ITWorks

This is a guest blog from Val Atsu a director at Joseph Media.  

With unemployment rising, uncertainty and increasing university fees; we find a generation now caught up in a "financial time warp" as they still find it increasingly difficult to access credit from lenders. The concept of charity has led to the creation of an innovative business model called crowdfunding now popular amongst young entrepreneurs.

What is crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding is a phrase coined by Michael Sullivan in 2006 the founder of FundaVlog. Other terms used are crowdsourcing, crowd sourced capital, crowd financing including crowdfunding. It is essentially financial contributions from online investors, sponsors or donors to fund both profit or non-profit initiatives and enterprises.

It is an alternative to loans or grants where small donations are collected for an idea, business or project which became very popular in 2009 with the launch of Kickstarter.com

How it works?

This business model is a proven method of encouraging a large number of people to donate small amounts potentially raising a lot of money. This removes the need to borrow from lenders such as banks or investment angels.

How it has grown over the past few years?

Dr Mohammad Yunus has been credited with pioneering a crowdfunding program that enriched over 30,000 people from Bangladesh since 1976. Within the last decade artistShare has cropped up as the first documented crowdfunding site for music and funding for new artists.

 In 2005 Kiva were able to raise loans for entrepreneurs in poor areas around the globe, done through small donations. Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform geared towards creative projects which took off in 2009, which is very popular in the US. In the UK JustGiving is one of the most popular crowdfunding websites dating back to 2000. The recent launch of HelpMyCause apart from fundraising, there is also support services which provide sustainability strategies to grow from business concept to fruition.

Today crowdfunding has birthed a number of reality shows such as Dragon Dens, Shark Tank and the upcoming series called Crowd Rules. The popular Dragons Den, where entrepreneurs pitch ideas in favour of investment, has generated millions of Pounds over the last 6 years. In New York starts a new reality TV series called 'Crowd Rules' where small businesses compete for a grand prize of £32,000 ($50,000).  

Has appeal money made a difference?

Crowdfunding has raised money for various global disasters around the world such as the most recent Boston marathon victims and Haiti earthquake disaster in 2010.

Money raised so far for the Boston marathon victims exceeds £1.2 ($2) million, whereas the Haiti victims received over £107m ($168m) from the British public alone. The Haiti appeal has helped over 1.8 million survivors.

How social media has impacted crowdfunding

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and many others are very popular with most age demographics including business and the political arena. Nowadays we see a lot of integration with most business whether large or small. President Obama's crowdfunding campaign contributions for both elections were very successful due to the impact of social media.

The future of crowdfunding

It's a 'no brainer' If you are looking to raise money these days be it for an artistic venture, to start a business or launch a new product, chances are that you will consider crowdfunding. This method of finance funding has gone from obscurity to one of the most popular approaches to find funding. This trend will continue to rise amongst the younger generation with ideas especially in the mobile Apps and gaming industries.

Reputable sources state crowdfunding raised £1.7B ($2.7B) worldwide last year. Forecast this year should more than double this year at a staggering £3.5B ($5.4B).

IT graduates fail to land top jobs due to a lack of creativity, employment firm Connections Recruitment has suggested.

According to the recruitment specialist the UK currently produces 30,520 computer science graduates each year, but almost a quarter of these settle for non-graduate or unskilled roles after university.

Jonathan Dobkin, director at  Connections Recruitment, said: "With IT companies receiving an average of 73 applications for each graduate vacancy, it's clear college leavers need to make more use of the skills they should excel at such as creative problem solving and technology in order to stand out from the crowd.

"Too many young IT graduates have poor, drab CVs in traditional formats."

Dobkin explained the recruitment firm is seeing top candidates going that step further to create and share their videos online and to showcase the products they have worked on. He added:

"Many populate their Linked-In profile with videos and also share them on other social media platforms such as YouTube and Vine. Graduates need to take more of a risk and really put themselves out there to stand out and get noticed - especially now when the university 'milk rounds' are kicking off in earnest."

Dobkin offers IT graduates the following ten top tips:

1)      Upload a professional LinkedIn profile and include all your experience, education and awards. Add video content and secure endorsements and recommendations.

2)      Cleanse your Facebook and Twitter accounts to ensure they are free from any incriminating photos or postings.

3)      Volunteer to gain experience. This will give you practical experience of team working and problem solving - all the skills employers are after.  This also demonstrates a genuine appetite for work and hunger for success.

4)      Network - find IT societies, clubs and groups. Attend and talk to professionals, ask them questions, show an interest but don't be too pushy.

5)      Talk to IT recruiters to find out what they consider to be an above-average CV.

6)      Write a cover letter of no more than two sides of A4 but keep it pacey.

7)      Think about making a film using the Vine App of recent engineering projects you've undertaken in your spare time or at university. This will help you stand out from the crowd and demonstrate a genuine passion for your chosen career.

8)      Consider posting some of your designs to potential employers or contact them and ask them to set you a challenge to solve.

9)      Use IT keywords throughout your CV so if an employer scan reads it these words will jump off the page.

10)  Invest in a smart suit/dress and pair of shoes. If you don't look the part - you're already on the back foot.

