Top Tech Candidates in California

The Armada Group has some of the top tech talent in California. If you are interested in any of our candidates contact The Armada Group today.

 

Sr UX Designer

 

-Designs interfaces, architectures that are optimal for end user needs; attractive, and easy-to-learn/use

-Works closely with product managers, engineers, etc. through all phases: conceptualization, design, documentation and implementation, testing and validation 

-Extensive experience creating user task models, user experience architectures, wireframe level designs, mockups, interactive prototypes, conducting usability test sessions 

-Identifies user centered design patterns, establishes scenarios, places designs into user context and creates interactions that align to those requirements 

-12+ years of professional experience in UX design for mobile, web and desktop

-Proven track record and portfolio of work demonstrating strong knowledge of UX/IX design principles and techniques 

-Loves translating complex product requirements and use case scenarios to workflows and interaction design 

-Highly proficient with Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Axure and many other professional design tools 

-Critical thinker, organized and creative in solving highly complex problems 

-Experience with

-UCD and Agile mashups

-Front-end developer skills: HTML, CSS, JavaScript

-UI rapid prototyping experience (for visualization and testing)

-Designing for mobile platforms (small screen, touch interface)

 

Sr Platform Developer

 

-Top quality architecture and development skills using latest technologies including C, C++, Core Java

-Strong background in the Networking/Telecom industry to design and develop Network Management Systems (NMS)/Telecom, Configuration Management and Operational Support Systems (OSS).

-Hands on experience in Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and project planning/execution skills including estimating and scheduling.

-Expertise in developing Applications with n-tier Architecture with the knowledge of software development methodologies like RUP, SOA, Waterfall, Spiral, Agile Development, UML Modeling, Test-Driven development, Design Patterns Application Development.

-Expertise in configuring and deploying Tomcat, Weblogic, WebSphere and JBoss servers.

-Good working knowledge in using and applying design patterns, database design and administration.

-Good understanding and testing ability of network protocols – TCP/IP, UDP, SNMP, ATM, HTTP, FTP, Telnet, LDAP, SMTP, GSM and CDMA.

-Well versed with XML, Web Services technology, Java Security, JCE, Public Key Infrastructure, and X.509 Certificate revocation list format.

-Ability to take initiative, and work independently and on multiple projects simultaneously.

-Experienced in working with Senior Product Management Teams in defining project scope, work-breakdown structures, schedules and release control.

-Experienced in leading groups of engineers and mentoring junior engineers across multiple global centers, interfacing with field engineers in resolving critical customer issues.

-Project Lead with Focused/Committed / Get-the-Job-Done Attitude, Highly organized, Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

-Highly productive and results-driven in team and individual projects and strong research and time management skills.

 

Senior Developer/Architect

 

-Over 20 years of experience in IT

-Strong skills in SaaS and SOA based application architectures and software development.

-Solid hands on development skills in Java/J2EE spanning his career

-Delivered projects for SRA, Google and Macrovision

 

Senior Visual Designer

 

-15+ years of Visual/Graphic/UX/UI design experience 

-Strong recent experience with Mobile UI/UX design

-Solid skills with Adobe CS Suite as well as hands on experience with HTML, CSS and some JavaScript 

-Experience with companies such as Yahoo! and Sony

 

Senior Frontend Developer

 

-Over 10 years of experience in full project Software Development Life Cycle 

-7 years of UI/Front End development 

-Masters in Telecom Engineering 

-Expert in writing native Java Script and coding raw Java Script 

-Experience using SOAP UI for web services

 

Release Manager

 

-Over 12 years in project management 

-PMP certified by the Project Management Institute 

-Worked for big companies such as Cisco and Adobe Systems

-Bachelor of Arts in English 

-Managed the integration of WebEx to Cisco 

-Ability to manage more than 4 projects at once 

NEW YEAR, NEW APPROACH: YOUR IT RESUME MAKEOVER

Whether you happen to be in the market right now, or you’ve decided that you’re going to kick off the New Year by looking for your dream IT job, you need a great resume to help you in your job search. The IT job market is a competitive one, and your resume is the key to gaining the attention of hiring managers, who are often looking at hundreds of applicants for a single position.

If you’re updating your IT resume for the first time in years—or creating a new one—the process can seem daunting. But it doesn’t have to be hard to turn out a resume that will impress potential employers and land you the all-important interview for the job you really want.

