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Loading ...Will IT be affected by a recession?
By Jason W. Eckert
For the past year, the media has warned us of a looming US recession. That scares IT people for two reasons. Firstly, many IT people still remember the scarcity of jobs after the DotCom crash of 2001. Secondly, since IT is often considered “an unnecessary expense” by upper management, IT jobs are typically cut in bad times to save money.
Personally, I doubt whether we will see a large negative impact on the IT job market in Canada should the US recession become reality. Here is my rationale:
1. The IT job market has been growing steadily in the past 4 years. Not exponential growth, but steady, healthy growth that is more likely the result of the greater need for IT to support the ever-growing knowledge worker industry in Canada.
2. In bad times, companies will need to become more competitive and creative in finding ways to maintain the revenue stream. While cutting costs will help the bottom line, it does the opposite for revenue generation. I think that companies today are more forward-thinking when it comes to taking risks that will help solidify their position in the job market. And in today’s world, these risks almost always involve implementing the right technology using the right IT people.
Of course, I could be completely wrong and should start considering a new career in basket weaving, pig farming or quantum chromodynamics. Let me know what you think by posting a comment to this blog entry.
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(Rate This Article) Loading ...Upgrade to Vista, Office 2007 and Server 2008?
By Jason W. Eckert
When I speak with people working within IT at various organization, I often ask detailed questions about the technologies that they implement. This is because educators such as myself always need to see “the big IT picture”. It allows us to modify our lectures to emphasize topics that are more important to industry in our classroom as well as gives us the ability to modify our programs over time.
Over the past year, I have spoken with hundreds of IT professionals in various industries. And I have found out that most organizations have adopted Server Virtualization (usually VMWare) and Open Source technologies over the past year. In addition, SQL and Exchange Server knowledge continue to be hot skills required in most organizations. However, when I ask about plans to upgrade workstations to Windows Vista and Office 2007, I usually get a strange glare as if I had lobsters crawling out of my nose. In short, most organizations plan to stick with Windows XP as their client platform for the next long while. Only a few organizations have upgraded to Office 2007. Many tell me that they are likely to upgrade to Office 2007 before they upgrade to Windows Vista. On the server side, many administrators tell me that they have installed evaluation copies of Windows Server 2008 for learning, but have no plans to implement it soon. One IT administrator even told me that for cost, support and hardware reasons, his company is “staying away from Vista like The Plague.”
This relates well with the IT job market - it is rare to find Windows Vista or Server 2008 in any job ad for IT in Ontario. Most job ads list Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 as necessary skillsets. In addition, while most colleges teach Windows Vista, the skills in a Windows Vista course can be applied (for the most part) to Windows XP. Due to the late release of Windows Server 2008 and the usual delay in certification programs and good course materials, many colleges will not offer Windows Server 2008 until later this year or in 2009. Perhaps by then, IT job ads will list those skills more frequently.
What does that mean for those worried about upgrading their skillset? Well, for most organizations, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 certification may not be in demand until next year or even later. For current IT professionals, I would recommend that you wait until next year to think about Vista and Server 2008 certification. For those who are currently taking a college program, it is probably a good idea to get certified in Windows Vista before entering the workforce such that you don’t need to do it down the road, but also emphasize Windows XP skills on a resume.
I am interested to hear your opinions on upgrading to Vista, Office 2007 and Server 2008. Does your organization currently use or plan to use these technologies in the near future? Do you see IT job ads that require these skills in your area? Post a comment to this blog and let me know what you think.
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(Rate This Article) Loading ...Dissecting recent changes in the IT job market
By Jason W. Eckert
As Julia King pointed out in the February article “IT career paths you never dreamed of”, the titles of IT people have been changing in the past few years and will likely continue to change in the future. “Network Engineer” is being replaced with terms that are specific to a technology or department such as “Exchange Software Specialist” or “Production Technology Support”.