This week it is National Apprenticeship Week (11-15 March). Across the country students and apprentices will be sharing their stories on how placements have helped them and why.

#247Apprentice is showcasing a week in the life of apprentices on twitter all this week. 10 young apprentices are posting / blogging and uploading images of their working week to really demonstrate a 'week in the life of apprentices. You can find them at #247Apprentice and #NAW2013.

In addition, the National Apprenticeship Service has launched a new app designed to make it easier to search for apprentice vacancies. Free to download from iTunes and Google Play, the AV Search app is targeted to 16-24 year olds and potential apprentices aged 25 and over.

The app is an extension of the Apprenticeship Vacancies database, which allows users to search and apply for positions online.

If you are doing something to mark National Apprenticeship Week, I'd love to hear about it.

Recently I have been having more and more conversations on the idea of encouraging ex-military personnel into the IT sector.

Those who have been in the forces have an array of skills that can be transferred into civilian career opportunities - it's ensuring that someone is there to bridge that gap and to help with the transition part.

Speaking with IT service provider FDM Group this morning, I realised the amount of work that some companies are proud to put in to ensure that these skills are translated into the civilian workplace.

FDM runs a Veteran's Programme, in the US, which focuses on transitioning veterans into professional IT consultants.

The company offers 17 weeks training at its New York based academy, and two years employment with FDM once fully qualified.

Monica Hogan, US marketing assistant for FDM, told me how translating the skills and systems that ex-military candidates are experienced in can sometimes be a challenge when writing a civilian CV.  Not all HR departments may understand this. She pointed out that post 911 veterans would have enlisted at the age of 18/19 and some may be choosing to leave in their early 20s - those without degrees may find themselves slipping through the gaps, when applying for civilian job roles, however being a veteran is a big selling point.

FDM's programme has been a success in the US, recruiting 20 veterans so far, with 10 more in line for this year. As a result the company has been announced as a finalist by CivilianJobs.com for the Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for Military 2013 awards. Congratulations to FDM being shortlisted.

Furthermore, today BT Openreach announced that it is reserving 200 positions for armed forces personnel. Working with the Ministry of Defence and the Careers Transition Partnership the company is on the hunt for those about to leave the forces. BT Openreach has recruited over 1,000 staff from the armed forces in the past two years.

If your business has a similar programme in place, I would love to hear about it.

To all businesses making the path clearer for ex-servicemen and women to transfer their skills into civilian IT roles, Computer Weekly salutes you.

This is a guest blog from Colin Bannister, vice president and chief technology officer at CA Technologies UK&I, who urges young people to seize the exciting opportunities the IT industry can offer

For graduates and school leavers looking to embark on their careers, the road ahead can seem very daunting.  With damning reports of youth unemployment dominating headlines, the prospect of securing your first job, let alone pursuing your dream career - if you're fortunate to even know what that is right now - can seem impossible at times. 

At the heart of this issue is the well documented skills shortage; something which is particularly prevalent in the technology industry.  With Computing A-Level student numbers continuing to plummet, and a recent report revealing that some 16 million people in the UK lack basic online skills, the situation seems bleak.

So, what does this situation mean for today's students? I believe there is a real opportunity for young people to use the skill shortage to their advantage. Although the media paints a negative picture about the effect the skills gap is having on the technology industry, the unreported angle is the opportunities it presents individual students.

Businesses are desperately crying out for new technology and services, which in turn increases demand for skilled workers in everything from app development to website design. This offers a lucrative opportunity for young people who are willing to learn the necessary skills to set themselves apart in this fast-growing and ever-evolving sector, ultimately making themselves more employable. 

A recent study by Hotel.com revealed that 1 in 4 adults wish they had chosen a career in technology but a lack of skills is holding them back.  If this is the case, now is the time for school leavers and graduates to hone the expertise they need to succeed in this sector.  The British technology sector is vital to the UK economy, contributing £140 billion annually (the equivalent to 12% GDP) and it is one of the most innovative and exciting spaces to work in.

I would urge students to seek out opportunities in the industry and where they can gain hands-on, practical experience - in new and ever-growing specialisms. Why not research opportunities to gain work experience with entrepreneurial tech start-ups, learning from those driving innovation in the technology industry?  There are also great vocational qualifications which offer a 'sandwich' year, enabling you to gain a real insight into the working world.  And even if you don't choose a strictly technical course, there are still opportunities to gain work experience alongside your studies which can really give you an edge when it comes to meeting a potential employer.

 

I am pleased to see that there are an increasing number of technology initiatives and campaigns out there for ambitious young school leavers and graduates.  Take the project, led by Martha Lane Fox and Go UK which aims to get some 16 million people across the UK basic online skills so they can use the internet to its full potential. It sounds minimal but the amount you think you know about particular technologies - and their impact on our future - is often just the tip of the iceberg!

 

The organisation eSkills is working relentlessly to make sure Britain is getting the technology skills it needs to succeed, as well as encouraging more women to pursue careers in IT. In fact, ITMB now has 33% female students - which is a huge step forward.  It's Information Technology Management for Business degree offers students practical and vocational training rather than just a purely academic qualification which can often leave graduates poorly prepared for the workplace.  There are even opportunities to teach yourself relevant skills in your spare time. BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, has launched a free mobile app development course on iTunes U last summer with a dedicated area offering free educational content from leading educational institutions.