These holiday resume makeover tips will help you showcase the right aspects of your resume, and lead to getting you hired.

The big idea: Tell the story of you

One of the best ways to approach a resume makeover is to look at it from a different perspective. Instead of writing a list of skills, experiences, and accomplishments, your resume should tell the story of you—drawing out the core of what makes you a great choice for the job you’re going after.

Take some time to consider what you would bring to the table. You might even envision yourself in your desired position, to help you determine which of your qualities and skills would matter most. Then, work on building your resume around that vision—so potential employers can immediately see where you fit.

Watch your wording

By nature, most IT resumes tend toward density—particularly if you have a long career with a lot of experience behind you. Many candidates believe that the more experience you list, the better you’ll look, which results in the mistake of page after page of tech-heavy text that makes hiring managers’ eyes glaze over.

Ideally, you should limit your resume to no more than two pages. This means making careful wording choices that don’t use a lot of tech-babble, but instead pinpoint your relevant skills and accomplishments with clarity. Streamline your resume wherever possible, and remember to highlight your story.

Appearances count

The words on your resume are important—but so is the way those words are arranged. An effective resume gets your key points across quickly and clearly, so that hiring managers can make faster decisions about putting you in the “yes” pile. If they have to look too hard for your relevant skills and qualifications, you’ll be out of the running before you leave the starting gate.

This means chronological resumes that start with your education, and then list your experiences in order from first job to current position, are right out. You want to have essential information front and center—at the top of the first page. If you haven’t done so already, create a resume section that lists your key skills and qualifications in bullet form, and make this the first thing a potential employer sees.

Save all of your housekeeping information, such as degrees, certifications, and early job experience, for the second page. If you impress hiring managers enough upfront, they may not even have to know that information before bringing you in for an interview.

If you are looking for tech employment in California, contact The Armada Group today.

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3 Ways to Stand Out as a Front-End Engineer

In today’s job market, front-end developers are facing competition for the best positions out there. If you’re looking to land your dream job, you need to be able to stand out from the crowd in this hot market.

What can you do to differentiate yourself as a front-end candidate? Here are three ways to impress potential employers and get the front-end dev job you want.

1. Make your portfolio pop

In addition to cover letters and resumes, front-end engineer candidates need to worry about having a portfolio. These are typically in the form of websites that showcase your experiences, your skills, and coding projects you’ve worked on.

Many recruiters and hiring managers give your portfolio more weight than your resume during the hiring process. The best thing you can do to give yourself an edge is to make sure you have a great portfolio, with at least one good, clean sample website.

2. Know (more than) your stuff

A qualified front-end developer candidate will know HTML (preferably HTML5), CSS, and JavaScript / jQuery. But if that’s all you know, you’re not going to stand out too much—especially since front-end devs are increasingly expected to take on additional responsibilities in the workplace.

Improve your desirability by knowing something that other front-end developers typically don’t. Some of the possibilities with the highest potential include interactive design, responsive design, Web GL, AJAX, and Android or iOS development.

3. Get active with personal projects

More so than other hiring managers, IT recruiters and managers are practically guaranteed to look you up on Google. Make sure you’re ready to impress by having some personal projects developed and ready to find, such as apps, demos, and open source projects.

You should also be active online in the places that count. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is detailed and current, along with any other social media sites you use. It’s in your best interests to join and be active in one or more popular developer communities, too. A few of the best known include Stack Overflow.

Your resume is just the starting point to open a conversation with recruiters  and hiring managers. Give yourself the best possible chance at landing the front-end developer job you want by using these tips to stand out and get noticed.

If you are looking for front-end engineer jobs in Silicon Valley CA, contact The Armada Group today.

IT Contract Hiring On the Rise

While the economy is showing signs of recovery, CIOs and hiring managers are still cautious about adding new positions. The latest information from the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that only 77,600 IT jobs have been added over the last 12 months, with some late 2013 months showing losses of a few thousand jobs.

However, there is some good news on the IT job front. This year, more companies are increasing their hiring budgets in order to bring in more skilled IT contractors.

Cautious CIOs lead to increased reliance on outsourcing

The world of technology is changing faster than ever, with everything moving toward mobile, cloud, and wireless. These rapid shifts have left many companies with aging, legacy infrastructures—and without the budgets to upgrade.

Since hiring new, full-time employees to keep up with the latest technologies represents a significant investment that’s often outside the budget, HR professionals are turning to IT contractors for help.

