Hiring Managers Tell All

Hiring
Managers
Tell All:
IT resume tips,
interview prep &
other job secrets.

2 | Hiring Managers Tell All: IT resume tips, interview prep other job secrets.
IT: Land of Opportunity
and Competition
Let’s face it… you need money to live, and to get
it, you need a J-O-B.
If you’re technically inclined, the IT industry is
brimming with opportunity. The US Bureau of
Labor Statistics predicts demand for Information
Technology jobs to rise at least until 2022.
Never Fear... SpiceHead*
Managers Are Here
For IT job search advice, talk to successful people
who have been there and made it. That’s right,
people in positions of power who can hire you…
IT Managers, Directors, VPs and CTOs!
What?You aren’t already friends with a bunch of
these smart and connected folks?
Lucky for you, many of these experts hang out in
the Spiceworks Community. We sought them out,
interviewed them and compiled their best advice
into this eBook.
Read on to get inside the mind of an IT Manager.
We’ll share job tips on how to stand out from the
crowd, ace your interviews, make a lasting impres-
sion and get the job!
“How do you prove to a hiring
manager that you are the best
person for the job?”
*SpiceHead – a member of the Spiceworks Community who works in
IT (we’re talking about SysAdmins, Network Administrators, Help Desk
Technicians, IT managers, Developers, and more!)
But in the increasingly competitive and connected
job market, it’s not just you and Jimmy down the
street competing for that plum position anymore.
According to our experts, in large metro areas,
you might be going up against as many as 100
candidates for the same role. With those kinds
of odds, how do you prove to a hiring manager
that you’re the best person for the job?

July 2014 | 3
The Experts
As if we were forming a league of superheros, Spice-
works scoured the Interwebs to gather a collection
of the finest hiring managers in IT.
With their experience combined, they’ve reviewed
countless resumes, conducted thousands of inter-
views and hired hundreds of employees for all
sorts of tech jobs.
As we like to say in Texas… this ain’t their first IT
rodeo. They’ve seen it all and each manager has a
unique take on what makes an employee (that’s
you) great… and it just so happens they’re willing
to share those very same secrets (with you).
Paul Chiodo
IT Manager
Cuba, Missouri
32 years in IT
Glenn Pitchford
IT Director
Midland, Texas
35 years in IT
Bruce Gilbert
CTO
Fort Worth, Texas
19 years in IT
Scott Abel
CEO, Spiceworks
Austin, Texas
34 years in IT
Tony Lombard
VP of Strategic Informatics
Cary, North Carolina
19 years in IT
Jen Cantu
Director of Recruiting, Spiceworks
Austin, Texas
16 years in IT recruiting
Dave Boring
IT Manager
Santa Fe Springs, California
25 years in IT
Norman Allen
IT Manager
Road Town, Virgin Islands
17 years in IT
Erik Nordman
IT Director
Hollis, New Hampshire
15 years in IT

Table of Contents
What Are Hiring Managers
Looking For? | 07
CHAPTER ONE
What Do I Put on a
Resume? | 13
CHAPTER TWO
Get Noticed! Stand Out
From the IT Crowd | 19
CHAPTER THREE
How to Ace an
Interview | 25
CHAPTER FOUR
Job-Seeking Success | 31
CHAPTER FIVE
How to Move on Up! Career
Advice From Managers | 37
CHAPTER SIX
More Reading
Next Steps | 43
CONCLUSION

01
HIGHLY
QUALIFIED!
HEY, WHAT ABOUT ME?

July 2014 | 7
What Are Hiring
Managers
Looking For?
Are you the kind of person that IT managers
want to hire? The sort of person that stands
head-and-shoulders above the competition?
Maybe even head, shoulders and torso?
What skills and traits do hiring managers search
for the most? They told us that in addition to
tech know-how, they want applicants with a
good mix of problem solving, communication
and people skills.
They also value integrity, the drive to learn
and a passion for technology.
These qualifications might score you an entry-
level job in IT, but if you’re interviewing for
a more senior role, you’ll have to prove that
you’re all that and a bag of chips (meaning,
you also have the relevant job experience).
What else do they want? That depends on the
role and the manager. Read on to learn more!
CHAPTER ONE

Q. Who do IT managers
want to hire?
Each position is unique, but there are some
common themes that will run throughout any
hiring process.
First, does the candidate have a good attitude? I have
interviewed people that told me all the gossip and
how bad their current job is; they never got a call
back from me.
Second, will they fit in with the team, or what you want
the team to become? This is important because you
don’t want to hire a misfit that ‘doesn’t play nice with
others.’ But you can use a hiring decision to help guide
Anyone looking to work in IT must be technically
qualified for the job. Either have the education or
the experience or both. On the other side, even when
looking for an entry level position, they must have
people skills… they have to be able to get along,
communicate effectively, and have some level of
empathy for the users. On a basic level, I think there
are three categories when it comes to IT hiring:
Infrastructure / Help Desk / Systems Administration —
Managers want a person with awesome social skills,
the ability to follow a logical progression, an aptitude
for technology, and demonstrated skills for the
position offered.
Hiring managers are looking for folks that fit
the skill requirements of the role, but they are also
looking for someone who has a ‘whatever it takes
attitude’, who is a problem solver, who is a hard
worker, who will be a team player, who will add
value and help improve what the team/company
are trying to achieve ”
— JEN CANTU
“
“
“
the team toward the culture you are trying to create.
Third, do they have the skills to do the job? I place this
one last on the list because skills can be taught; attitude
and fit cannot be taught. I would rather have someone
who has fewer skills and a great attitude than someone
who has all the skills and a bad attitude.”
— DAVE BORING
IT Manager, Sante Fe Springs, CA

