Getting Over Anxiety at the Start of the Job

Starting a new job creates anxiety in even the experienced professionals.  It's not uncommon for people to worry about their performance, ability to come up to speed and adjust to a new work environment.

But, the sooner you can face those fears, the sooner you can dive in and start making an impact. Here are five helpful ways to keep those nerves at bay, ease your fears, and feel more confident at your new job.

1. Be calm - Your body is a great mirror for how your mind is, so if your body is tense and anxious, there is a good chance it is because that's how you are feeling. So relax. Loosen your shoulders. Breathe naturally. Listen to your body, and when you feel it becoming tense or tightening up, make a deliberate choice to loosen up and relax.
2. Trust the process – In a new job, you feel stressed because you try to find the best solutions, provide right answers and impress the right people. But actually, nobody expects you to know everything. Sometimes the brave thing to do is to tell people you’re still figuring things out and that you’ll get back to them with an answer. 
3. Remember, no one is perfect – When you are new in an organization, you think that everyone around you is better in some way; that they know more or do more or are capable of more. Everyone around you is incomplete and imperfect. Everyone has their own strengths, weaknesses, wins, losses.

Best US Cities For IT Jobs

Promising IT career opportunities can be found around the world, but some places are technology hubs. The ranking of top cities is based on factors such as hiring opportunity, cost of living, work-life balance and job satisfaction. IT job seekers and especially those who want to settle down at one place should target these cities, so that they will have many IT opportunities open for them.

Here is a list of tech-friendly cities:

1. San Jose, California – It is home to several high-profile companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook. Some of the hottest tech jobs in San Jose include solutions architect, data scientist, and senior software developer. The downside of San Jose is cost of living and housing prices.
2. San Francisco, California – It is another hot spot for tech jobs. Career profiles in demand in San Francisco include data scientist, solutions architect, and engagement manager. Just like nearby city San Jose, San Francisco also has a high cost of living.
3. Seattle, Washington - If you're looking for new opportunities but prefer a lower cost of living, look toward the Pacific Northwest. Seattle is a fast-growing, mid-sized tech magnet, and is gaining a national reputation as an alternative to high-cost tech hubs such as the Bay Area. Hot jobs in Seattle include solutions architect, UI-UX designer, and data scientist.
4. Austin, Texas - Austin is among the midsize tech hubs where employees can enjoy a lower cost of living without sacrificing job satisfaction, work-life balance, or a thriving job market. Austin's hottest tech jobs include solutions architect, data scientist, and business systems analyst.
5. Salt Lake City, Utah - This is another star in the midsize tech hub category. Hot tech jobs in Salt Lake City include technical support engineer, software engineer, and product manager.
6. Boston, Massachusetts - Boston has a higher cost of living than tech cities in the Midwest, but plenty of opportunities for IT professionals. The hottest tech jobs in Boston include applications developer, solutions architect, and data scientist.
7. Washington D.C. – U.S. capital is another hub for tech pros on the east coast. Some hot jobs in the district include data scientist, solutions architect, and UI-UX designer.
8. Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina – Raleigh is again a low cost family friendly city, having tech jobs mainly in Research Triangle Park (RTP) area. Hot IT jobs in Raleigh-Durham include software engineer, solutions architect, and software engineer. 
9. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota - If you're looking for work in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, some of its hottest jobs include solutions architect, data scientist, and systems administrator.
10. St. Louis, Missouri - The strongest tech jobs in St. Louis include software developer, data scientist, and IT project manager.

If you are an IT professional interested in working in any of the above cities, register for free at TheGongzuo.com. You will find a list of open positions at your preferred location based on your priorities and IT skills.

IT Job Search Tips: What Successful Job Seekers Do Differently?

After polishing the resume and carefully drafting the cover letter, candidates apply for the desired jobs and wait for a favorable reply. But, when they get that discouraging reply from an organization, they start to wonder what went wrong.

As a job seeker, you need to realize that mere clicking on the “Apply” button passively is not going to work. You need to practice certain methods throughout your job search. If you are actively looking for an IT job, check out the tips below shared by successful job seekers.

• Learn new technical skills – Learn new skills, which are current and are in demand so that IT recruitment agencies or IT employment websites can find you when they look for candidates of your background.
• Follow companies that interest you – Be well aware with the latest news as well as IT opportunities within those companies. Try to connect with people who are already working there.
• Keep adding new connections – Grow your network to be more visible. Expose yourself to new opportunities.
• Use social media effectively – Join groups such as LinkedIn and look out for IT job openings in your industry posted by other group members.
• Read relevant information – Take out some time each day to read news, interviews in IT industry. Stay informed about emerging technologies and latest trends in IT.
• Be consistent with your job search activity - Successful candidates set milestones for themselves. Every day they dedicate some time to visiting job search sites, sending applications, calling friends and family for introduction, talking to recruiters, etc. If you are seriously looking for a job, you cannot send applications only when you feel like.

Besides practicing these methods, register yourself with top IT job search website TheGongzuo, where you can find hot IT jobs for different profiles, industry experience and skills. Apply for free and get hired by your dream company today!

Effective Ways To Improve Technology Skills

Improving technical skills could be one of the ways that leads towards your personal development. Here are few things you can do to improve your technical skills.

• Best way to learn anything is by doing it. You can read all the manuals and look at all the websites you want, but until you actually make your hands dirty, you're not really going to know how to do it. For website construction and any programming type stuff, this is all the more important - just do it and play with it. Of course, there is so much you can learn from those that are more experienced.
• Once you have basic skill set, find a mentor either at your own workplace or outside. Ask if you can shadow them, help out, or watch over their shoulder and ask questions. Ask them for advice. Take their inputs in your IT career planning. With their experience and knowledge, you can have wisdom of the ages.
• Sometimes skills in different areas help you in IT field. Make effective use of what you have learned so far. For example, if you have been building and repairing electronic equipments, these skills will help you in programming, troubleshooting, software testing etc.
• Visit tech websites daily. By visiting those sites everyday you'll be introduced to new technology, news and ideas.
• Read technical books/magazines.
• Take online tutorials.

To decide which technical skills you want to pick up or to get an idea which IT skills are in demand, register at TheGongzuo.com and search IT jobs relevant to your current or desired skillsets.