Looking for CTO or CIO jobs? 3 Ways to Crush the Interview

It has been said that twenty-first century survival depends on knowing how to change jobs. He or she who excels at landing their next job is the one who thrives best!

Jobs in the tech sector, especially CIO jobs, are out there. Chances are you’ve scored a couple of interviews, so here are three must-do’s to add to your job seeking expertise.

Do Your Research

Learn as much as possible about the company for which you are interviewing. Then, change your resume to fit the requirements and character of that company. A tailored resume makes it more likely that recruiters will think of you as a serious candidate. Adapt, and gain an advantage even before you start the interview. No two versions of your resumes should be the same because no two CIO jobs are the same.

Two excellent ways to research a company are to read its official site and LinkedIn page. Then search for press releases and media news about that company. You can easily find them by typing the name of the company plus "news" into Google. One search return will lead to another, and let your curiosity be your guide. A caveat, however- don’t believe everything you read. A poor review could be bogus, vindictive, or a simple prank. Information could be outdated, issues you read about may have been solved long ago, or there might be a perfectly sensible explanation behind a potential problem.

Another way to research a company you are interviewing for is to ask friends or family if they know anyone working there. Post messages on your favorite social media site or send emails to people you know. You can also try to reach out to other people you may know through Twitter and other social media sites. Most social sites have built-in messaging tools, so you can message lots of people you met online. Moreover, you can ask your friends and family members to forward your message to people they know. This way, even if they do not know anyone working at the company you are interviewing for, they may be able to get through to someone who does know someone there.

Yet another way to get an up-to-date information about a company is to post a question on a question-answer site called "Quora". Many tech workers are using that site, so you will be very likely to get a response from someone working at that company. And don't neglect a favorite of ours- "glassdoor.com." One of Glassdoor's strengths is their presentation of background information on the companies with open positions.

Highlight Your Accomplishments

This is important both for your resume and your job interview. Corporate recruiters are impressed by candidates who can enumerate a few very specific contributions to their workplace. While it seems like a no-brainer, many people forget about this and give corporate recruiters long lists of titles and day to day responsibilities. Avoid it by carefully thinking about what you have accomplished in your last job and how it impacted the company. All the better if you have hard numbers you can use to describe your value to a company. If you have a tough time coming up with a list of your professional accomplishments, ask your former colleagues to remind you or brainstorm ideas. If you are currently employed, you would do well to keep a growing list of possible resume items keeping in mind that recruiters are most interested in how you can bring value in a cost-efficient manner.

Ask Questions

You can ask questions both before and during an interview. Both are equally important. When you get that job interview invitation, ask the recruiter some important questions. For example, you can ask the names of company's employees who are going to interview you. This way you can find out a bit of information about each one, such as colleges they attended, their current role, other CIO jobs or companies they have worked for in the past. you might be able to draw inferences about qualities they value in their employees. Then you can start working on tailoring your resume for them.

Ask about the interview process. Find out something about how to prepare. Make sure you know the exact location of the meeting.

At the end of interview, ask questions to show that you care about the place where you work and that you want to understand the company you are interviewing for. For example, ask about the nature of the problem the position solves, or what might be the primary challenges faced by the new hire. Ask about the activities of a typical day. Find out how performance is measured. Who will you be working closely with? How would you characterize the workplace culture (serious, intense, or fun and friendly)?. If they think that you care more than just a paycheck, and that you are making the effort to understand their company, the odds might tip in your favor.

There’s nothing like finding, keeping and thriving in a job that you love and that makes a business successful. May your search land you great interviews and a happy intersection of your skills with a commercial enterprise’s needs.

Anderson Sterling Associates, a California-based personnel recruiting firm has more than 30 years of professional experience and broad working relationships with HR departments, management staffs in high tech firms, and employment seekers. CIO jobs, CTO jobs, even CEO positions are a specialty. See what we can do for you! Our proprietary pricing structure may just save you a bundle AND land you the best talent out there!