July 2014 | 9
I want a strong leader who
stands up for his team, takes
the heat when necessary, and
is willing to tell the business
unit ‘no’ when it’s in the best
interest of the business.
Programming / Scripting /Automation/Database —
A candidate must be detail oriented, and be able to
solve complex problems using mainstream technol-
ogies. They need the ability to complete projects, and
complete them on time. They must be able to work
with teams and be agile, and work well with others.
Manager / Director / Project Management —
must be able to work with teams of people, not just
from the IT side, but also from the business side.
There’s been a big shift in the last 10 years
where the line between IT and the business side
are really starting to blur… Candidates did not
used to need a lot of soft skills. There’s been a big
change where soft skills are just as important as
the technical skills depending on the position…
(for example) communication skills, leadership,
project management and planning.”
— BRUCE GILBERT
CTO, Fort Worth, TX
“
They should have experience building teams,
and have the ability to help their subordinates
work together. While it may not be absolutely
necessary they understand the details of every
technology deployed, they should have a good
rudimentary understanding of technology.”
— PAUL CHIODO
IT Manager, Cuba, MO
I’M A TEAM
PLAYER!

Trajectory for the particular job that they
are interviewing for… especially when it’s a
mid to advanced level position. If you have a
proven path where you’ve gone to school for IT,
you’ve interned and volunteered for IT, you’ve
had an entry level job in IT, then that makes a
better story from my perspective.”
— TONY LOMBARD
VP of Strategic Informatics, Cary, NC
Q. What separates a great
candidate from the rest?
“
Communication. A good candidate can
quickly fix the problem at hand. A great one fixes
the problem and then documents the steps so
that they can be replicated for similar problems
in the future. A superior candidate saw the prob-
lem coming and communicated their prediction
to me because they were proactive in monitor-
ing the IT system’s health.”
— GLENN PITCHFORD
IT Director, Midland, TX
“ Art goes here.
STAND OUT
FROM THE
PACK!

July 2014 | 11
I like to see someone who is well rounded in
terms of having a broad range of experience… it’s
nice to see someone who’s obviously trying to do
more than what the job entails.
One of the intangibles is, what do they do out-
side of work? What work volunteering have they
done? What technology organizations do they
belong to? Do they have certifications that they
got on their own? I just like to see things that were
outside of what they have to do.
I like it when people are self
starters… I want someone
who can identify a problem
on their own and either come
up with an idea and a plan
or execute something that
will benefit the organization.
A great candidate will have a great atti-
tude, fit well in the team, and have all the skills
necessary to do the job. A good candidate will
have fewer skills, but still have a great attitude
and fit well in the team.”
— DAVE BORING
It’s the communication skills, problem solv-
ing skills, and their ability to convey these in the
interview makes them stand out. Also, a lot of
what makes a candidate stand out comes from
their work history or their school history. If you
have jumped around from job to job or major to
major, and cannot show job or project perfor-
mance, you will not be a good candidate. The
best candidates are the ones that can engage in
a technical discussion and create a rapport with
the interviewer.
This is especially true when the candidate is
explaining technical information to a non-tech-
nical person. Being able to scale the conversation
for the interviewer is an attribute that will really
make a candidate stand out.”
— PAUL CHIODO
“
Definitely I want someone with a good work ethic.
If work is done and we can leave at 4, great… but
there also have to be times that we need to fight
fires and put in the work necessary. Last but not
least, they need to be able to learn.”
— NORMAN ALLEN
IT Manager, Road Town, Virgin Islands
“
“

Photography with a cover overlay goes here.
02
DOCUMENT
YOUR
EXPERIENCE.

July 2014 | 13
What Do I Put
on a Resume?
Now you know who managers are looking for,
but how do you get them to pay attention to
that impressive skill set of yours and – more
importantly - select you for an interview?
Resumes are powerful job tools that have been
around since forever and like it or not, having
a good one is both a must and a great way to
get your foot in the door.
But how can you best document your
accomplishments on a piece of paper (or
online profile)? We asked our expert panel
of hiring managers…
CHAPTER TWO

