring Trends &

Interview Tips 2008

by James Del Monte CPC, CERSJDA Professional Services, Inc.

“ . . . Almost 100% of a managers success comes from hiring and retaining good people. Good people don’t make the difference - they are the difference“

- James Del Monte- James Del Monte

Agenda

• Overview of JDA • Current Trends• Future Trends• Taking Personal Inventory • Packaging Your Skills• Selling Yourself 101• The Hard Questions• Questions

What JDA Does. . .JDA Professional Services, Inc. is a Houston-based IT staffing firm specializing in the recruitment of strategic-technical to executive-level professionals. We provide staffing solutions through full-time, contract, and project-based placements. Since 1981, we have been helping companies build great IT departments while helping IT professionals find the right career opportunities.

Full-Time Staffing

Contract /Temporary Staffing

Special Projects Staffing

JDA

Law of Supply and Demand

The demand for skilled professionals peaked 4Q99 and has decreased, bottoming out 3Q03. The current cycle indicates that once again there are more positions than skilled

professionals, and this is projected to continue past 2010.

Labor Surplus vs. Skill Shortage

1984

1995

2Q01

4Q04

Demand Bottomed

4Q99

Demand Peaked

Demand Bottomed Supply

Demand

1989 3Q03

The job market has shifted from an Employer’s MarketEmployer’s Market to a Job Seeker’s MarketJob Seeker’s Market - to a Combination MarketCombination Market.

Candidate

Candidate

Candidate

Position

Position

Position

Position

Candidate

2000 - 20032000 - 20032000 - 20032000 - 2003 2004 - 20102004 - 20102004 - 20102004 - 2010

Market Shift

Job Creation

1 million new IT positions from 2004 – 2014 that’s a 30% increase(BLS)

Labor Surplus vs. Skill Shortage

Employment Index

Employment of workers in IT Occupations

3,200,000

3,300,000

3,400,000

3,500,000

3,600,000

3,700,000

3,800,000

3,900,000

2003

Q4

2004

Q1

2004

Q2

2004

Q3

2004

Q4

2005

Q1

2005

Q2

2005

Q3

2005

Q4

2006

Q1

2006

Q2

2006

Q3

2006

Q4

2007

Q1

2007

Q2

2007

Q3

2007

Q4

2008

Q1

2008

Q2

Source: National Association of Computer Consultant Businesses (www.naccb.org)

Unemployment Virtually “Zero” Among IT Professionals

Occupation 2Q2008 Unemployment rate

Computer hardware engineers 1.7

Computer and information systems managers 2.1

Computer programmers 3.3

Computer scientists and systems analysts 1.0

Computer software engineers 1.9

Computer support specialists 3.7

Database administrators 1.6

Network and computer systems administrators 2.8

Network systems and data communications analysts 2.5

Source: unpublished tabulations of Current Population Survey data furnished by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education Pays

Doctoral degree

Professional degree

Master’s degree

Bachelor’s degree

Associate degree

Some college, no degree

High-school graduate

Less than a high-school diploma

Unemployment rate in 2007 (Percent) Median weekly earnings in 2007 (Dollars)

1.4%

1.3

1.8

2.2

3.0

3.8

4.4

7.1

$1,497

1,427

1,165

987

740

683

604

428

Source: http://www.bls.gov/emp/emptab7.htm

Less than 9th grade

High-school

Some College, no degree

Associate degree

College Bachelor’s degree or more

9th to12th non-grad

Graduate incl. GED

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Professional Degree

Doctoral Degree

Lifetime Mean Earnings

1,184,497 1,241,268 1,563,835 1,789,102 1,853,774 2,614,770 3,098,408 4,777,515 3,670,380

Add’l Lifetime Earnings over prior education

56,771 322,567 225,267 64,672 760,996 483,638 1,679,107 (1,107,135)

Source: http://ferret.bls.census.gov/macro/032001/perinc/new04_001.htm Annual Demographic Survey 2000Values calculated consider typical work starting age for each education level achieved through age 65.

• Will come from companies with less than 100 employees

• In Houston there are less than 4,000 companies with over 100 employees

• These companies need the same services as large companies - just not all the time

80% of Job Growth

2008 Houston IT Hiring

Increase Staff, 61Decrease

Staff, 11

Remain the Same, 28

Education = life long process

• The person who learns today, but stops learning tomorrow is uneducated the day after

• Learn to learn – who are the best teachers of you and your friends – take their courses. Excited about learning – love to learn

Education and $$

• What is the purpose of Education / Training?

• A Students – name schools - hired by major corporations at top salaries

• B Students – regional or local schools hired by small to mid size companies

• C Students – 3rd tier or local schools hired by ?

80% of college graduates are in professions other than what they were trained in 10 years after graduation

Top-Paid Majors for 2007-08 Bachelor’s Degree

• Curriculum Average Salary Offer

• Chemical Engineering $63,616

• Computer Engineering $59,962

• Computer Science $59,873

• Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering $58,252

• Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering $57,999

*Source: Spring 2008 Salary Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers.