 

These kinds of initiatives can go a long way in kick-starting the careers of young people and the more businesses and organisations that can get involved by offering apprenticeships, shadowing schemes or training opportunities, the better!

 

Rather than something to be fearful of, the skills shortage could actually be an opportunity for up and coming, ambitious students to carve themselves a career in the sector. By 'thinking outside the box' and learning skills applicable to up and coming disciplines, a whole new world of opportunities can be opened up. The IT industry is an ever evolving and exciting space to work in, and there is so much potential for the young and digital generation to excel. Now is the time to make it happen. 

This is a guest blog from Steve Totman, data integration business unit executive of Syncsort

Big data is considered by many to be an integral part of an organisation's IT strategy. But as the technology and strategy grow at a rapid pace, it widens a gap in necessary skills that are needed to unlock the business value of big data.

One of our customers is already seeing this. For comScore, a global Internet information provider, to which leading companies turn to for consumer behaviour insight, data is its commodity. The company has a global cross-section of more than two million members who have granted it permission to confidentially capture their browsing and transaction behaviours. As comScore's customer base grows, so too does the sheer amount of information it is tasked with analysing. This puts pressure on the company's own strategy as well as the need to ensure that their staff are equipped with the right technical skills to handle big data efficiently.

With big data also comes a discussion about new technology and solutions to support it. Technical skills in Hadoop, MapReduce and proprietary commercial big data frameworks are increasingly becoming scarce and as such, those with experience in these practices are commanding higher salaries - even if their experience is limited. This is bucking the traditional trend of IT employment that involves years of hard work, training and experience and so highlights the employment issues facing the IT industry.

So how can this skills gap be addressed?

Big data, in the very essence of the subject requires two things, the IT infrastructure to store the data and a skilled team of analytical minds to enable businesses to understand the vast amount of information. Web logs, machine-generated data such as sensor systems, social media and transaction data is amongst this raft of information that needs to be stored correctly and then analysed by trained and able individuals. 

Similarly there are two avenues to consider for companies looking to up-skill within their big data projects. Firstly, organisations should start by looking right under their noses.  

The Extract, Transform and Load (ETL) team, otherwise known as data warehousing specialists, already understand the context in which data is used within their business; they know how it is being moved and transformed as well as recognising its value when turned into useful information. For this reason, this team is often best suited to begin the implementation of Hadoop-based big data solutions. Companies should look to bring in additional skills to their ETL teams to create collaborative Data Scientist teams.

But technical proficiency isn't always enough. Organisations need skills that transcend pure data analysis and need to hire individuals that are able to ask the right questions of the data to come up with analytical insights that really add business value. As such, the scientific community could offer the IT industry the necessary bridge for the big data skills gap. Companies should look within the science departments of universities and research houses, as scientists already deal with vast amounts of data and, importantly, are coming up with the right questions to query the information.

Secondly, organisations should follow the lead of those companies that are responding to the skills gap by offering outsourced big data services from third party providers in much the same way that Red Hat did with Linux. Offering Hadoop platforms where organisations can leverage the benefits of big data without having to invest in the necessary in-house resources.

But as the value of data increases and as more sensitive data is produced, do businesses really want to entrust it to a third party? Data is fast becoming the most valuable asset of a business and with questions over security and intellectual property continuing to be asked; Big data will fast become a function that companies will want to keep in-house.

The false economy of outsourcing big data specialists is there for businesses to comprehend. Rather than outsourcing to enjoy short term cost efficiencies, businesses should ideally bring in their own big data clusters and employ people with the necessary skills. For Hadoop to really deliver to its full advantage, it is important that the right data scientists are employed and allowed to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in.  

It's equally important to give the IT team the tools to simply and efficiently move data into Hadoop, (e.g. mainframe sources which can be particularly tricky), cope with the steady stream of complex data from disparate data sources including relational, non-relational, cloud-based and SaaS, and emergent, less structured data types - speeding the time and reducing the resources required to collect and query against it.

For every additional month that businesses can experiment with Hadoop and the data at their disposal, the more competent they will become at monetising big data and the more competitive advantage they will achieve.

This is a guest blog from Colin Bannister, vice president and chief technology officer at CA Technologies UKI.

IT skills is a hot topic and one which personally, I am passionate about. Whilst the education process and associated debate is focussed very much on the younger generation, developing the skills required to meet the needs of businesses of the future, we must also not forget about the importance of continuing to educate those already in business, including the c-suite.

One of the newest and most pressing issues facing the boardrooms of today is digital literacy or lack thereof. Focussed on the need for members of the board to know and understand how IT can - and is - impacting businesses, digital literacy is not something that should be ignored. The recently published 'Future Role of the CIO' report  highlights the detrimental impact of failing to include technology on the boardroom agenda, and the CIO's role in communicating the importance of IT to business efficiency and overall success.

The role of the CIO is an ongoing debate, not only with regards to how they fit within the business model but also in how significant their input is to boardroom discussions and ultimately, business decisions.  As CIOs are recognising there is an issue, they are in a strong position to raise the level of digital literacy amongst senior managers. Perhaps more importantly, CIOs are the driver for digital strategic thinking within the organisation.