Your resume needs to simply tell me why I should
hire you. Don’t make me work to figure you out. Your
resume should scream, ‘I am the perfect person for this
job because…’ That means that you are going to have
to customize your resume for each position you apply
for. Yes, that’s work, but you are applying to do work.
Don’t tell me what you did or what you were respon-
sible for. I really don’t care. I need to know what value
you can bring to me. Did you virtualize servers? Great!
But tell me why you did it and what the end result
was. For example, it saved thousands of dollars in
hardware maintenance expense, reduced electrical
usage, improved DR, etc.”
— DAVE BORING
Q. What are hiring managers
looking for in a resume/
curriculum vitae?
“
A resume can say a lot. Just the actual document
itself can be judged. It can tell a hiring manager how
detail oriented you are, how well you can communi-
cate, etc. In regards to the content of a resume, hiring
managers are looking for brief information that gives
them a lot of detail – numbers, goals and accom-
plishments that tell them the impact you had. Also, a
resume shows tenure, which is more important than
people think.
Managers don’t want to read bullet after bullet of
responsibilities, they want IMPACT. If what you are
listing isn’t impactful, then don’t waste the ink. Think
PAR….Project, Action, Result. Think about how the
story you tell with your resume aligns with the require-
ments of the job you want.”
— JEN CANTU
“

July 2014 | 15
If you want to impress me, then
research my company a bit and
then show me your knowledge
that relates specifically to what
we do.
“ Good basic skill set – do they match the job
description? It should be a summary, not a book.
Keep it to one or two pages max. One is best, two
is OK, and three will get tossed. I don’t read long
winded ramblings of their life at another job.
The best ones list their skill set in columned bullet
points, and then their work or school history with
a listing of the skills they actually used. I will ask
about the details in the interview if I feel they are
germane to the offering.”
— PAUL CHIODO
“ I’m not looking for someone who wants a 90
day job. I want to see someone with some stability
in their background and industry experience if it’s
applicable… Show me something measurable or
quantifiable and something to support it. Tell me
about a VDI solution that saved the company X
amount of money over 2 years, and reduced server
footprint from 100 servers to 25. It’s not always
about saving money… it could be operating more
efficiently or saving power… just something that is
quantifiable.”
— BRUCE GILBERT
CTO, Fort Worth, TX
“ If you want to impress me, then research my
company a bit and then show me your knowledge
that relates specifically to what we do. You’ve been
doing VMware installs for years? Hmm, let’s talk
more. Implemented a mobile device management
solution for a fleet of home healthcare workers?
Ooh, tell me more!”
— GLENN PITCHFORD

Q. What are some common
resume mistakes?
Whatever you do, DO NOT use a functional
resume, no matter what a recruiter tells you. If I get
one, it goes straight into the trash can. I don’t have
time to figure out what you are trying to tell me, and
I assume you are trying to hide something by using
that format. Save the functional resume for when
you get written up by the Wall Street Journal and
they need a bio.”
— DAVE BORING
“
If you put it on your resume, I am going to
ask you about it… have integrity. Think of it like
structural integrity, a beam runs through a building
and is consistent from the beginning to the end,
and that’s what I mean by integrity – you want to
have consistency through your resume that
accurately reflects who you are.”
— TONY LOMBARD
“
A lot of resumes I’ve seen are completely unstructured
or there’s misspellings or they’re just poorly organized.
I like to see that someone has taken the time to at least
put them in reverse or forward chronology or some sort
of structure that that tells me that they thought about
what they were doing.”
— NORMAN ALLEN
“
If you are looking at a variety of jobs, you
shouldn’t have just one resume for all of them
(unless you are very young and/or green in the
field). Tweak your resume to speak to the require-
ments of the job description and really work hard
on a cover sheet that tells them exactly what you
have done in detail that has prepared you for
their position.”
— ERIK NORDMAN
IT Director, Hollis, NH
“

July 2014 | 17
While you may think that what
you do outside of work is none
of work’s business, it still reflects
on your character and how
responsible you look.
Don’t embellish, don’t overstate your skills. It
is what it is, and you have to be OK with the true
facts of your career. If you’re caught bullshitting
you will be immediately disqualified. I would
much rather have someone say, ‘I don’t know,
let me find out’ vs. me finding out in the interview
that you have no clue about something
you listed.
Be conscious of your social media content…
That picture of you passed out with shaving
cream and sharpie drawings might have been a
good time, but it is going to reflect badly as a job
seeker. Remember, you’re in the IT field. Trust is a
huge issue. And a big part of trust is how a person
conducts themselves. While you may think that
what you do outside of work is none of work’s
business, it still reflects on your character and
how responsible you look.”
— PAUL CHIODO
“
Let’s all agree that a huge list of every technology
that you’ve ever touched is a waste of time. Learned
COBOL in college? Ok, whatever. Used every version
of DOS back to 2.0? Congratulations, see you later…
Tell me about projects and results – not buzzwords
and checklists. Oh, and personal references? Don’t
bother. I’m happy to assume that your mother loves
you and your best friend thinks you’re awesome.”
— GLENN PITCHFORD
“
TELL YOUR STORY.

