The IT industry is an ever competitive and growing business sector. Each year, thousands of new professionals join the workforce looking for a new career. In today’s article, our team discusses the 5 things we look for when hiring entry level IT professionals and what you can do to improve your chances of getting hired at our firm, and any like it. Aspis is a cybersecurity and IT professional company based out of Kansas City, Missouri with offices in Duluth, Minnesota and Washington D.C. We specialize in providing the people who can help with cybersecurity and IT solutions for both government and commercial clients. Our core values are Diversity, Integrity, and Community and are the foundation of how we run our company. To learn more about Aspis get in touch with our team at www.aspis.consulting.
1. Does the Candidate have a Track Record of Success?
Though the position is entry level, our team looks for some form of experience that showcases the candidate has a track record of perseverance, learning, or accolades. This could include actual work experience in the field, volunteer experience, leadership in a relevant club or organization, or all of the above. This is usually the first item we look for, as past performance is usually a great indicator of future success. One of our current employees, Andrew, was kind enough to showcase his resume. Before joining Aspis, Andrew had just gotten out of college and was working part time roles to gain experience. We can see that Andrew has a bachelor’s degree and received dean’s list a few times which shows success at it.
2. Does the Candidate Fit our Core Values?
As stated above, Aspis’ core values are the foundation of our company. Thus, our values are the foundation of what we look for when hiring any new employees. After narrowing down our candidates based on their previous experience, our team has an initial phone call with them to learn more about who they are and ensure that what they stated in their resume is fully accurate. From these questions, we are usually able to gauge if this candidate will fit within our company’s culture. If we come to the conclusion that they won’t, then we go on to the next candidate.
3. Does the Candidate have Good Soft Skills?
One of the most important aspects we look for in an entry level candidate is their attitude and how their relevant soft skills are. Soft skills are personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively with other people. As a company that specializes in our people, this is extremely important. If the candidate doesn’t have a good enough set of soft skills we usually go on to the next candidate. Nowadays, a lot of candidates will include their soft skills on their resume. Again, showcasing Andrew’s resume, you can see his soft skills clearly laid out. For his role as an Operation Supervisor you can see how his 3 soft skills he has listed directly correlate. Though this is an updated resume, Andrew started with us as an entry level team member.
4. Does the Candidate seem Eager to Learn?
As an entry level employee, we know that you don’t know everything, but we are looking for that person that wants to learn and grow. This also includes someone that isn’t afraid to ask questions and look dumb every once in a while as they learn.
5. Does the Candidate have the right Certifications?
Last on our list is if they have the “right” certifications. With government contracting comes certain regulations that must be held including certifications, diplomas, and so on. One of the final things we look at is to ensure that the candidate checks all the boxes when it comes to what the position entails. This can usually be found in the education section, or through some digging on LinkedIn as shown below. So from this candidate we can see that they have taken extra classes on how to become a more efficient marketer. If we were hiring a marketer, he may be a perfect candidate.
Who is Aspis?
Aspis is an IT professional services firm headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, specializing in cybersecurity and management consulting. Our values are Integrity, Community, and Diversity and our vision is to democratize cybersecurity. We make enterprise cybersecurity solutions and professional services accessible to all sizes of organizations from medium-sized businesses to large Fortune 500 enterprises; non-profits; and municipal, state, and federal government agencies. Aspis is an Independent Small Business, Certified HUBZone Small Business Concern, Certified LGBT Business Enterprise, Self-Certified Small Disadvantaged Business, Certified Virginia Values Veterans, and Better Business Bureau accredit ted company. To learn more about how we can help you with your IT needs check out our website https://aspis.consulting and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram to stay up to date on cybersecurity news, company updates, and need-to-know tips.