With many senior leadership team members being digitally illiterate - according to over 80% of CIOs - something needs to be done to drive relevant skills in the boardroom. I see many businesses failing to understand the problems associated when digital literacy is ignored; missed opportunities, poor competitiveness, slower time to market and IT investments that are underachieving. Quite a significant list of attributes for any business seeking to innovate and ultimately grow in a triple dip recession!

One of the major problems is that many business leaders see IT as a cost of doing business, rather than viewing it as a means through which to grow the organisation, make processes more efficient and introduce greater agility and competitiveness - a mind-set that needs to be changed and a call to action for CIOs. Businesses cannot afford to neglect technology and business leaders need to learn to embrace the true value it can bring.

Richard Turkel is technology blogger who writes about business technology solutions. Learn about the latest in the IT industry on the BMC staff blog.

University can be frustrating, and not just from an "I work all the time" standpoint. The immense change that will come to the technology field during the three or four years you're in university can seem daunting. It's nobody's fault; in fact, we asked for it. We worked hard to bring technology and the technology field to the point it's at, and to make sure it continually improves.

But that doesn't change the fact that it adds an extra layer of complexity to your education. While university can teach you the basics of the field, you're left on your own to stay up-to-date with current improvements. So how do you do this without going crazy?

The most important thing you can do is to make sure you have the right mindset going in. Understand that university doesn't teach you everything you need to know about the IT field; it just gives you a foundation from which to work. Think of university as a springboard. Now, beyond that, what kind of concrete strategies can you implement?

Find an area of focus

What is the thing that you care most about? Maybe it's networking or database management. Tie everything you learn back to this area of focus. One day, when you work with a company, you'll have to find ways that your focus area intersects with other areas both inside and outside the IT industry. Practicing that now will prepare you for the future.

For example, if your area of focus is database management but you're learning about cloud computing in class: How is cloud computing affecting and changing the database management arena? Do some of your own research to find out how these relate and interact in the marketplace.

Locate practical uses in the marketplace

I touched on this a little bit in the last paragraph, but I suggest you look into the marketplace for most things you learn about and not just your focus area. For example, let's say you're studying service catalogs. Find a company or two that does the service catalog well. Two examples are BMC's IT service catalog and PMG's guide on business vs. technical service catalogs article.

Notice that each of these resources talk about real-world uses for the catalog. Additionally, there's a real company and real people behind the resource, so if you have questions you can probably email or call somebody to learn more.

Read and follow thought leaders

It's never too early to start listening to conversations in the marketplace. This doesn't mean you need to spend hours each week reading numerous blogs. Instead, find a couple writers who you enjoy the most and read everything they write. I personally like to read Jerry Bishop over at the Higher Ed CIO. Bryan Glick's Editor's blog here on Computer Weekly is also a great read. Use these as starting places and find out who you enjoy reading.

Final thoughts

University is a great time in your life. You get to learn a lot and be shaped in the process. But don't let your education end with university. Take time to implement these strategies so that when you enter the working world you're not behind, but instead ahead, of the curve.

This is a guest blog post from Jeremy I'Anson, professional career coach and the author of You're Hired! Total Job Search 2013

In addition to the questions that are typically asked at either traditional or competency interviews, you can also expect interviewers to focus on any areas of concern that they may have about your background, for example if you have changed jobs frequently or if there are any gaps in your career.

Here are some examples of these sorts of difficult questions with suggested responses.

'You've changed jobs quite frequently. How do we know that you are going to stay in this job?'

Well, this is a promising question. If the interviewer wants to be sure that you want to stay in the job then presumably they are thinking of actually offering you the job. But beware! Why have you been changing jobs so frequently? You need to reassure the interviewer with your answer.

'Yes, I have changed jobs several times but that has been a deliberate strategy. I wanted to gain experience in a number of different areas. I've come to the end of that process now and I can bring that experience to your company. I've also recently married and I want to settle down in a stable job. I've done a great deal of research on this company and I know that you can offer me job security and a long-term future.'

'Why should we offer you the job?'

Think back to the job description and then take each item one at a time. Work through the job specification pointing out that you have the required qualifications and experience. Where appropriate provide examples of some of your achievements that match the role. For example:

'You asked for candidates with good experience of Project Management.  In my current job I've managed a number of very successful projects. In each of these projects I've consistently delivered on schedule and within budget.  I've been nominated for an award from the CIO twice in the last 6 months.'

'What are your weaknesses?'

A very difficult question to answer. Everybody has weaknesses and I can recall one candidate who answered this question by saying that he 'didn't have any weaknesses' being turned down for a senior job! Much better to own up to some weaknesses but make sure they are 'good' ones!

For example:

'I have a sharp eye for detail and a tendency to try and do too much myself. I've recently completed a two-day course on delegation and this has really helped me to let go of some of my responsibilities and trust colleagues and members of my team to take on more of the workload.'

 Notice how in this answer the candidate has admitted to a weakness but has recognised it and has already taken steps to remedy the problem by attending a course in delegation. Always try to use this model to answer this type of question. Admit to a weakness but make it clear that you are taking steps to rectify the problem.

'You've been unemployed for quite a long time. What have you been doing?'