July 2014 | 19
Get Noticed!
Stand Out From
the IT Crowd
Besides resumes, how do you get an edge
over the competition and show you’re the
best-and-only man for the job? What about
social media – what’s up with that?
Online portfolios, blogs, and IT communities
like Spiceworks have become great ways to
prove your technical know-how, your passion
for technology, and those dynamite interper-
sonal skills we’ve heard so much about.
Read on to find out how you can build a
personal network and create a body of
work that represents what an amazing
employee you are…
CHAPTER THREE

VERY. That should be the avenue you take when
you find a role you are interested in or when you are
kicking off your job search. Reach out to your connec-
tions. They are happy to help you.
You don’t have to constantly go to events and partici-
pate in industry activities although those things help.
Q. How important are
personal connections?
““ In my experience, both from job seeking and
from hiring, I would say that it’s critical. I am in my
current position because one of the clients of my
consulting company thought enough of me person-
ally to send me an unsolicited note about the open
position. Some of my best hires have come to me
because I called them and said ‘I heard that you’re
pretty sharp. We need to talk.’ In those cases I heard
about them from our mutual personal networks.
Those same networks can also be valuable to you
when preparing for an interview. If someone has
encouraged you to apply for a position, then they may
be a valuable source of info on the company. They can
tell you about the longevity of executive management
or the new ventures that the company is pursuing.
At interview time you can say something like ‘I know
that your CEO has been with the company for 15 years.
I’m impressed by that kind of stability.’ Or perhaps you
can point out that your skills align well with that new
line of business that you heard was being considered.
It’s these touches that make you stand out to a hiring
manager.”
— GLENN PITCHFORD
...Everycurrentandformer
co-workerissomeonewhoisa
partofyournetwork.Everyone
youmeetthroughfriendscan
becomeapartofyournetwork.
Every customer, vendor, etc. Build your network
and don’t be afraid to use it to find your next job!”
— JEN CANTU

July 2014 | 21
This is extremely important. As you progress
in your career, it becomes even more important.
At the entry level, this is a minor issue, but for any-
thing above entry level it is going to be a factor.
Many jobs are never advertised. In many cases,
as a hiring manager, I find my candidates from
people I’ve worked with in the past, or people
who are recommended from others I trust.
This works the other way as well. When a new posi-
tion opens, the first people to hear are the friends
and relatives of the people who work there.”
— PAUL CHIODO
“
Connections are very important. In some jobs
and social circles it is easier to network into a job,
but being polite, being direct, and being aware
always help. If you are looking for a job, you need
to be willing and able to tell anyone you know
who could get you in touch with someone who
can help.”
— ERIK NORDMAN
“
It’s a platitude, but it’s true… who you know
is more important than what you know… If an
embedded employee who you know and trust
and work with comes to you and says, ‘Hey, I have
a guy or girl that I want to add to our family, I think
he’ll be a good fit,’ then I don’t need anything
more…I still need to check their skillset, but it’s
almost an automatic entry into the process.”
— TONY LOMBARD
“

Absolutely! Everybody knows that artists and
models have portfolios to show what they can do. It is
common for other professions to use samples of their
work. For example, grant writers often provide partial
copies of their proposals and lists of the dollar amounts
that they have helped their clients to acquire. So, why
shouldn’t an IT Pro have one?
This might be in the form of a blog (assuming you
have something interesting to write about) or a web
site highlighting some of your accomplishments.
The profile pages in Spiceworks are a great way to do
this. You get to demonstrate your writing skills as you
describe your projects and show off your work. This
won’t get you past the mindless robots in HR who are
just checking boxes on a form before sending some
resumes on to the hiring manager, but it will make you
stand out when the person who counts takes a look.
The purpose of a portfolio is to highlight your
best work as an indicator of your talent. The ability
to include pictures and videos provides a way to
plant a strong memory in a hiring manager’s mind.
Q. Does it help to have a portfolio/
body of work that’s separate
from a resume?
“
You can wow them with the content of your projects
and your writing skills at the same time. Don’t forget
to highlight some of your soft skills in your portfolio...”
— GLENN PITCHFORD
It’s always good to have a portfolio which can
come in various formats depending on what you do.
For creative folks a true portfolio of their work is a
given. For technical folks it’s a little different. There
are sites you can showcase what you have done (code
samples, apps, etc.) or projects you have worked on.
For example, in the Spiceworks Community you can
build a profile page and discuss IT oriented work you
have done in more detail than on a resume, and this is
a great place to point a hiring manager to because it
provides a deeper level of technical detail about what
you have accomplished. It ‘shows’ your work. What you
have actually done versus a resume just saying what
you have done.”
— JEN CANTU
“

July 2014 | 23
...If it comes down to two people
with the exact same background
and social skills, the portfolio
may push one candidate ahead
of the other.
“ I think the Projects portion of Spiceworks is
a splendid way of showing off your work. Having
some samples of your work, and some experiences
of success to share in the interview are very helpful.”
— PAUL CHIODO
“ Yes absolutely, I was impressed with you’re
doing atSpiceworks. Ithinkthat’sgoingtobegreatfor
people myself included… it’s a really great tool and I
think it’s a consistent way that people can list that sort
of information.”
— NORMAN ALLEN
“ The Spiceworks profile gives them an advan-
tage in the sense that it gives a more in depth look
at their technical experience… If it comes down to
two people with the exact same background and
social skills, the portfolio may push one candidate
ahead of the other .”
— BRUCE GILBERT
CTO, Fort Worth, TX
“ I added someone to my team about a year
and a half ago who shared a published paper with
us, and it was great. I read it and I said, ‘I want that
guy on my team!’ because of this great contribution
(to his portfolio). This kind of proof is exactly what
we’re talking about… you can look it up and ref-
erence it, and it speaks to the fact that this person
loves Information Technology.”
— TONY LOMBARD
WANT AN ITPORTFOLIO
OF YOUR OWN?
BRING YOUR PROJECTS
TO LIFE WITH A
SPICEWORKS PROFILE.