What is driving this change? Companies today are leaner and meaner than they have been in the past. “Driving business further with lower costs” is a theme that is echoed in nearly every facet of IT nowadays. Instead of hiring a systems analyst to scope out a problem and translate it to the IT department and eventually implement it within 6-12 months, many organizations are dedicating IT people to specific jobs that have the highest business value such as the creation and maintenance of a web-accessed database system that can be used to centralize the inputting and management of data. As a result, the turnaround for technology implementation has been days or weeks instead of months or years.
However, not all organizations fall into this scheme as Scott Elliott pointed out in his comments from the previous post. Many organizations, especially those with an IT staff of less than 10 people, still want someone who is a jack-of-all trades (Network Engineer/Tech Support/Email Admin/SQL Admin/Plumber/Basket Weaver/Performer of miracles).
In my previous blog post, I speculated that the IT market may be returning to specialization. Julia King speculates that the titles of IT professional are going to change to become more business-focused (to reflect new specialized jobs??). Scott Elliott reminds us that many organizations still want a generalized IT skillset (probably with more business knowledge today).
Perhaps there are two trends that are appearing in the IT job market:
A growing number of generalized jobs (in the small-medium market space).
A growing number of business-focused specialized jobs (in the medium-large market space).What does this mean from a career standpoint?
Well, I imagine that is means that you must decide which market space you wish to participate in before attempting to change careers or start a new career in IT. Personally, I think someone who is relatively new to IT should start in the generalized market space and move to a business-focused specialized job after spending many years in IT. This fits well with the job market since there are far more smaller organizations and better hiring prospects in the generalized market space. As experience builds in a specialized area, job candidates are better prepared to apply for those specialized jobs in larger organizations.
Additionally, I think business knowledge will fast become an IT job requirement in many organizations in the next 5 years.
Related PostsNone Add to: del.icio.us | Digg IT | Furl | Google | magnolia | StumbleIT | Wink | Yahoo! TechnoratiIs the IT market returning to specialization?
By Jason W. Eckert
Until the mid 1990s, the IT market largely consisted of professionals who specialized in one or two technologies. You were either a “Novell Administrator” or a “UNIX Administrator” or a “Banyan Vines Administrator” or a “Windows Administrator” or a “Database Administrator”, etc. Back then, an IT Administrator had a small, yet specialized skill set.
Since the mid-1990s, IT Administrators have gradually been expected to perform multiple roles. Now, the title Administrator usually means database administrator, email administrator, Active Directory administrator, UNIX/Linux administrator, programmer (scripting), network administrator, and performer of miracles all at once.
However, today we have far more technologies than ever before and I see some trends that suggest that the IT job market is starting to favour specialized skills over general ones.
Firstly, the Microsoft certification tracks are now specialized. Instead of obtaining an MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) after writing 7 exams that test the various administrative areas of the Windows operating system, you simply write a single certification that tests your skill in a specialized subject to obtain a MCTS (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist). You can get an MCTS in SQL, or an MCTS in Exchange, or an MCTS in Active Directory administration, and so on. This modular certification structure was created by Microsoft from feedback by colleges in North America. These colleges, in turn, gave this feedback based on the needs of the job market in their geographical area.
Secondly, most employers today seem to favour specific certifications (that provide a benchmark of ability in a specialized skill area) to degrees and general experience.
Thirdly, most of the IT jobs that our graduates have obtained at triOS College primarily encompass a single technology such as SQL or Exchange, and have a few minor components such as network administrator or support.
Does anyone else see this trend?
Related PostsNone Add to: del.icio.us | Digg IT | Furl | Google | magnolia | StumbleIT | Wink | Yahoo! TechnoratiInterpersonal and communication skills the deciding factors in most IT job interviews?
By Jason W. Eckert
Having taught IT at triOS College for 10 years now, I am used to the school/job cycle. Each time a large number of students graduate from my program and enter the IT work force, I find myself busy that month responding to reference requests from employers over the telephone. Over the past few years, I have noticed two emerging trends when responding to reference requests:
- The person who calls for the reference is typically an IT manager rather than a HR manager.