4 Generations

• > 46 Depression WWII

• 47 - 64 Baby Boomers

• 65 - 85 Generation X

• 86 - 05 Generation Y or millennial

Generation Perception

• Strengths• Connected• Networking with others• Multi-tasking• Team players – collective

action • Structured workers• Complex problem solving• Traditional values• Desire to succeed • Tech savvy • Heroic spirit • Tenacious

• Weaknesses• Catered to • Work habits• Attention span• Immediate gratification• Need for feedback• 80% turn over first year• Grade inflation / abilities • No independent responsibility• Unrealistic expectation • Lack of patience • Inexperience in life skills

Gen Y

• 74% of employers say Gen Y workers expect to be paid more

• 61% say Gen Y workers expect to have flexible schedules

• 56% say Gen Y workers expect to be promoted within the year

• 50% say Gen Y workers expect to have more vacation or personal time

• 37% say Gen Y workers expect to have access to state-of-the-art technology

• Bingham consulting professionals 2008

Selling Yourself

“It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have one and not be prepared.”

– Whitney Young JR

Interviewing Tips & TechniquesAsk not what your company can do for you but

what you can do for your company

• Goals Yours - Theirs

• Know Yourself Why You

• Prepare Research

• Seek to Understand• Me vs. You Questions• Hard Questions

Money

• Closing Asking for it

True or False

• The person with the best skills gets the job?

• The best interviewer gets the job?• The person that’s the best fit gets the

job?• Most interviewers are not professional

interviewers and are uncomfortable?• Good preparation is key to a successful

interview? • It is better to have experience than to

know someone?

What Makes a Successful Employee

• Showing up• Being ready to work• Doing what it takes• Ability to learn and take on more• Plays well with others• Attitude - positive optimistic

A faithful employee is as refreshing as a cool day in the hot summertime. Proverbs 26 13

Attitude

• Success is creating a state of mind that allows you to achieve whatever it is you want.

• When a man is gloomy, everything seems to go wrong; when he is cheerful, everything seems right! Proverbs 15:15

Skills CIO’s Look For Personal Inventory

• Business/Functional• Project Management• Communication - written and oral• Presentation • Problem Solving• Critical Thinking • Leadership• Organization Skills• Time Management• Attention to Detail• Learning Ability• Flexibility

Strengths & Weaknesses

• List your top three

• Give an example of each

• Why would this matter to me

Types of Interviews

•Biographical – resume verification.http://www.jdapsi.com/Candidate/Articles/Default.php?Article=biographical_interview

•Functional – what do you do?•http://www.jdapsi.com/Candidate/Articles/Default.php?Article=interviewing_techniques

•Accomplishment – what have you done?•http://www.jdapsi.com/Candidate/Articles/Default.php?Article=5_steps_mastering_accomplishment_interview

•Behavioral – tell me about a time?•http://www.jdapsi.com/Candidate/Articles/Default.php?Article=behavioral_interview

Tell me about yourself?

Product Definition

• 30 second introduction

2 line summary of experience

2 lines of career highlights

2 lines of what you want to do next

The Money Question

$$ The market sets the price $$

Ask and you shall receive

Besides money what is important to you?

• First review and history for increases

• Promotions and career path

• First assignment

• Training and certifications

• Bonuses and incentives

• Benefit package – cost and coverage

• Flexibility

• Location

• Telecommuting

• Access to management

Total Package

Compensation Package Components

• Base salary• Signing bonus• Group bonus• Project bonus• Hot skill bonus• Clothing bonus• Travel bonus • Early reviews• Expense account• Company car• Stock or stock options• Retirement plans• 401k

• Titles • Office space • Parking – bus passes van

pools • Flexible scheduling• Telecommuting• Equipment• Training/tuition• Out of town trips• Extra/early vacation• Family days• Day care

Asking for the job –closing the deal

• Summary statement

• What is the next step

• Will you be making me an offer

• I am interested in working for you

• Is there any reason why you won’t be making me an offer

Moving the Interview Forward

Who’s Hiring Interns & Entry Level

• Big Oil & Gas• Mercer• Hewitt• Getronics• Convergys • HP• BMC• Engineering & Construction • Out Source Companies

#1 Suggestion by #1 Suggestion by ExecutivesExecutives

•Learn the Business

Your biggest asset? = ability to make money – this will take constant training and upgrading – invest both time and money in oneself. You have to INVEST in your biggest asset! Think ROI.

Advice from CIO’s

• Develop your personal network• Specific technology can be learned as needed• In the fast changing technology, knowledge, ability, skills and

habits are all combined to make a career • Make sure that all strategic plans are tied to a technology plan• Have personal integrity, be humble, be frank and honest• Get technical, stay intellectual and put in more than you take out

while you are in a career building mode.• Look for mentors to help you improve. • Be aggressive in ways to help the business (don’t just wait for

someone to give you work). • Half of everything you know today will be obsolete in three

years.• Maintain a healthy balance between self, family and work.

Laugh a lot and eat your vegetables.

701 North Post Oak RoadSuite 610

Houston, Texas 77024-3818

Phone: 713-548-5400www.jdapsi.com

Contract and Full-time Staffing Information Technology Staffing Specialists Consulting and Special Projects