04
SHOW THEM WHAT YOU’VE GOT!THE PRESSURE IS ON.

July 2014 | 25
How to Ace an
Interview
Congrats! You caught the eye of a hiring man-
ager or recruiter and the company is interested
in learning more about you. The next step is
an interview with your potential future boss
and co-workers.
Now’s your chance to wow everybody and
impress the team with your great communica-
tion skills and smashing haircut.
Don’t sweat it… even though employers will
ask you tons of questions to verify that you’re
as smart as they think you are, now’s the time
to show that you can handle pressure and
know your stuff… heck you might even blow
them away with your superior knowledge
and quick wit.
Here are tips from our experts on how to
leave your mark in an interview….
CHAPTER FOUR

Q. What’s the main purpose of
the interview for an employer?
The interview process exists to answer 3 basic
questions: 1) Can you do the job? 2) Do you want
the job? and 3) Can I stand to be around you for
40 hours per week?
The first question explores your skills and ability to
learn, as demonstrated by what you have done in
the past. What do your projects show me about your
knowledge and skills? How do you organize your
work and communicate your progress?
The second issue tries to identify those candidates
who see enough opportunity to learn and grow so
that they will stick with us for a while. I’m looking for
the person who may not know it all, but wants to
learn more.
It’s an opportunity for both parties to learn
more about the other… it’s an opportunity to
learn something about the candidate that’s not
on the resume, and that’s where you touch on
the soft skills: do they communicate well? I’ll ask
something that will give me a sense of their per-
sonal confidence and will also touch upon their
communication skills, and ask them to explain
the experience that they have that’s necessary for
the position, and at that point get to the techni-
cal aspects of the position.”
— BRUCE GILBERT
CTO, Fort Worth, TX
What do your projects show
me about your knowledge and
skills? How do you organize
your work and communicate
your progress?
“ “
To determine if the candidate is a fit, has the
requisite skills, and if they will stay, show up, and be
a responsible employee. In many cases, if they can
be trusted. The candidate should be ready to explain
everything on their resume. You are auditioning, so
practice. Anticipate what questions the interviewer
might ask, and have answers for them.”
— PAUL CHIODO
“

July 2014 | 27
Of course, the last question is all about attitude. Do
you fit in with my team? Are you an axe murderer?
(Which is ok as long as you don’t have a history of
taking the axe to your immediate supervisor.)
I want to see that you are a team player rather
than a lone ranger.
I need to know that you own
your own projects and see them
through to the end without the
need for micromanagement.
And, most important of all, I need to know that
you’re not an adrenaline junkie who wants to
be a firefighter, because we want to proactively
solve problems when they’re just a small issue
rather than constantly rush in to save the day
in an emergency.”
— GLENN PITCHFORD
I’M
DEPENDABLE.
I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT
SOLVING PROBLEMS.

Q. What can a candidate do to
impress an interviewer?
Show confidence, communication skills, and
experience that is relevant the job they are interview-
ing for. It’s natural to be nervous during the interview
process, but try to keep some degree of calmness. If
you become too nervous and fidgety during the in-
terview that makes one think that maybe this person
can’t handle stressful situations. If they can’t handle
this, how are they going to react when the network
goes down and the CEO is banging on the door?”
— BRUCE GILBERT
CTO, Fort Worth, TX
Show a true desire to do the job offered, have
the skills to perform the job, and show the ability
to be responsible and trustworthy.
Come prepared, be on time, read the company’s
website, familiarize yourself with the job you are
interviewing for, dress nice, know what you are
going to say, and be prepared to ask some ques-
tions. Finally, thank them for the interview!”
— PAUL CHIODO
“ “
Be able to tell the story of your experience and
why you feel that it makes you a fit for the role you
want. Be prepared for the interview, and do your
homework on the company and the role.”
— JEN CANTU
“
“If you walk into your interview
having already made a great
impression, the barriers are
lowered and the interview
is easier.”
When they are really interested in a position, they
should show it. I’ve personally tried many times to
get a hiring manager on the phone before an inter-
view to let them know how excited I am about the
company, position, or possibilities.”
“