- Companies are more concerned about the candidate’s interpersonal and communication skills rather than their technical ability.
In this past month alone, I have responded to over a dozen reference calls.
During the last reference call, the IT manager explained to me that they need someone who is not only able to manage the corporate servers but willing to work with end users when they have mail or print problems without them getting frustrated. This IT manager told me that they have had IT administrators in the past who have been rude to employee concerns and gave the IT department a bad internal image as a result. Moreover, this same IT manager also stressed that it is critical that the job candidate be able to communicate changes regarding the IT infrastructure to others who are not IT-literate within the organization.
These interpersonal and communication skill requirements were echoed in nearly all of the reference calls that I have responded to this month.
Five years ago, interpersonal and communication skills were rarely mentioned, or mentioned only at the end of the reference call once I answered questions regarding the technical skills of the job candidate.
I have always been of the opinion that it is easy to teach someone how to use a technology but very difficult to teach someone how to play well with others. Perhaps IT employers have found the same to be true in their own experience and are stressing interpersonal and communication skills as a result.
Related PostsNone Add to: del.icio.us | Digg IT | Furl | Google | magnolia | StumbleIT | Wink | Yahoo! TechnoratiRecruiting for Top IT Talent Should Begin and End In IT
Let’s assume that there is now or soon will be a shortage of labour in the technology sector. Each day we hear from employers indicating to us they are finding it more difficult to source and hire technology candidates. In addition, surveys and studies conducted by IT World Canada, Robert Half Technology and the team of ITAC, Deloitte Touche and the Conference Board of Canada indicate agreement with this opinion.
If it is indeed a jobseekers’ market then the top candidates can pick and choose where they will work. If you would like them to work for your company, then you need your hiring manager or even your CIO/CEO to immediately be engaged in the recruiting process. In fact, in a talent war environment, hiring managers and senior executives need to be the first point of contact for the jobseeker.
When I was a Vice President of Sales, I scheduled and conducted interviews with jobseekers directly. I let my CEO know when I was conducting such interviews and asked her to book time out on her calendar to meet with candidates immediately following if I felt it necessary.
Therefore, if you are an “A” player in your organization, you no doubt know first hand the attributes most attractive to those top players seeking to work with you. Who could possibly share the insight, excitement and passion you have for your company better than you? How insulted would you be if your introduction to a prospective employer began with a request to fill out a lengthy questionnaire? How enthusiastic would you be if after that initial contact it took days or even weeks to hear back?
Are you making it easy for top talent to connect with you? Are you responding to them in a way they deserve and expect? If not, you are going to loose out on the top prospects which will put you consistently in the back seat interviewing less qualified talent..
Nothing can be more important to your business than securing the best talent. To recruit the best you have to prove you are the best. As a result, you can not afford not to personally recruit. Such a hands on approach will also help with your retention of these top players. Therefore make it your top priority!
Related PostsWill You Be Part of The Hot January Labour Market? (0) The one skill that employers will always say 'Yes' to (2) Add to: del.icio.us | Digg IT | Furl | Google | magnolia | StumbleIT | Wink | Yahoo! TechnoratiDo You Think That Companies Are Doing Enough To Hire Canadian Technology Professionals?
I had the opportunity to read an article announcing the ‘Canadian Coalition for IT Succession’ from www.itworldcanada.com http://www.itworldcanada.com/V.aspx?i=4b24f1fd263c401da593 . Although I ‘generally’ agree with the suggestions made regarding the tackling of the ‘IT skill shortage’ in Canada, I might suggest a better effort is needed, immediately, by companies in dealing with under-utilized and unemployed IT professionals currently existing in the Canadian industry.
