Keep Current
I’ve been doing some research for a panel I’m moderating in a few weeks at an IT gathering. The subject is — you guessed it — the talent shortage.
Some of the IT statistics I’ve found are a bit scary (if you’re an IT manager) and could be considered encouraging if you’re looking for IT work or if you’re a student.
So if you’re a potential employee I have some advice:
- Keep your skills current — take personal responsibility for learning new things.
- Specialize, if possible. The higher-end network analysts, architects and systems analysts are what many employers are seeking.
- Study business and management — I’m finding that most employers want a well-rounded IT professional who understands the business, can communicate well with internal customers and has management potential.
Does anyone have more to add to this advice?
February 26th, 2008 at 8:23 am
I found your site on google blog search and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. Just added your RSS feed to my feed reader. Look forward to reading more from you.
- Sue.
February 26th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Above all, keep your management skills current and understand how people drive IT.
Individual contributors are certainly expected to keep current with their technical certifications, but the big jump in salary & responsibilities comes when managers understand how talent is used to address enterprise-wide IT issues.