July 2014 | 29
Pretend like you are already part of the team.
Get excited, use people’s names, and let me
know that you are comfortable with the group,
the interview, and the challenge… you need
to make everyone comfortable with you and
let them know you are ready to work with them.
Besuretoaskalotofquestionsoftheinterviewers
as well.”
— ERIK NORDMAN
You HAVE TO know about the company.
And that’s so important because we’re a mission
based company. If you don’t know why you want
to come work (here) – I’m not really interested in
you, because that to me is lazy that you haven’t
done your research.
Come with 100 questions (for example) about
benefits, culture, job duties, and what kind of
person (is the boss)? Show interest and dedication
and show that you’ve done your homework and
that you’re really interested…What’s the differentia-
tor? Interest, research, and aptitude.”
— TONY LOMBARD
“
Answer my favorite question correctly: ‘Tell me
about a time at work or school when you thought
you were going to miss a deadline and what you did.’
98% of applicants will say something about doing
whatever it takes to get the project done, including
pulling all-nighters or working all weekend. Buzz!
Wrong! Everybody expects that answer.
Some will say that they have never been close to miss-
ing a deadline. Yeah, right, but I’ll turn it into a ‘what
if’ question and give them a second chance.
The 2% will say ‘I immediately notified my supervisor
about the issue and then discussed it with stakehold-
ers so that they could allocate more resources or
adjust the schedule.’ That’s what I want to hear. That
tells me of a level of maturity that owns mistakes and
understands the value of communication.”
— GLENN PITCHFORD
“

05
NEVER HURTS TO GO THE EXTRA MILE...
STEPPING UP
YOUR
GAME?

July 2014 | 31
Job-Seeking
Success
Sometimes getting a job is all about showing
how much you want it and how good of a fit
you are for the company.
All it takes is a small, sincere gesture to blow
the competition out of the water. But in the
long term, you’re going to have to put in the
hustle and work on your skills to move up the
ranks (a drag, we know).
Our expert managers shared stories about
how applicants went the extra mile to get
bonus points and what they’ve done in
their own career to get ahead in the game.
CHAPTER FIVE

While I was interviewing candidates for a junior
programming position, one applicant asked some very
specific questions about our programming practices
and conventions… One of our programmers had sug-
gested that he apply and allowed him to look at some
of our code. (There’s that networking advantage.) He
had studied the code before coming for the interview
and prepared some questions based on that study. I
skipped the question “tell me what you know about
our company” knowing that he would give much more
than the standard “just what I saw on your web site”
answer. That was decades ago and I still remember him
very well. He turned out to be one of our best coders.
— GLENN PITCHFORD
Q. What was a time a candidate
went above and beyond to get
the job?
“
The applicant sent their resume and sample work
via FedEx/UPS in one of my company’s shoe boxes.
Compared to a stack of resumes that came through
‘normal’ channels, this person’s resume got more
attention than the rest.”
— DAVE BORING
“
“ After the interview, the candidate made and
sent various folks SpiceRex (Spiceworks Community
Mascot) cookies with personalized notes about why
she was a fit for the role and why she was so excited
to become a part of Spiceworks.”
— JEN CANTU
I developed a (multiple choice) quiz on Survey-
Monkey so that when the interview is over I can test
on general IT knowledge… for example can you
identify TCP/IP scenario based stuff? This particular
person finished that and went above and beyond and
sent examples for each question. So for example if I
said you have a 169.254.x.x address, what do you do?
“
What he did afterwards was send screenshots of the
steps necessary to make things happen to prove that he
wasn’t just guessing the right multiple-choice answer
by giving me more. He sent it so soon after the quiz
that you could tell that he must have really known.”
— NORMAN ALLEN

July 2014 | 33
While some of these you might be
able to learn from a class, I’m a
big believer that you have to do
the job to really get good at it.
“ For me it was focusing on skills I wanted to
build, not titles or positions. I would take a new
job because it would give me the opportunity to
build one of those skills. For example, I took jobs
earlier in my career because they would teach me
how to sell, public speaking, managing big devel-
opment projects, or how to balance a PL.
“ Having persistence, a willingness to diligently
pursue a solution, and determination to never give
up. That and 60 hour work weeks.”
— PAUL CHIODO
Q. What is the best thing that
you’ve done to advance your
own career?
“ Be proactive. Even when you have a job you
like, keep the next steps for what you want and need
to progress in mind. You will be very lucky to find
an employer that will give you more money, promo-
tions, and job growth for a very long time, especially
if you prefer to work for small companies. To grow,
you have to be willing to get all you can out of every
job and be ready to find something new when your
growth slows or when you need more money.”
— ERIK NORDMAN
Yes, it makes those first 12 months in the new job
scary, but it also makes it fun. You’re learning
something new all the time. In hindsight I guess it
worked – 15 years gave me the breadth of skills I
needed to start my first company, Motive, which led
to me meeting the team that started Spiceworks.”
— SCOTT ABEL
CEO, Spiceworks