Firstly, let me explain my bias. I am CEO with CareerDoor Inc. - a company that has established a strong reputation in technology and technology sales recruiting across the country. We are not an agency. (www.careerdoor.com) My professional interest is in bringing companies on board as paying clients. On the other hand, our role is to “create a forum” for our clients, the likes of Cisco Systems, Smart Technologies, IBM, Research in Motion, ING Direct, Shaw etc, to meet face-to-face and online at scheduled events with technology job-seekers in order to ascertain whether the candidate fits into the workplace culture of their company, to allow the job-seeker an opportunity to size up the company, to make suggestions to the candidate on what to do to upgrade their skills to improve their chances of employment with their firm and to offer them employment if the talent warrants it.
Having been a part of many of these events over the last year in particular, it is my opinion, a greater effort needs to be made today by the companies in this proposed coalition and others to support companies like ours attempting to set up an infrastructure of one-on-one forums across the country to facilitate interaction between employers and job-seekers; to deal with the tremendous variances in talent pools across the country, for example, maybe foster programs to assist IT professionals in re-location; to help counsel job-seekers to seek upgrading in areas they may be lacking (over 75% of the job-seekers attending our events are looking to upgrade their skills); to recognize that a significant number of IT professionals are under-employed and are seeking opportunities to move up (over 60% of the job-seekers attending our events are employed and almost 80% have 5 years experience or more); and the need for the larger companies to support the recruiting activities of the smaller companies in the industry in order to assure the availability of entry level assignments - a feeder system if you will - to help deliver the promise of a job future to IT professionals. (Read the CBC News article at this link… http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2008/01/21/ot-tech-080121.html?ref=rss)
If the coalition is interested in meeting the needs of the IT industry and its professionals in the future its first focus should be on leveraging the talent already available in Canada, give that talent an opportunity to get answers to their questions as an alternative to the all too familiar one-sided communication existing today - an invitation to apply to a website career section and try to avoid the mixed messages given out by companies in the industry. For example, the common refrains we hear from the larger technology employers in the industry at the grass roots level; are no budget for outside recruiting; most of our technology hiring is done from within; there’s no shortage of technology talent available; we have an exclusive resume database that supplies us all the talent we need - most of which seems to run contrary to prevailing opinions.
Further, although a ‘technology targeted’ immigration plan may be part of the answer, it may not be the long term answer. As the skills of immigrants improve, the tendency might be for them to return to their country of origin after attaining North American experience to realize a standard of living in their technologically booming homeland far exceeding their expectations in Canada.
If you agree that companies are not doing enough to engage local talent, let everyone know! Reply to these posts and support local hiring events.
Related PostsNone Add to: del.icio.us | Digg IT | Furl | Google | magnolia | StumbleIT | Wink | Yahoo! TechnoratiShould You Learn Virtualization?
By Jason W. Eckert
Its no secret that virtualization is a hot technology today. Plenty of companies are implementing it, and VMWorld 2007 drew a crowd of over 10,000 people!
A few days ago I invited Scott Elliott, an expert on VMWare virtualization, to give a talk in my Network Security class about the benefits of virtualization.
Scott spent a good deal of time outlining how virtualization technology works, the benefits of using virtualization, as well as how virtualization impacted his IT infrastructure at Christie Digital (www.christiedigital.com).
In many network environments, servers are often used at 5-15% of their maximum load capacity. By using virtualization, a single “virtualized” server can be used to run several different operating systems at the same time, each with a different role (DNS, AD, SQL, Exchange, etc.). Virtualized servers typically run about 70-80% of their maximum load capacity, and hence make better use of the same hardware, save electricity and reduce costs.
In addition, each virtual operating system (i.e. Windows, Linux) that is run on a virtualized server is stored in a single file on the hard drive (called a virtualization file). To back up an entire operating system, you simply need to back up the virtualization file. Similarly, you can add additional virtual operating systems by copying virtualization files and customizing the settings afterwards. These result in safer data and less administration. It takes about 20 minutes to copy an existing virtual operating system compared to the 8 hours typically used to install an operating system on its own server hardware.
