At 52 years of age, my post as systems manager is being
made redundant. I am being offered the opportunity to apply for a
post as "business improvement officer" (basically a business
analyst post assisting the manager). Should I go for this post,
which in effect both demotes me and takes me away from my chosen
hands-on IT career, or take redundancy and run the risk of still
being out of work when my redundancy money runs out?
Take post, train, and move up the ladder
Ultimately you must do what makes you happy, but the business
improvement role will certainly give you more strings to your bow
and offer the opportunity to understand IT from a business
perspective.
Businesses increasingly view IT as an opportunity to gain
competitive advantage, so understanding how IT can contribute to
profitability
and having the opportunity to research the market could be an
exciting prospect.
This would add significant weight to any future applications for
management roles. Using this post as a springboard, you could
probably justify some training through your employer, such as an
accredited ITIL service management-related course, which could set
you on a path of progression in a new area.
Armed with both the technical expertise and business acumen
within IT, you will be ideally placed to secure an even higher
position with another company when the time is right.
Although the jobs market has picked up, taking redundancy and
hoping to get a post before the money runs out is a big risk that
you are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to avoid.
Stay safe, learn and apply new skills, and improve your chances
of getting a more senior position in one to two years’ time.
Solution by Robert Nunn, senior account manager, Plan-Net
Services
The panel: Plan-Net Services, Spring Group,
E-Skills UK, BCS, Computer Futures, Hudson, Elan, Reed Technology,
Zarak Technology.
E-mail your career questions to
computerweekly@rbi.co.uk