A recent study from IT recruiting and consulting firm Mondo, drawing on a survey of IT decision makers and data from their contract IT placement network, found that 32 percent of respondents plan to increase their contractor budgets, and 48 percent will hire more IT contractors than permanent staff over the next 12 to 18 months. OnForce, another IT contract staffing provider, says the findings are consistent with their client experiences.

Popular skill sets for IT contractors

What are CIOs and hiring managers looking for in outsourced IT? Developers and marketers are in particularly high demand, across a variety of disciplines and platforms. Nearly every type of business is looking, but those most likely to increase contract spending include the publishing, communications, media, and higher education markets.

The Mondo survey reports that 73 percent of respondents are currently using IT contractors for:

• Application development
• Web and mobile development
• Application maintenance

A further 30 percent will outsource app development, and 27 percent will contract for web and mobile development, over the next 12 to 18 months.

Fluke or emerging pattern?

Is the trend toward hiring more IT contractors permanent, or will companies go back to hiring more full-time staff once the economy stabilizes further? Factors such as an aging workforce, an increased demand for flexibility, and streamlined costs point to a pattern that is here to stay.

OnForce reports an increase in monthly applicants to its Workforce-as-a-Service from around 750 to approximately 1,000 in recent months, and that number is growing. In fact, it is expected that the number of IT contractors in the workforce will double in 2014, and outsourced IT services will remain the norm for a few years, or longer.

If you are looking for IT contract work in Silicon Valley, contact The Armada Group to learn more about employment opportunitites.

IT Executive Challenges This Year

In the constantly changing world of information technology, it’s always good to pay attention to trends that might help you stay a step ahead of the game.This year, a few of the biggest IT news stories from 2013 could have a lasting impact on your organization.

If 2013 was the year of cloud computing, then 2014 will be the year that the massive migration to the cloud starts slowing, and organizations take a step back to investigate things further. Here are three trends that could lead to potential challenges for your company this year.

NSA revelations increase cloud security concerns

For most businesses, it’s not hard to see the attraction of cloud computing. It’s cheaper than maintaining an in-house infrastructure, cuts down on maintenance and hosting costs, and lets you use someone else’s time and resources to take care of your network and applications.

Security was a minor concern—but it became a potential major issue when everyone started to hear about the true extent of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) capabilities for eavesdropping on electronic communications, whether or not they had permission.

Many organizations are taking this into account, especially those who haven’t yet started using the cloud. Security risks for sensitive data and applications like email and collaboration tools could be called into question, and hybrid cloud solutions that combine private with public clouds may become more prevalent.

Microsoft will have a new CEO

This year, Steve Ballmer is stepping down as CEO of Microsoft—the software giant whose Windows operating systems power the majority of U.S. businesses.What’s more, April 2014 will see the end of support for Windows XP, an OS that is still in active use for a significant percentage of companies.

The direction the new Microsoft CEO takes the company in will set the tone for the future of cloud computing in business. Microsoft may continue the migration initiated by Ballmer toward a device and services organization with a focus on cloud-based software, or return to concentrating on the on-premise software that has long been the core of its service offerings.

Cloud brokers will grow in popularity

Regardless of the NSA and Microsoft, the number and variety of cloud services continues to grow. In 2014, expect to find more cloud brokers and cloud service providers working to put together the best comprehensive solutions for businesses attempting to navigate the sprawling cloud.

Vendor-neutral cloud service companies will be able to work closely with IT pros, and help them find the combination of models, platforms, and services that will best meet the needs of their organization. Once free of cloud configuration and maintenance tasks, IT-based companies can focus on developing new offerings and new revenue streams—making 2014 a potentially profitable year all around.

If you are looking for IT employment agencies in Silicon Valley CA, contact The Armada Group today.

Top 5 IT Skills Silicon Valley Employers Want in 2014

This year, job prospects are holding steady for IT professionals. Modest industry growth is leading to opportunities for tech experts with a range of skills and specialties, and unlike other industries, IT is not expected to stagnate.

The annual Forecast survey from Computer world for 2014 found that 32 percent of U.S. companies plan to increase their IT staff this year. Here’s a look at the most wanted tech skills they’ll be searching for.

Programming and application development

The number one skill on Computerworld’s list for two years running, 49% of survey respondents plan to hire programmers or application developers within the next 12 months. This group of IT professionals actually has one of the lowest employment rates in the country at 1.8%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

The current high demand and low availability for this skill means excellent prospects for IT professionals who specialize in programming. Within this category, the hottest skill subsets for 2014 are expertise in secure applications and mobile development.

