Seeking Senior Federally Focused Technologists For Incredible Positions

By Bob Gourley

We focus most of our writings here on the technology community in and around the Washington DC area. This is our base and you readers are our the community we most want to serve with information. We have been in the tech community for years and over time have established broad networks and are frequently asked to help great companies find candidates for technical positions. We have the ear of some of the greatest companies in the federal tech scene (including greats like Cloudera and Cleversafe), and when we see a good fit we are always happy to make recommendations and act as references.

We also receive periodic notes from friends and associates in the community asking us to be on the lookout for a new opportunity for a future position. We take both ends of this professional networking very seriously, we know world class firms must find great people and we know serious technologists really thrive at companies that are world class, and when we can help make that match we feel good about it.

With this post I would like to provide some tips for the company seeking world class federal technical talent in the federal space and also tips for the technologist seeking a new opportunity. In both cases I mention things I can personally do to help.

a. For the company seeking world class technical talent in the DC area:

• Understand that the federal market is different in many ways. It may take time to find the right talent for key positions so start sooner rather than later.
• You probably already know that if you get the wrong person you will pay for that later. I have seen too many firms hire someone because he or she claims to know the federal market only to find out later that the person does not. Like in all other decisions of importance, do your homework and vet anyone you plan on hiring.
• The greatest technology champions in this domain are incredibly busy and probably not looking to transition. So part of your strategy should involve engaging with technologists who have not decided to make a switch yet so they will know you are open to a discussion when they are ready. This is a long term strategy, not one that will get instant results so keep that in mind.
• We are friends with a local DC executive search firm called BenchMark. We recommend connecting with them early in your search process.
• We also recommend use of LinkedIn. They have totally disrupted the hiring/career search market. Connect to the Bob Gourley Profile there. That will expand your network among government technologists. You should also join groups like our Disruptive IT Group where you can interact with senior technologists and Mark Amtower’s Government Market Master group where you can network with federally-focused executives.
• To better understand the federal technology market sign up for our newsletters.
• If you are in a tech firm that we have not written about before, and if you believe you have an incredibly virtuous/positive technology, submit it to our reference directory at: http://ctolabs.com/submit/

b. For technical talent seeking a world class company in the DC area:

• We most strongly recommend use of LinkedIn. Connect to the Bob Gourley Profile there. That will expand your network among government technologists. You should also join groups like our Disruptive IT Group where you can interact with senior technologists.
  
• We make it our business to track the most virtuous, disruptive technologies in the federal space, and we believe these are the firms you will want to consider when making a job switch. Find them at: http://ctolabs.com/company-directory/
• To better understand the federal technology market sign up for our newsletters.
• There are many ways you can contact us directly to discuss job searches and transitions, one we recommend that seems to work for everyone (and is very easy on us) is via LinkedIn. As previously mentioned, you should be there anyway, so use the LinkedIn message system to drop us a note when you are searching for something. Also use LinkedIn to seek introductions.
• If you are in a position to write (and we understand many are not in a postion to do so) it can be good for your personal networking. If you have pieces you would like to submit to us or would like to guest blog with us learn more about that here at this piece on “Contributing to the CTOvision Blog“.

For both tech firms and tech talent seeking to connect, let us know how we can help.

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