General Dynamics Information Technology (IT) Staffing Lead Robert Cellich, based in Tampa, Fla., seeks qualified individuals to fill on average 300 positions a year to support General Dynamics IT’s military services sector. But what constitutes a candidate as “qualified”? The right combination of hard and soft skills, credentials and attitude.
Roughly nine out of 10 jobs that Cellich fills require security clearances, a determination by the United States government that a person or company is eligible for access to classified information. “Cleared individuals aren’t hard to find,” he says. “What’s difficult to find is a cleared individual who has the right qualifications for the position.”
“I’m looking for individuals who have polished hard and soft skills,” he says.
For ‘hard skills,’ Cellich looks for demonstrated, hands-on proficiency in the technical areas the job he is seeking to fill. When considering a candidate for a higher level role, he scrutinizes the positions listed in the candidate’s resume—the type of position, the type of company, and length of tenure—to see if the person has relevant, quality experience.
“I’m not going to hire somebody for a senior role who has only a year or two of experience because they’re just not ready for that type of role yet,” Cellich says. When filling a system administrator position, for example, Cellich will prefer candidates who have performed that role. “Whereas the person who has been in a help desk role for 10 years—whose resume shows no discernable system administration experience, lacks steps taken to grow into system administration, fails to demonstrate an effort to get their MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator certification)—is still at the help desk level and is unlikely to be prepared for system administration.”
\A short length of job tenure can also be a concern. “It’s a red flag anytime somebody is not with a company for very long,” he says.
Cellich notes that IT job candidates employed by larger companies are typically a better match for General Dynamics IT, because they likely have been exposed to a wider variety of technologies, problems, job functions and tasks. “Most of our environments are large-scale, so we’re looking for people who also have experience in enterprise environments.”
IT-related training, certifications and degrees can help candidates with less experience. For Cellich, an IT certification gives the candidate credibility by demonstrating that the individual has the capacity and the motivation to learn the trade. “Our customers often want individuals with certifications, because it shows that the person has the capability of doing a specific type of work.”
Cellich has one caveat: “Don’t just go and take the training and not get the certification. It’s almost a negative, because my first question will always be ‘Why didn’t you get the certification?’”
Entry level candidates with an IT certification can still have difficulty obtaining full-time IT work experience in a tough economy, and Cellich recommends that IT job hunters volunteer or obtain a part-time position working with IT as an alternative. “Anything you can put down on resume shows that you have used some of the things you have learned will put you a step ahead of the person who hasn’t done that.”
Candidates’ “soft skills”, particularly in communication, are extremely important. A person should be able to present him- or herself well, use good grammar when writing and speaking, and demonstrate a positive attitude. Interrupting an interviewer or reacting defensively to an interviewer’s questions will count against the applicant. “Hiring managers view a person who is enthusiastic, who wants to be successful, as a candidate who will likely excel once they are in the company,” Cellich says, adding that, “Junior IT roles may not be that technically difficult, but having the right attitude can make the position and candidate very successful.”
What is the best way for candidates to demonstrate their technical and soft skills, experience, credentials and clearances? “It all goes back to resumes,” says Cellich. His resume tips:
- Tailor each resume to the requirements of each job application, highlighting your specific skills and experience relevant to the job. “Today, you cannot expect people to read between the lines of your resume,” Cellich says. “There’s little time for reviewing resumes, among all of the other tasks.” Most recruiters use digital tools to scan each resume for the skills needed for the jobs they seek to fill. “They’re going to focus upon resumes where it’s immediately evident that the applicant has the needed skills.”
- Have your resume proofread by another person, preferably more than one person.
- Continually review and update your resume. “Resumes are dynamic,” he says. “By reviewing your resume regularly, you can always find more concise ways of presenting your information. Particularly with technology careers, there is something almost always to be added, some new skills that you learned.”