Another important benefit to virtualization is seen when implementing several virtualized servers that store their virtualization files on an external shared storage device such as an iSCSI or Fibrechannel Array. If a virtual server fails, its virtualization files can be immediately activated on one of the other virtualized servers such that these virtualized operating systems remain available. Similarly, if one particular virtual operating system needs more resources (i.e. SQL reports at month-end), then other virtual operating systems can easily be temporarily offloaded to other virtual servers. This allows the particular operating system more access to the virtual server hardware and far better performance as a result.
Perhaps the most important benefit to virtualization, however, lies in it lower costs. Instead of implementing 11 servers and operating systems, Scott chose a virtualized solution for the same price that could support 50 virtualized operating systems. Not only does this virtualized solution use less electricity, require less administration, and have more fault tolerance, it is also a fraction of the cost.
According to the IT research firm Gartner Inc., companies that do not use virtualization will likely spend 25% more for their computing infrastructure. If this is true, it may only be a matter of time before all organizations employ virtualization technologies.
For those of us who have yet to embrace virtualization, perhaps its time for us to add virtualization to our IT skill set.
Related PostsNone Add to: del.icio.us | Digg IT | Furl | Google | magnolia | StumbleIT | Wink | Yahoo! TechnoratiAre you stagnating in your current job?
By Jason W. Eckert
Do you feel good about your job?
Are you being compensated adequately for the work that you perform?
Have you taken a vacation recently?
Do you have a (rough) goal of where you want to be in 5 years?
Are your skills being upgraded from the work that you perform?
Have you taken opportunities to expand your skill set recently?
Is your work-related stress level low?
Are you in good health?
Are you motivated?If you answered “no” to some of the questions above, you may be stagnating in your current job.
There are times when we love our job, and there are times when we don’t. If it occurs occasionally, it’s normal – you can’t love your job every day. However, if it occurs frequently or affects your personal life, it may be an indicator that something is wrong with your current career position or your long-term career path.
Several years ago, an educational psychologist enlightened me to the close relationship between work and personal life. In North American society, we are socialized from an early age to accept the notion: “You are what you do.” In other words, a doctor is considered more “important” than a janitor in social circles.
Taking this notion a step further, many North Americans also equate work success with personal success and put great social value on their career and career choices as a result. The negative side of this is easy to see – a bad day at work often means a bad day at home afterwards, and bad work stress (as opposed to good, or motivating work stress) often leads to personal stress.
Bad work stress is often an indication that your career isn’t progressing the way you had planned.
According to the Government of Canada’s Canadian Health Network website, bad work stress can be caused by a number of things:
- Lack of career advancement (or possibility of career advancement)
- Inadequate compensation for the work that you perform
- Personality conflicts with others
- Not enough time to get work done
- Lack of vacation or time off
- Unrealistic work expectations
Ignoring or enduring bad work stress for a long time will undoubtedly affect your career and possibly your personal life. However, making the right changes to your current career to reduce bad work stress may not be so easy.
Here are some guidelines that I have found helpful in the past when dealing with bad work stress to prevent career stagnation:
1. Evaluate your job.
Take a few moments to reflect on your job itself in order to identify whether it is worth your time to continue doing. Does your job fit into your long-term career plan? Does your job (and organization) allow you to grow your career in a healthy fashion? Can you see your current job in a less stressful state 3 months from now? If you don’t feel comfortable with the answers to these questions, then perhaps the best use of your time right now is to start searching for another job opportunity.2. Talk with your supervisor.
Often, people don’t let their supervisor know that they need to change their current job to better fit their career needs. Make an appointment with your supervisor to discuss opportunities for growth/education, as well as motivation, compensation, time, and procedural changes.3. Take a vacation to rejuvenate yourself.
Be sure to take a vacation where you have ample time to relax. Some vacations such as boat cruises pack your time with tours and activities that will leave you feeling drained. Never take work with you on vacation!4. Get organized.
A typical job position involves more tasks over time. Sometimes these new tasks can outgrow your current strategies for organizing time. In that case, it may be time to explore new ways of managing your time. Using a PDA, Outlook or Google Calendar to organize your events may allow you to better organize your tasks and reduce your job stress.5. Sit a course.