Try to give a detailed reply to this question. Remember that the average time to find a new job is 3-6 months. There are plenty of people in the same position and everybody knows that the job market is tough. You might also want to point out any personal projects that you have undertaken during your period of unemployment.

If you were made redundant then you may have received a tax-free payment that enabled you to take some time off to travel or spend time with your family. If you have done any voluntary work then mention this and also mention any personal projects where you were able use your professional skills, for example acting as project manager for a property renovation or organising a charity event. Also mention any training that you have undertaken that will be relevant to the job.

Jeremy I'Anson is a professional careers coach and the author of You're Hired! Total Job Search 2013 published by Trotman Education. For further details visit www.totaljobsearchonline.com

Do you have a careers question for Jeremy I'Anson ?

Email: jeremy.ianson@xlsys.co.uk

Jeremy I'Anson is a professional careers coach and the author of You're Hired! Total Job Search 2013 published by Trotman Education. For further details visit www.totaljobsearchonline.com

This is a guest blog post from Jeremy I'Anson, professional career coach and the author of You're Hired! Total Job Search 2013

It's almost inevitable that at some point in your career you are going to have to deal with gaps in your employment history and I'm often asked how you should deal with these gaps in your CV.

Although of course the individual circumstances can be very different I always recommend that you fully account for your career history on your CV. Unexplained gaps will immediately be apparent to recruiters and HR Managers and will inevitably lead to awkward questions at interview.

If you are planning to return to work perhaps after staying at home during an extended period of maternity or paternity leave, my advice is to make this clear on your CV. In the section covering your employment history simply state:

September 2005 - Present

• Took a planned career break to provide fulltime care for my 2 children
• Played an active role in managing my children's school as a Parent Governor
• Served as a committee member with a local charity.
• Raised over £2,000 by organising and taking part in a charity skydive.

In this example it is quite clear what you have been doing over the last 7 years. Furthermore the information that you have provided demonstrates to the employer that in addition to bringing up your children you have been maintaining your professional skills by getting involved in the management of your children's school, serving on a committee and organising a charity event.

Other job hunters sometimes take time off for a "personal project". I'm sure, given the opportunity, many people would like to take time off for a sabbatical or perhaps to renovate a property or some other personal project. Again I recommend that you mention this very clearly on your CV.

September 2010 - Present

• Planned career break
• Undertook a personal project to renovate a house
• Worked with an architect to draw up plans  and gain planning approval
• Acted as Project Manager coordinating / scheduling  the activities of multiple tradesmen
• Completed the renovation project on schedule and within budget

You could adapt this example to your own personal circumstances. An employer can see what you have been doing and that this "gap" in your employment history has been planned.

The fact that you have undertaken a challenging personal project and managed the activities of the builders to complete the project on schedule and within budget all suggest that you are a determined individual with excellent organisational and project management skills. Characteristics that may well be of interest to a potential employer.

What about dealing with redundancy on your CV? Well I strongly believe that the same advice should apply. Unfortunately redundancy is all too common these days so being clear about this on your CV is perfectly acceptable.

September 2012 - Present

• Career break following redundancy from Carter Technology.
• Undertook voluntary work with a local charity
• Updated professional skills and achieved technical certification in software testing

In this example it is again perfectly clear about the reason for the career break. There is also some further information about the activities during this period of unemployment; working with a local charity and upgrading professional skills. Both activities that should be of value to a potential employer.

Honesty is (of course!) the best policy when it comes to dealing with gaps in your CV. Never try to hide a gap by changing the date of your jobs, employers do take up references and any changed dates will quickly come to light.

The one exception to this rule is the opportunity to state the contractual end date of your employment. If you have been made redundant and you are on "gardening leave" working out your notice then it is quite legitimate to put the actual end date of your employment on your CV.

Do you have a careers question for Jeremy I'Anson ?

 Email: jeremy.ianson@xlsys.co.uk

 Jeremy I'Anson is a professional careers coach and the author of You're Hired! Total Job Search 2013 published by Trotman Education. For further details visit www.totaljobsearchonline.com

This is a guest blog from Nikki Bryant, a recent female graduate who has entered the world of IT working within Cognizant's Insurance Practice.

As a recent graduate from Leeds University, I felt fairly daunted by the thought of applying for jobs in the current market. Given the level of competition for every place, however, I decided to bite the bullet and started looking and applying for roles at the beginning of my final year - a strategy which seemed to pay off. I was lucky to secure a job within six months, but there were a number of challenges I had to overcome first.

Given that applications are now predominantly online, my main difficulty was managing the time needed to fully research a company, complete an application and subsequent online tests, while balancing university and extra-curricular activities.

Another challenge was during the application period when I was based in Leeds but had to travel to London for numerous interviews and assessment days. This was very time-intensive and difficult to manage, but I tried to coincide interviews with study leave and holidays to help ease the pressure.

At Easter this year, after around six months of gruelling job hunting travelling up and down the country, I was delighted to be offered a role from technology services company Cognizant within its Insurance Practice. Having studied Management and Spanish at University, entering the world of IT and technology wasn't necessarily a typical career path but, from what I understand, it is an industry that is in need of graduates and in particular females, who have typically avoided this sector - I would urge others to look into it!

