What AI Means for Tech Industry Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming an essential part of every industry — from improving operational processes and measuring employee experiences to strengthening customer service and bolstering cybersecurity. While the full promise of AI is uncertain, its growing impact on the workplace cannot be ignored. Nowhere is this more evident than in the tech sector where IT professionals and companies are keen to understand how AI will transform jobs, careers and companies. What Does AI Mean for the Tech Industry? Agile Companies, Informed Employees Compan ..read more

The Future is Flexible After 2+years of an accelerated, sometimes bumpy transition out of the on-site office, what is the future of remote work as offices re-open and are safe for employees? It’s all about flexibility. Hybrid virtual-working models In numerous surveys, employees say they want to work in the office sometimes and work remotely or at home sometimes. And that ratio between sometimes on-site and sometimes remote varies widely — across genders, family arrangements, locations, introversion and extroversion personalities, job functions and more. One size does not fit all. If a company ..read more

Make Your Video Interview a Masterpiece The acceptance of video interviews likely will be one of the few positive legacies of the pandemic. Now that interviewing for your dream tech job does not need to happen in person, how can you turn a typical video interview into a job-winning performance?   Check Your Props Devote time to familiarizing yourself with the video/chat platform used for the interview, especially if the platform is new to you. Test the features you could potentially use like audio mute, camera settings, sharing the screen, chatting, maximizing/minimizing the screen, viewi ..read more

101: Pair Programming and Coding Interviews When applying for a position, you may be asked to participate in a Pair Programming and Coding interview. Gulp, what’s that? During a typical Pair Programming and Coding interview, the job seeker is given a problem to solve with an interviewer. Often, the interview is structured like an ordinary workday, with the interviewer acting like a coworker. In fact, you may be working closely with your interviewer as part of the job. An interactive coding platform may be used to collaborate with the interviewer to solve the technical task. And don’t worry, t ..read more

Industries Hiring Now Despite significant disruptions caused by the pandemic, the past 18 months have been a boom time for many white-collar industries, especially sectors already with a dispersed workforce. Professionals with the flexibility and capacity to work from their homes have been able to keep their jobs and even grow their careers, as are sectors supporting those industries and directly dealing with the pandemic.   If thinking about a job change, here are a few industries thriving during the pandemic that SIGnature Recruiting is tracking. Finance In response to the financial vo ..read more

What to Expect as More Leave City for Burbs With IT companies encouraging or requiring telecommuting, the home now functions as an office, school, gym, dining and entertainment complex and oh, home. Urban dwellers, no longer tethered to a physical office in the city, are checking out real estate listings in suburbs and rural areas – with many purchasing a house or leasing an apartment far from the city and company offices. It is unknown if that trend will continue once the pandemic restrictions lift, but there’s no denying that the real estate market is changing. What are the trade-offs for I ..read more

What US Tech Workers Need to Know About Immigrating to Canada Vancouver has always been a top relocation destination for IT workers living in the US. With the pandemic and politics south of the border, immigrating to Canada is even more appealing. And with Canadian companies needing a steady stream of skilled foreign workers, like IT professionals from the US, to fulfill demands, the federal and provincial governments currently are prioritizing immigration programs during the pandemic. Below are immigration options for US and other foreign citizens to work in Canada, whether temporarily or p ..read more

Vancouver’s Tech Talent and Market Get Rave Reviews Amazon’s announcement that it will hire 3,000 employees plus several recent industry reports show that Vancouver’s IT market is thriving. “Vancouver’s tech industry is strong, “says Rachel Shen, SIGnature Recruiting’s Managing Director – Client Manager. “Without a doubt, the pandemic upended the economy, but the recent announcements and findings should give the region’s IT professionals and employers optimism and confidence as we enter 2021. That’s great news for Vancouver.” Top of Tech Talent Market Vancouver ranks #3 in overall top tech t ..read more

Ways Remote Work Is Changing the Job Market COVID-19 has not disrupted the tech industry like other sectors, but the shift to remote working applies new pressures to the job market – from employee expectations to networking methods. A September 2020 survey by the Association for Canadian Studies and Leger found that 89% of Canadians describe their telecommuting experience as positive, while 32% would start looking for a work-from-home job if ordered to return to the office. New Norms and Expectations To stay competitive for top talent, IT companies of any size need not only to permit but embr ..read more

Can you help find a work experience placement for a Burnaby North Secondary high school student? My son just started high school at Burnaby North Secondary and we got an email from the Career Education Department asking for volunteer opportunities for the Grade 11/12 students. If your organization can provide any placement opportunities for a budding high school student, please get in touch with Keith Montgomery at keith.montgomery@burnabyschools.ca Here is the email we got from them: Dear Parents & Guardians, I’m reaching out to our parent community in the hope that through our collectiv ..read more