Attending a class is one of the best career motivators. It allows you to broaden your horizons, learn new technologies, and interact with other classmates in your field. Each time I have attended a course in the past, I left energized about my career path!6. Participate in a new outside activity.
In high-stress jobs, I find it best to embrace the phrase: work hard play hard. Make some time several times a week to engage in an activity that has nothing to do with your job. This could involve joining a fitness club, attending your local Linux Users Group meetings, playing a particular sport (such as Wii Tennis), learning a musical instrument (avoid bagpipes), or playing online video games such as Quake (stay away from online MMOs such as “World of Warcraft” as you may lose track of time and not show up for work the next day).7. Eat right.
The food we eat can affect our health as well as increase or reduce the amount of physical stress that we have. Adhering to a healthy diet will not only make you feel better, it will likely help with your bad job stress. So, next time you go to McDonalds and order that double Big Mac meal with large fries, make sure you order it with a Diet Coke!8. Buy a motivator.
For most IT people, there is nothing more satisfying than buying the latest PDA or laptop to help you with your work. It may sound silly, but it works – try it! Just visit a few gadget sites such as Engadget or Gizmodo to find a cool one (i.e. the Nokia N810).
Related PostsNone Add to: del.icio.us | Digg IT | Furl | Google | magnolia | StumbleIT | Wink | Yahoo! TechnoratiWill You Be Part of The Hot January Labour Market?
During the holiday season many people take time to reflect on their lives and makes changes or New Years Resolutions. While weight loss and quitting smoking have often been top of the list, the trend is now that more and more people are deciding to make choices that impact their work life balance. This has resulted in many new job seekers hitting the market in January.
Will you be one of the job seekers? What can your employer do now to stop your resume from hitting the streets in January?
As an employer what are you doing to ensure your talent does not walk out the door in January? Have you built a plan to capitalize on the Hot Market in January where you will see the largest number of actively employed professionals test the job market?
As an employer a little goes a long way in helping to retain employees. While a large year end bonus, I am sure, is on everyone’s holiday list some small things to consider are:
Ten Small Holiday Ideas that Will Improve Morale and Retention:
1) Mail Holiday cards to employees homes, addressed to the family, letting them know how much you appreciate the individual working for you
2) Give your employees an extra hour at lunch, at least once, to do last minute shopping
3) Do your reviews with them; let them know how they are doing
4) Ask them for a Holiday Wish list of things that you could do to help them succeed in their jobs
5) Take your staff to lunch to show your appreciation
6) Buy a small but personal gift (can be under $20) that you shows you know them on a personal level (music, itunes card, fancy coffee, Tim Horton gift certificate, flower, etc)
7) Give them all money or gift card value $20-$100 and tell them to buy themselves something and have each employee bring it back to office for people to see what they bought and why
Do a company Chris Cringle gift exchange and pot luck lunch
9) Take donations of food, money, toys or clothing and support a disadvantaged family
10) Let them leave early the last day of work before the holidays to beat the rushIt does not take a large financial or time commitment to gain valuable ground with employee loyalty. Employees want to know that you care about them both professionally as well as personally. Spend some time with them, let them know how valued they are and allow them some time for themselves. This will go a long way in keeping them loyal.
As far as what you as an Employer can do to capitalize on the Hot Labour Market; don’t put off your recruitment efforts, double them up for January. What ever works for you ensure that you are maximizing your market exposure and direct recruitment initiatives during this period. Most January job seekers will test the waters and many will stop entertaining new career opportunities as early as the end of the month. Job Postings usually increase in January by 50% so job boards are certainly an option. Our company implemented eCareerFairs to help jobseekers and employers connect directly from the convenience of their desktops. Most other major recruitment vehicles should also have special opportunities to take advantage of this short but HOT market, don’t miss out on this window of opportunity make sure you are taking advantage of the influx of top talent into the market.
Related PostsRecruiting for Top IT Talent Should Begin and End In IT (0) The one skill that employers will always say 'Yes' to (2)