Specifically, my role involves a preliminary training session in New Jersey, US, with recruits from all over the world, but then I will be generally based in London. During the probation period, I am being exposed to several areas of the business unit and I'm looking forward to learning more about Cognizant and the way it works.

It is a varied role within a very fast-growing global company with operations all over the world. It is renowned for being at the forefront of cutting-edge technologies and business models, so there are lots of opportunities to contribute to this business evolution, which really appeals.

Finding graduate jobs certainly isn't easy, but from my experience here are my top tips:

1. Define your strengths and weaknesses and decide where best they will be suited
2. Widen your search to sectors you might not have considered before
3. Persist at the task in hand, don't give up
4. Use your networks and learn from any feedback possible
5. Above all, remember you're not the only person in this situation - talk to others who have been there before or are going through the same process!

I think, in the end, my determination to succeed and to find a job that I felt would develop my potential are the reasons why I kept going. My work experience enabled me to focus on which direction I wanted to move in, and I am hoping that with Cognizant, as a large progressive organisation, I will be able to fulfil my potential within IT.

This is a guest blog post from Jeremy I'Anson, professional career coach and the author of You're Hired! Total Job Search 2013

'What colour is Wednesday?'

'How many bicycles were sold in the UK last year?'

'How do you weigh an elephant without a weighing machine?'

Yes, they're genuine interview questions! These rather bizarre types of questions are much favoured by university dons who are probably rather bored and decide to add a bit of spice into the interview process. But increasingly interviewers from outside the academic world are using these extreme interview questions just to see how you respond.

If you follow my job search advice then you will be very well prepared to answer most types of interview question. Of course, being well prepared is one of the key factors in interview success. But by using these types of questions interviewers are asking a question for which there can be no preparation.

You can have no idea what kind of strange question the interviewer might ask. And that's just the point; the interviewer would like to see how you think on your feet and how you respond to something that is completely unexpected. There is some logic to this - dealing with unexpected situations might actually be a key requirement of the job.

There's no right answer to these types of questions so my advice would be to relax and take the opportunity to have some fun and come up with the most amusing and memorable response you can. Spending a whole day interviewing candidates for a job can be tough and all of those 'perfect' candidate responses can sometimes become tedious.

Make the interviewer's day and give a response that sticks in their mind. The chances are the interviewer will remember you and your response ahead of all the other candidates and you will have had the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that you can think on your feet, rise to a challenge, be funny and creative and, most importantly, deal effectively with the unexpected.

Do you have a careers question for Jeremy I'Anson ?

Email: :jeremy.ianson@xlsys.co.uk

Jeremy I'Anson is a professional careers coach and the author of You're Hired! Total Job Search 2013 published by Trotman Education. For further details visit www.totaljobsearchonline.com

This is a guest blog post from Jeremy I'Anson, professional career coach and the author of You're Hired!

It might seem that job interviews are all about answering questions but in fact most interviews conclude with "Do you have any questions?"

Now questions about holidays, working hours and overtime have their place but they are certainly not the questions you should be asking at a first interview. Much better would be to think about some carefully crafted questions that will let the interviewer know that you have really done your homework and are fully committed to the job. In fact it's fair to say that many interviewers attach a great deal of importance to the type of questions that you ask at the interview.

So what sort of questions should you be asking?

Plan to ask some questions that demonstrate your knowledge of the organization and reinforce the impression that you are a highly motivated and committed candidate.

For example:

"I saw on your web site that you are planning to open an office in New York. What impact will that have on your existing IT infrastructure? "

"I noticed in the press that you have recently introduced a new workforce mobility initiative using Apple iPads. Do you have any plans to expand that initiative now that 4G is coming on line? "

Both these questions will impress your interviewer. You are demonstrating that you have taken the trouble to look at the web site in some detail and moreover you have actually gone to the trouble of obtaining AND researching the company in the press. That's impressive!

So before your next job interview think not only about the questions you may be asked but also about the questions you would like to ask.

Asking the right questions at job interviews can ensure that you stand out from the other candidates and improve your chances of being offered the job.

 

 

Do you have a careers question for Jeremy I'Anson ?

 

Email: :jeremy.ianson@xlsys.co.uk

 

Jeremy I'Anson is a professional career coach and the author of You're Hired! Total Job Search 2013. Visit www.totaljobsearchonline.com for further details.

This is a guest blog from Kevin Young, managing director of Skillsoft EMEA.

Employing and retaining strong and capable managers is becoming increasingly difficult as there just aren't enough candidates with the right skills or levels of experience. Figures released by the 2012 National Management Survey, carried out by the Chartered Management Institute, showed that 59 per cent of employers were struggling to recruit the right calibre of manager in 2011.

Here, Kevin Young, Managing Director of Skillsoft EMEA, outlines the seven deadly skills that every manager should strive to have and what organisations should be looking for in their future leaders.

1.   Be an effective communicator - lead by example

The success of a manager largely depends on their ability to communicate effectively with all those around them; organisations want managers that are able to both understand and be understood. Written communication needs to have clear direction, accurate facts and the appropriate language - nothing should be left to the guess work of the recipient. On top of this, oral communication is a must-have skill for any manager. The ability to speak with confidence, credibility and poise, and also with enthusiasm, will motivate others and boost productivity.

