Techniques to Build Your Dream Start-up Team

Starting a new business with like-minded people who share the same vision and philosophies is not always easy. The key to successful business is recruiting top talent. Here are few steps to use when building your start-up dream team.

Identify positions - The most important members of your team are the founders. Before hiring anyone else, you and your co-founder have to settle on how decisions will be made within the start-up. Once that has been agreed upon, you should identify the positions needed to complete your team. Jobs in SEO, sales & marketing, programming, account management, and project management are just a handful of examples of positions that need to be filled.  In an IT business, it wouldn’t make sense to hire five project managers and not a single programmer. 

Identify candidates – Search the candidates based on their experience, willingness to join on a limited salary, whether you know them directly or through your contacts and their passion or liking to work on your product/service. If you are able to find such people, you will have a dream team.

Contractors Vs. full timers - When starting out, you may not have to hire full-time employees. You also may be able to hire people on a part-time basis who are excellent at what they do. It's safer than taking the chance on a full-time employee who may not deliver. Having people as contractors at the beginning and then moving to full-time employees is the best way to leverage a full set of skills for your business.

Lead employees to strive for the best – After you hire your employees; you need to be their role model and motivator. Little competitiveness is good for your business.

Value individual strengths - Each person is a vital member of the team, so you need to help them recognize how they can best support the group. It's important to nurture them along the way and make each person feel important.

Promote a supportive culture - The mental pressures of meeting an ambitious goal, especially when you're working long hours can be harder than physical hurdles. Readily available support from everyone, not just the leader, holds a team together when the pressure mounts.

When you and your employees together enjoy the process of growing your business and reap its benefits, you have developed a winning team!

If you believe you have an innovative idea to start your own IT business, please register on TheGongzuo.com and get advice from our mentors to build your dream team.

Fun Facts about Computer Programming

• The C language is written in C.
• The first high-level programming language was FORTRAN invented in 1954 by IBM’s John Backus.
• The first computer virus was created in 1983.
• The first computer programmer was a female, Ada Lovelace.
• The first computer game was “Spacewar” designed in 1961.
• Programming and coding are not the same. Coder is clearly instructed on what should be done. Programmer must be able to imagine a broad set of solutions before writing codes.
• In programming there is a thing called “constant variable”.
• In programming algorithms, root comes at the top.
• Programming language Java was originally designed for interactive TV, but digital cable industry was not ready for the technology.
• Programming language Python came out as a result of boredom of its author Van Rossum during the Christmas week of 1989.
• Python is one of the official languages at Google and NASA.

Online IT Courses - How to Choose the Right One?

Getting certified is the safest way to advance your career in the IT industry. Whether you work for an enterprise, or a small business or government that employs IT professionals, your best bet for career advancement is to validate your skills and knowledge through a carefully chosen combination of certifications.

However, the biggest challenge when it comes to earning a professional certification is often determining which one or ones to pursue. There are so many courses and certifications available. You first have to see what do you enjoy and then consider what job you ultimately see yourself in that matches your skill set.  This will help you in the long term to achieve your end goals – a job that you want, a job that challenges you and a job you enjoy doing! 

Studying for specific certifications within your current job role will demonstrate willingness to take responsibility for your own progression within your company and will show your employer that you are serious about promotion. Often, companies are willing to invest heavily in their staff’s development so you may even find that they will fund the course for you.

Degree Programs

Earning a degree, rather than a certification, is beneficial for a long-term career in the IT industry. Generally, it takes longer to earn an online IT degree than it does an online certificate. Degree programs typically include general education requirements and emphasize critical thinking and writing. Systems Analysis and Design, Database Management, Networking and Telecommunications, IT Project Management etc. are examples of some of the courses offered within degree programs. 

Certificate Programs

IT online certificates require fewer classes than degrees do and focus on the field or a more specific topic within it. Many reputed universities in the US offer online graduate certificate in information technology, computer science, telecommunications, computer forensics and information security.

IT Training and Boot Camps

IT training institutes offer a variety of online training courses. These range from software training such as a specific module of SAP or Oracle to PMP, Microsoft or Cisco Network  program with classes that last five or six weeks and meet twice a week, to OnDemand, a self-paced program. 

Before enrolling into any online course or certification program, visualise your end goal and take responsibility for your own development and progression and you will quickly be able to identify where to take your studies. 

Take the decision wisely before you spend your time and money on an online course/certification. When you are ready with it, please register yourself with TheGongzuo.com to find the suitable job as per your skills and knowledge and apply for free.

Latest Technology Trends

Technology is constantly evolving. Newer technologies such as smart devices, 3D printing are making headway in their mainstream adoption. The possibilities for where these technologies will take us and how they can impact our lives are endless.

Here is the list of top technology trends with potential to have a significant impact on the organizations.

1. Device Mesh - The device mesh moves beyond the traditional desktop computer and mobile devices (tablets and smartphones). As the device mesh evolves, we will see greater interaction between these devices.
2. Ambient user experience - The experience blends physical, virtual and electronic environments, and uses real-time contextual information as the ambient environment changes or as the user moves from one place to another.
3. 3D printing materials - Advances in 3D printing have already enabled 3D printing to use a wide range of materials, including advanced nickel alloys, carbon fiber, glass, conductive ink, electronics, pharmaceuticals and biological materials. These innovations are driving user demand, as the practical applications for 3D printers expand to more sectors, including aerospace, medical, automotive, energy and the military. 3D printing will see a steady expansion over next 20 years.

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.