… Well.
None expects a fabulous life and, equally, none knows how thrilling it is: the life of an IT recruiter @VonConsulting.

…but first, a note: of the ‘less spectacular’ career options that we see around us – lots and lots – many of them are chosen due to passion. A person will not be able to perform sustainably well on a certain position unless there is passion in what he/ she does.

If about artists, doctors or lawyers we could immediately infer a certain calling, For IT recruiters….. well… not really, right?
Wrong!

An IT recruiter at @VonConsulting chose this specific career because she wanted to work with people in technology. She is equally passionate about people and about technology and, as such, it came as a natural choice to take this step.

This is our 3-minute Q&A to her:

Q1: Why did you choose to work as an IT recruiter?
A1: I believe that the IT industry has a very big impact in our world. To this I added my ability to discover the skills that others have and to guide them to some extent towards the role that is most suitable for them.

Q2: How can you tell when an IT recruiter is successful?
A2: An essential thing to be successful as a recruiter in the IT industry is the passion for technology. If this exists, there will also be the curiosity to discover what a person needs to do and know in order to be employed and perform in a technical role. A successful IT recruiter combines two main categories of skills: soft skills and ‘hard’ technical skills.

Q3: What motivates you in your everyday work?
A3: My master’s degree in Psychology made me realize that I like to communicate and work with people, discover them and observe what motivates them. It is not an easy thing to do, but it is a challenge that is definitely worth all the effort. I chose the IT recruiter
career because I knew from the beginning that I have many things to learn via this role. I have learned a lot from the interaction with very good people from a technical point of view, always ready to find solutions for the problems they encounter. I had the opportunity to recruit people for very interesting and diverse projects, which, through technological innovation, improve our everyday life.

It happened to me to discover very young people, who had just finished their studies and were trying to find a place to work, but who did not have the necessary experience to stand out. Many times, such people motivate me in what I do, because they have so much energy
and a great desire to learn and develop.

Q4: Any challenges to mention?…
A4: …Working with people is always challenging. It is not always a smooth ride.

…Is it for the glory? 😊

About 20 years ago it must have been mainly for the brains. These days the pay weights significantly towards the choice of becoming a software developer. A software developer in his/ her 30s could earn annually as much as a mid-50s established CEO – or more.

However, even for that pay, we, the people ‘from the other side’ – e.g. business consultants, lawyers, entrepreneurs, financiers, auditors etc. – can sometimes hardly understand the choice. Why would someone sit for hours in front of the computer and… write some numbers and formulas?

… eventually, we got to get it: it is a means of creation. It IS creation.

TO CREATE SOMETHING.

When you create something with your hands using a palpable material – such as clay or the painting brush or the spray container that gets you the graffiti on the walls -, creation is visible by others as you mean it and others can see it grow step by step in an understandable way.

However, when you create something with the keyboard, it is not understandable by the general public until it works. The magic is seen at the end and generally in a given context.

So, there! This must be the attractiveness of becoming a software developer: the magic of creating something. Intrinsic to all humans is to create and the smartest brains of the planet create via writing code.

Software developers use programming and design knowledge to build software that helps people or institutions achieve certain objectives. They also test and deploy that software based on the specifications they have received.

Today, software developers are some of the most vital people in the many aspects of the economy. Software isn’t just codes, video games and apps, it’s the driving force of every computerized device on the planet.

Specifically, What Does a Software Developer Do?

Software developers design, program, build, test, debug, deploy and maintain software using many different skills and tools. They also help build software systems that power networks and devices and ensure that those systems remain functional.

Their job may also involve meeting with clients to determine the needs for a software solution, which will help them design the final product.

While software developers work in a wide variety of industries, these days many are freelancers. Depending on the setting, a software developer may work alone or on a team with other developers and programmers. In general, larger companies tend to have teams of developers due to the complexity of the software they are designing. Outsourcing teams of software developers is quite frequent these days, as well, as one can find multiple skills and availabilities when you outsource or lease software developers.

… And it is, actually.

It is not us alone saying that, but the large number of young and brilliant engineers looking for a career that combines a passion for data with the ability to positively influence and support an organization.
Of the ‘young’ jobs that have been opened in the past decade for the talented engineers, business intelligence analyst is one. A very trendy one.
What does a business intelligence analyst (BIA) do?

He or she analyzes complex sets of data within a company to determine recommendations for business growth and improvement. Knowing how to properly collect and interpret data can have a significant impact on the future success of a business.
The practitioner who finds this job suited for the talent and knowledge accumulated is generally an engineer by education and a businessperson by formation and experience. Not only does such a person review data to produce finance and market intelligence reports, but also detects patterns and trends in a given market that may influence a company’s operations.

While the business intelligence analyst position is just one of many roles related to BI and analytics in large organizations, the number of such positions and their titles and responsibilities vary based mainly on the maturity level of the company’s data management programs and, mostly, on the essential need of BI that the respective industry requires.
Some multinational companies acting in tech might have BI architects, BI developers, BI analysts and other internally-derived titles.

Generally, a BIA works between IT and business operations; sometimes with finance division, as well. It comes without saying that a BIA works with a variety of people – both within the company and outside it – and with key stakeholders. Such an analyst monitors permanently the essential sources of information, the strategic technological conferences and international events, to remain aware of the business trends and industry at large. A BIA professional might need socializing skills, good communication skills and could have a large network that he or she can access and interact with.

When we recruit for BIA positions, we look for practitioners and consultants who have proficiency in understanding data and doing data modeling, profiling and validation and who gained significant expertise in using data mining, query, analysis, visualization and reporting tools.

Familiarity with database management systems and data warehouse technologies is also required, as well as critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
The beauty of such a position lay with the fact that the person becomes a key provider of strategic information that the entire business relies. An engineer as well as a business professional; a statistician as well as an analyst.
To the always-frequent question whether a BIA needs to know how to code, our experience in recruiting for such positions showed us that a BI analyst’s familiarity with coding languages like Python, Java or R is often required.