2.   Motivator, innovator

Organisations and managers alike shouldn't forget that leaders are the catalyst for achieving success. Leaders are not often born, they are made. Through training, experience and personal development good managers can be created and nurtured so they become invaluable business assets. They will seek out more challenging assignments, always meet deadlines and line staff will respect their direction. A team that is lead by a good motivator and an inspiring innovator will ultimately achieve.

3.   Be a strategic thinker

Strategic thinking is a term that affects managers at all levels and can impact on an entire organisation. For middle-managers this is difficult as they feel they are shouldering a lot of responsibility without really having any power. Although being caught between senior managers and line staff can be challenging, there is an opportunity to play an important role. The reality is that senior managers rely on the middle-manager to translate their priorities and directives so that goals can be achieved. Senior managers need to use strategic thinking to identify goals to drive a business forward and lead to future growth.

Needless to say, no matter at what level they sit, all managers rely on each other to convey important messages.

4.   Spotting and harnessing exceptional talent 

A good leader will cultivate the right team that will meet objectives and give your company that competitive edge. It is vital that talent spotting and development are treated as a top priority, especially in this economic climate. Managers also need to remember that talent may come from within your organisation, so shouldn't rush to look for external options as their next leaders could be right next to them.

5.   Discovering and nurturing your business acumen

Bridging the gap between management skills and business expertise can be a challenge for the most successful leader. By developing the business acumen of company managers, organisations will see new and compelling business strategies becoming defined, but the right skills must be in place. To possess business acumen, managers must understand their company's market place, its position within it and where improvements can be made. A thorough understanding of the business landscape will also help managers recognise and learn how external change can affect a company's success.

6.   A beautiful mind - solving problems and decision making

Decision making and problem solving are important skills in both life and business. One tends to incorporate the other, but techniques can be learnt to make the process quicker and ensure better results. Analysing a situation and identifying problems is a key business process, but as with being a leader, it does not come naturally to most of us. Decision making training can help leaders focus on each problem and deal with it in the appropriate manner. It will improve managers' skills and help them make more of an impact in their organisation.

7.   Adapting to an ever-changing business landscape

Business is an area where change is one of the only constants. Managers must learn to embrace these changes and seek out creative ways of dealing with the accelerating speed of modern business life. Whatever the change, good communication is crucial; listening to fears, questions or concerns from your line staff is key to helping them cope with any changes. Responding well to change will inspire your team and will show that you can adapt to any situation.

The importance of management training: helping your leaders grow

Good management skills do not always come easily but even if they do, training is vital. Skilled leaders can provide both immediate and long term benefit. By helping your managers to develop, your business will prosper, maximise its potential and enjoy a competitive environment. The right training will expose talents that may have previously been hidden and will offer managers the opportunity to be at the cutting edge of new business innovations.

This is a guest blog post from Jeremy I'Anson, professional career coach and the author of You're Hired!

This is a guest blog from Colin Bannister, vice president and chief technology officer at CA Technologies UK&I, who looks at why the industry must play an important role in shaping IT education.

I've long been committed to the issue of developing IT skills across Britain's schools and universities. In such a fast-paced, continuously evolving industry it's of the upmost importance that we are nurturing young talent and understanding of just how exciting and rewarding a career in the IT industry could be; both for young men and women.

Demonstrating this through the national curriculum has been a difficult task and one which has invited many industry professionals - both in education and IT - to provide their opinions on where improvements can (and should) be made.

However, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Department for Education, the British Computer Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering to shape the new IT programme of study back in September - the discussion went eerily quiet. 

That was until Monday 1^st October, when Bill Mitchell, BCS director called upon teachers and industry experts to share their advice, albeit with just over a week's notice! 

I've been monitoring the response to this series of events, including a live poll looking into who should be responsible for the IT teaching agenda in the UK.  I've been watching the real-time reaction closely, which has revealed that 52% think that IT industry leaders should consult with government to lead its development.

This isn't news to me. Myself and many of my peers feel there is an element of responsibility on our heads in order to encourage learning amongst the next generation of IT professionals; we are ready and willing to contribute.

In the last few months, headlines have been swamped with statistics relating to the UK's skills shortage but I don't feel like this is a true reflection of the talent young people across Britain possess.  Unfortunately, the educational programmes are where the gaps appear, often failing to provide industry-ready skills, and business technology.

Of course, this situation isn't quite as bleak as the statistics make out. There are great initiatives out there, such as the ITMB course, which have helped equip a great swathe of graduates for the workplace. Unlike traditional business and IT degrees, the ITMB degree has developed a course in association with employers to give graduates an excellent mix of both business and IT skills, as well as integral business qualities including team working and communications skills.

In my opinion, the national curriculum needs to follow suit. Engaging the IT and education industry together, leaving time for debate and discussion is the only way we can ensure a tangible impact on the shape of the IT curriculum.  Having said that, highlighting the issue does mark an important milestone in raising awareness of the importance of the industry's ability to shape the way students are educated. 

Existing initiatives, including the ITMB, as well as educational bodies (such as eSkills) are beginning to facilitate this relationship between organisations and the education system, but there is still plenty of work to do.