One is identifying issues, whether IT or operation-
al issues and making improvements… For example,
(at my old job) our servers cost us a lot of money and
there was no need to be buying from one particular
vendor, so I got permission to seek other vendors…
and we ended up saving a quarter million dollars a
quarter on IT acquisition costs.
The other one that stands out is managing projects,
so even if someone gave me a simple project that I
could do in my sleep, I used to document my planning
for that project even for the little things... this is even
before I knew what project management was in the
industry sense. I just documented what I thought was
going to happen, why we needed the project, how
much it was going to cost, and communicated that
with the higher ups… that definitely made a made a
big difference for me.”
— NORMAN ALLEN
My willingness to be vulnerable and listen. Not
hear words, but really listen and if somebody said I
was doing something wrong, if somebody said that
I’d rather you attack the problem this way than that
way than way... learning how to accept that criticism,
put it to good use, and be able to move forward.
...if you’re not flexible, you’re
not willing to learn, if you’re
not willing to be vulnerable and
listen to somebody who has a
different perspective, it’s tough.
“ “
And being open to learning. I’m in an environment
that is a rapid high-growth engine. This quarter
alone we’ve grown revenues 80 percent over last
year. That’s unbelievable growth. Therefore my
entire team including myself have to grow up with
the organization as it gets bigger, and if you’re not
flexible, you’re not willing to learn, if you’re not
willing to be vulnerable and listen to somebody
who has a different perspective, it’s tough. That’s
the number one thing — my love for learning
that’s kept me on the path that I’m on.”
— TONY LOMBARD

July 2014 | 35
I started out my post-college career working for
an IT consultant. The exposure that I received there
to all facets of IT was invaluable, but the opportunity
to learn about different industries and how several
types of businesses work made all the difference.
I would encourage anyone starting out or early in
their career to find an opportunity with an MSP or
consultant. It’s like eating at a giant buffet every
day. You can decide that steak is the thing for you
and then go on to specialize in the many forms of
that single item (Cisco, Windows Server, VMware, etc)
or you can enjoy the wide variety offered by moving
on to IT management where you oversee it all.”
— GLENN PITCHFORD
“

06
MOVING ON UP?
PURSUING MY
CAREER
GOALS!

July 2014 | 37
How to Move on Up!
Career Advice
From Managers
IT Managers are tech wizards at the top of
their game. They’ve worked their way up the
corporate ladder and now lead people in their
organizations.
Were they born with all of the skills they need-
ed to be a leader, or did they have to develop
them over time? (Hint: it’s a mix)
More importantly, if you want to make it to
the top too, how do you get there?
In this last section of our eBook, our experts
share their secrets…
CHAPTER SIX

Q. What should job seekers work
on if they want to one day become
a hiring manager themselves?
Pay attention to people and act like a manager all
of the time. Even if it isn’t in your title, you can be the
go-to person for your team and someone who practices
the attributes of a good manager with your colleagues
and co-workers. If it seems like it’s natural for you, it will
be easier for your boss to promote you into a role they
already know you can do.”
— ERIK NORDMAN
Communication, learning about people,
learning about balance, learning about what
it means to be tactical and what it means to be
strategic, how to delegate and feel ok about it
and learn to listen as much as possible.”
— JEN CANTU
“ “
A big thing for me is showing initiative and being
organized. Whether it’s something I’ve assigned to a
person or it’s something they’ve done on their own,
they should be able to present it in a comprehensive
way so I can take it to other management and show
that this person has done not just what was asked of
them but beyond that and what the benefits are. And
just being consistent is usually the difference between
someone who gets moved up or not. You have to be a
manager before you become a manager, whether it’s
dressing the part, acting the part, or coming to work
on time. You have to do those things before you get
the title.”
— NORMAN ALLEN
“
Understand teams and team motivation. Be the
standout IT Guru and go the extra mile. Learn to
coach, start by coaching your users. While we com-
plain about them, we should never complain to them.
If you can learn to coach users and make them better
users, you will show management that you can coach
a team. Always remember that you can never know
everything, and everyone is an expert in something.
Keep learning. Lastly, humility; Be willing to take
the blame when things go bad, and share the credit
when things go good.”
— PAUL CHIODO
“

July 2014 | 39
Leadership and communication. I highlight these
two because they are often overlooked. Most managers
just manage - that is they make sure that the work gets
done. That is all about attention to detail, keeping track
of complexity, etc. Very important, but it’s not leading.
To lead, others must be willing to follow you. And for
them to follow you they have to trust you. So… one of
the most important things you have to learn how to do
as a leader / manager is gain people’s trust.
And guess how you do that? Communication. It is your
job to set clear, actionable objectives and make sure
the team truly understands them. Depending on the
personalities on your team, that might mean spending
much more time with some people than others. And ...
they need to see that you care more about their careers,
their successes, than you do your own.”
— SCOTT ABEL
CEO, Spiceworks
“Leadership training. There are a great number
of easy-to-read read books like Start with the Why
or Developing the Leader Within You by John C.
Maxwell and The Servant Leader… great resources
that point you in the right direction of what it really
takes to be a leader of a team or of people. You can’t
assume that you’re born as a General Patton and
that you’re just gonna kill it
because you have every technical skill in your
wheelhouse. As a matter fact you’re probably
doomed to fail... When you’re leading people,
‘do what you say and say what you do’ translates
and pushes out to the entire team…
As the leader goes, the rest of the team goes, so
developing those skills within you, and being con-
scious of historical lessons and mistakes that other
leaders have made is a great way to start your jour-
ney of being the leader of a team. Always put your
people above yourself in any circumstance,
period end of story.”
— TONY LOMBARD
“