Help desk and technical support

Up from No. 3 on last year’s Forecast survey, this skill comes in at second place for 2014 with 37% of employers looking to hire. Tech support skills have always been essential for the IT industry, so the availability of jobs in this area should come as no surprise.

What may be surprising—and encouraging—is the probable reason for the rising demand. After several years of outsourcing these functions to third-party help desk services, companies are returning to in-house tech support due to expanding infrastructures and an increase in company-provided Web and mobile services.

Networking

In one of the biggest rank increases from 2013 to 2014, networking skills moved to third place from No. 8 last year on the list of IT specialties employers want. A total of 31% of survey respondents plan to hire professionals with networking skills in the next 12 months.

The increased need for network administration likely stems from a higher demand for wireless connectivity. Unemployment rates are 1.1% for network and systems administrators, who are required to handle increased network traffic as well as troubleshooting.

Mobile applications and device management

Another big gainer in year-to-year rank, mobile skills are up from No. 9 in 2013 to No. 4 in 2014, with 27% of companies planning to hire mobile specialists this year. It’s almost a requirement—any organization wanting to stay competitive, has to jump on the mobile bandwagon.

In excellent shape regarding job prospects are mobile app developers and device management specialists who can implement and manage workplace personal device programs and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) initiatives.

Project management

The demand for project managers is high, with 25% of companies hiring for this skill in the next 12 months. Like the increased demand for tech support specialists, this category is a positive sign for the economy overall. More project management positions mean that more companies are willing to invest in strategic projects and technology initiatives.

Project managers with the best prospects are those that have strong organizational and technical skills, as well as excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to explain and champion projects to potential partners, investors, and key collaborators.

If you are looking for technology jobs in Silicon Valley California, The Armada Group today.

Top 5 Coding Interview Questions to Prep For

As an IT candidate, you’ve got more to worry about than the average job seeker. In addition to the resumes, cover letters, and initial interviews, you have to be ready for the technical interview—a real-time test of your skills that will make or break your chances at getting the job.

Fortunately, you can prepare for the tech side of your interview process. Here are five of the most popular types of coding questions you can expect, so you can get ready to ace your technical interview.

Back to the basics

It might surprise you to know that the simplest skills are highly likely to be included as part of a technical interview. Basic data structures and algorithms are typically core questions, and even though they’re simple in comparison to the actual work you’re doing, you will need to prep for them.

You should be intimately familiar with the basics and ready to demonstrate your proficiency with a fundamental understanding of coding. Before you hit the interview trail, take some time to refresh and practice your basic skills—even if you think it’s “too easy” to bother.

Linked lists

You will undoubtedly be asked to write some code that involves a linked list during your interview. This topic is extremely popular with technical interviewers, because it demonstrates your ability to produce simple, clean code at a fast pace.

Potential questions you may be asked regarding linked lists may involved finding specified elements in a single pass, implementing functions (such as Insert or Delete) for different types of linked lists (singly-linked, sorted, circular), or finding solutions without marking nodes.

Hash tables

Technical interviewers love these. Hash tables are versatile data structures with the primary advantage of letting you search for and retrieve information quickly from massive arrays. It’s essential that you have an intimate familiarity with how they work, so you’re ready to tackle any coding question.

Know the difference between Maps and Sets, and understand the typical operations of hash tables as well as the various applications. You should also be familiar with the tradeoffs of using hash tables versus other data structures.

Array programming

Arrays are important elements in programming languages like C# and Java. This topic is frequently part of technical interviews, and the questions range from incredibly simple to extremely complex.

You may be asked to find a missing or duplicate number in an array of 1 through 100. Or, you could be given an array of characters that form a complete sentence, and asked to write an algorithm that reverses the order of the words, but not the characters.

String programming

Another favorite for technical and programming interviews, string is a primary topic that, like array, is common to many programming languages. Coding questions on string programming may be related to length, permutations, finding and replacing values, and more. Questions involving palindromes are also popular.

The best thing you can do for yourself as an IT candidate is to practice coding prior to interviews. Use real code for your practice runs, and after you write it out, compile and run the code to check your answer. With practice, you can go into your technical interviews confident and ready to land the job you want.

If you are looking for technology jobs in Silicon Valley CA, contact The Armada Group.