This is a guest blog post from Jeremy I'Anson, professional career coach and the author of You're Hired!

Certification should been seen as an educational process and not about success versus failure. Graeme Phillips, programme manager for Autodesk certification and training in EMEA, KnowledgePoint explores why certification should be seen as a way to achieve further expertise in this guest blog.   

Any good business will know that to stay at the top of its game it needs to have a competitive advantage. Just as any jobseeker or employee looking for a promotion will know that in order to achieve their dream job they need to stand out from the crowd by furthering their expertise.

Using certification to validate IT skills in the fast evolving creative industry can dramatically improve the chances of securing a new job or promotion, as prospective employers are able to quickly assess the standard of the applicant and their ability. However, certification as a process shouldn't be seen as a kudos enhancer - where the focus is purely on candidates to pass an exam in order to define career success.

Certification should be seen as an educational process, a way to achieve further expertise throughout a candidate's lifetime, which not only accelerates personal development but improves productivity. While candidates do gain an accredited award, they gain far more than a piece of paper. They are improving their employability, gaining competitive edge, refining their personal knowledge and increasing their ability to work with state-of-the-art software.

With this in mind, Autodesk is one such leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, which has recognised these benefits and developed its own IT certification scheme to meet this market requirement.

A step in the right direction

For younger employees joining a company soon after graduation, certification bridges the gap between university or college where traditional methods and ideas are often still taught instead of the latest industry thinking and practices.

However, it can work well for older employees too. In a recent OnePoll survey carried out on behalf of education and training distributor, KnowledgePoint, 71 per cent of designers and engineers aged 35 - 54 years said that they thought certification was important. This could indicate that experienced professionals are considering learning as a means of enhancing their ideas and practice methods.

Simply preparing for certification helps candidates improve performance by strengthening existing skills and developing new ones through the study of the exam objectives. Effectively, it can help give applicants an advantage when being considered for a promotion or other career opportunities. After all, certification and the coinciding training are often seen as validation that the employee concerned has the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively meet the needs of their company.

Lately there has been dramatic rise in the number of candidates taking part in IT certification courses. In the OnePoll survey, it was found that over half of the respondents polled felt it was important or very important for design professionals to have certification qualifications on key design products and solutions.

Continuous improvement  

While certification does validate an employee's skills, it is important to remember that the focus of the training is not on success or failure. Supporting exam applicants throughout every step of the certification process, the emphasis is placed on personal knowledge gain and continuous improvement. Today's certification exams are not designed to catch out those completing them. Experienced certification providers will run the relevant revision course and training programmes to ensure that all candidates are up to scratch before taking the exam.

When taking the exams, candidates highlight any knowledge gaps which they may have. And, best practice training provides immediate diagnostic feedback, helping candidates to identify areas where they can improve their application skills and performance-based testing. With the latter, rather than simply answering questions about how they might accomplish an objective, candidates actually perform the task itself using real-life applications such as Autodesk Inventor.

The aim is to boost participants' confidence, which will in turn, help to improve productivity in the workplace as business decisions are likely to be carried out more efficiently. If a candidate fails an exam, support is provided through various training courses for them to improve and the exam can be retaken at any time.

Ultimately, IT certification should be seen as an educational process as it forms part of a learning life-cycle. It is not a one off exam which focuses on pass rates, it is a training course which can highlight and fill any knowledge gaps and, in turn, help candidates of any age to improve their employability, gain competitive edge, refine their personal knowledge and increase their ability to work with advanced software.

This is a guest blog post from Jeremy I'Anson, professional career coach and the author of You're Hired!

According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) one in ten Computer Science graduates are currently unemployed and apparently unable to find work. However a very interesting survey came up in the news recently which shows that despite these figures there are presently 2,697 tech startup job vacancies being advertised in the UK.

Not surprisingly the majority of these jobs (1,627) are located in and around London but the other vacancies are spread across the rest of the country with potential tech opportunities for graduates and IT professionals in most areas.   

Recession, what recession?

The survey highlights the fact that despite the gloomy economic news there are in fact plenty of tech jobs available. Some of the companies looking for graduates include organisations operating in the social networking field.  

Head for the careers section of Badoo's web site and you'll find a total of 29 vacancies for jobs in the UK and overseas. Onefinestay, a company that provides online facilities for people to rent their holiday property, also has a banner we're hiring! on their careers page with 24 vacancies for roles ranging from a business analyst to an application developer with experience of Python, JavaScript and HTML 5.

So the message is clear. There are opportunities out there but they are not always advertised on the usual job boards or in the press. But just a little detective work using tools like Google Alerts can help you to uncover these job opportunities.  And for those who are still at university the survey also provides an insight into the skills that are currently in demand from tech employers.

Figures suggest that 33% of the available jobs are for developers with buzz words like Big Data, Social Discovery and Augmented Reality coming up repeatedly in some of the job specs.

Watch this space for more news and comment about careers in the IT industry.

 

Do you have a careers question for Jeremy I'Anson ?

 

Email: :jeremy.ianson@xlsys.co.uk

 

Jeremy I'Anson is a professional career coach and the author of You're Hired! Total Job Search 2013. Visit www.totaljobsearchonline.com for further details.