You have to develop a good understanding of IT
Pros and what motivates them. It’s not always money–
it’s often challenge, learning opportunities and respect.
So watch the good managers closely and integrate their
attitude into your style. You’ll discover truths such as:
• Never ask your staff to do something that you haven’t
done before or aren’t willing to do again.
• Never forget that your most valuable asset is the staff
working for you and with you.
• When it stops being fun, it’s time to go do something
else. (And your staff will.) So, interject some fun into
work wherever you can.”
— GLENN PITCHFORD
“ “ Soft skills are much more important in an IT
professional career than they were 20 years ago…
you want to be able to communicate effectively
both written and verbal… whether it’s emails,
documents, RFPs, or asking for money, you want
to be able to communicate with peers of the
same level or with leaders of the company.
Also, leadership, the ability to mentor a team,
delegating, and also budget management.”
— BRUCE GILBERT
CTO, Fort Worth, TX

July 2014 | 41
Q. Any final job seeking tips?
Always be honest with yourself and your potential
employer about your abilities. Know what you
want in your next job so you can easily identify a
good fit for YOU.”
— JEN CANTU
“
“
Have persistence. A willingness to diligently
pursue a solution, and determination to never
give up. ”
— PAUL CHIODO
“
Don’t settle. Be willing to talk to your boss
about what you need and to leave if the company
doesn’t provide it. The process of finding and chang-
ing jobs is hard but it gets easier with practice and
as you gain experience and skills, every job change
becomes more lucrative and satisfying.”
— ERIK NORDMAN
Itsoundssimpleandobviousbutbehonest. When
peopleaskyouaquestionjusttellthemthetruth, no
matterhowbadtheanswersounds. Why? Because
realhonesty in the workplace is a rare commodity.
Our society has conditioned us to think that being per-
ceived as successful, being right and advancing are the
key to getting ahead. It does not focus on the value
of failure and what we learn from it. When I interview
people for Spiceworks I ask every candidate the ques-
tion: ‘what’s been your biggest professional failure?’
Why? Two reasons: First, I want to see if they’ll tell me
the truth. Will they pick something significant that was
clearly painful for them to go through, and hence tell me
about. It shows immense character to reveal something
like that in an interview.
And secondly, I want to see what they learned from the
experience. If they took the failure and turned it into
success. This is critical for a company like Spiceworks –
we’re dong something that’s never been done before so
being good at learning from our mistakes – quickly and
efficiently – has made us what we are today.”
— SCOTT ABEL
CEO, Spiceworks
Never stop learning, never let your skills collect
dust. Just keep learning something new and set
realistic short term and long term goals!”
— BRUCE GILBERT
CTO, Fort Worth, TX
“

07
WANT AN ITPORTFOLIO
OF YOUR OWN?
BRING YOUR PROJECTS
TO LIFE WITH A
SPICEWORKS PROFILE.

July 2014 | 43
More Reading
Next Steps
Well there you have it – tips that’ll serve you
well next time you’re on the IT job hunt and,
for that matter, throughout your entire career,
delivered by successful people who know
what it takes to get hired!
We hope you learned a lot from these tips and
that one day, you might be the one doling out
nuggets of wisdom for eBooks.
If you have more IT career related questions
or a just an insatiable hunger for more career
advice and conversations, make sure to check
out the following resources in Spiceworks:
• IT Career Forum in Spiceworks
• Get Your Spiceworks IT Portfolio
• Career Advice From IT Pros eBook
• Advice for First Time Job Seekers in IT
Thanks for reading, share this with a friend, and
best of luck in your IT career!
CONCLUSION

The contents in this report are a result of primary research performed by Spiceworks. Unless otherwise noted, the entire contents distributed
as part of this report are copyrighted by Spiceworks. As such any information made available by any means in this report may not be copied,
reproduced, duplicated, published, displayed, transmitted, distributed, given, sold, traded, resold, marketed, offered for sale, modified to
create derivative works or otherwise exploited for valuable consideration without prior written consent by Spiceworks. For more information
visit www.spiceworks.com/voice-of-it/terms.
This report contains information of fact relating to parties other than Spiceworks. Although the information have been obtained from, and
are based on sources that Spiceworks believes to be reliable, Spiceworks does not guarantee the accuracy, and any such information might be
incomplete or condensed. Any estimates included in this report constitute Spiceworks’judgment as of the date of compilation, and are subject
to change without notice. This report is for information purposes only. All responsibility for any interpretations or actions based on
the information or commentary contained within this report lie solely with the recipient. All rights reserved. 2014.
About Spiceworks
Spiceworks is the professional network more than 5 million IT professionals use to connect with one another and over
3,000 technology brands. The company simplifies how IT professionals discover, buy and manage more than $525 billion
in technology products and services each year. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Spiceworks is backed by Adams Street
Partners, Austin Ventures, Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), Goldman Sachs, Shasta Ventures and Tenaya Capital. For
more information visit www.spiceworks.com
Curious how IT pros are boosting their careers?
Read our IT Career Tips eBook.

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