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After Pay Cuts, IT Workers May Seek Payback in New Job

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:02:39 +0000

A Harris Interactive survey found that IT workers see an improving economy — and an opportunity to start looking for a better job.

Cross posted from Computerworld

Computerworld — It may be matter of debate whether the IT job market is improving.

Certainly, for Eli Lilly and Co.’s (LLY) IT workers who are facing a layoff, the state of the job market is clear. The pharmaceutical company last week said it plans to cut 340 IT jobs on top of 140 positions cut earlier this year.

Eli Lilly employs some 1,250 IT workers in the U.S. and said the IT cuts are part of an overall restructuring of more than 5,000 workers nationwide, a company spokesman said, confirming a report in the Indianapolis Star , hometown newspaper in the city where Eli Lilly is based.

Despite the woes in the Eli Lilly IT operation, national IT hiring indexes have been showing fluttering month-to-month increases , and a new survey conducted by Harris (HRS) Interactive found that confidence among tech workers in the economy is on the rise.

Harris surveyed 4,367 employed tech workers, including 241 in IT operations, in the second quarter of 2010 and found that 38% of the IT workers believe the economy is getting stronger, compared to 32% in the first quarter.

The survey, dubbed the IT Employee Confidence Index, was conducted by Harris on behalf of Technisource Inc., a national staffing and recruiting firm.

The breakout data from the survey could portent trouble for IT managers and companies now relying on fewer IT employees.

For example, the survey results provides evidence that many IT workers may already be preparing to look for new jobs over the next year.

Harris said that 61% of IT workers earning between $35,000 and $50,000 a year are "likely" to start looking for a new job over the next 12 months. Meanwhile, 27% of IT workers now making between $50,000 and $75,000 annually and 36% of those whose salaries exceed $75,000 are "likely" to begin a job search.

"In some areas, salaries were cut or certainly salary increases were suspended," said Sean Ebner, a regional vice president at Technisource. And, he added, "as cuts were made in IT, the remaining staff was asked to do significantly more without additional compensation. It really did create some pent-up animosity."

Ebner said the survey found more interest in seeking new jobs than ever before.

The willingness to look for new jobs doesn’t yet mean the job will be there. For instance, only 27% of IT workers earning between $35,000 and $50,000 indicated that they expect more jobs will be available to them.

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2010 IT spending still looks strong, Forrester says

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:40:50 +0000

IDG News Service - Despite fears caused by the European debt crisis, spending on technology products and services is set to continue growing around the world, although the pace of growth in Europe overall will be lower, Forrester Research said in a report released Tuesday.

U.S. IT goods and services spending will jump 9.9% in 2010 to $564 billion, compared to 7.8% growth worldwide to $1.58 trillion, Forrester said.

Canada will experience the highest IT spending growth this year with a 16.2% rise, according to Forrester. IT spending in Latin America is set to grow 15.4%, followed by Asia-Pacific with 11%. Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa will see a 10.5% uptick.

But IT spending in Western and Central Europe is set to drop by 0.7% due to the debt crisis and the weak euro.

The US 2010 forecast represents a 1.5% increase over one Forrester gave in April, while the global growth rate remained roughly the same as the previous forecast of 7.7%.

Growth is being spurred partly by the fact that the U.S., and to a lesser extent, other nations, are entering an innovation cycle marked by adoption of new technologies, Forrester said.

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Contract-to-hire Sr. JDE Business Analyst Opportunity with Great Company in Memphis, TN

admin — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 01:49:03 +0000

We pay for referrals, so if this opportunity is not a good match for your skills or you are not available but know someone who is, please forward this link to them.

Senior JDE Business Analyst

Responsibilities

Participate in the implementation of new clients on to our JDE platform by analyzing client requirements, designing, testing and implementing solutions to support the client on-boarding to client company’s JDE platform. Functions as a liaison between the Client Accounting group and the JDE development team. Manage all aspects of one or more multiple small to large client implementations.

· Responsibilities will also include the following:

· Develop and coordinate technical requirements for data transmissions between J.D. Edwards and client’s accounting system

· Analyze business process and complex client requirements for process refinement or to determine system configuration

· Develop technical specifications for client data migration from their existing system to the client company’s JDE platform and reporting requirements

· Work closely with development and user teams to test proposed system configuration and customizations

· Coordinate, support and help resolve J.D. Edwards help desk cases including: General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Job Cost, Reporting, Purchase Order, and system interfaces

· Develop relationships with key users in Global Corporate Services group Identify potential solutions to meet business requirements

Qualifications

· Bachelors Degree

· 10 years excellent working knowledge of J.D. Edwards E1 (v.8.12)

· 7 years experience in a business analyst role

· Knowledge of Accounting principals

· Real Estate knowledge a plus

· Implementation experience

· Ability to manage multiple projects at one time

· Knowledge of integration processes and their technical requirements

· Experience with documenting client requirements

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills

· Ability to explain complex technical information clearly to end users

· Must be able to perform duties without close supervision

· Team-oriented with strong interpersonal communications skills

· Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite

· Knowledge of SQL

· J.D. Edwards Report Writer

· Crystal Reports

· AS/400 knowledge a plus

If you have this experience, feel you are a fit for this position, and are interested, please answer the questions below:

1) Do you have an updated Word copy of your resume?

2) What is your availability to start?

3) Are you open to a contract-to-hire position?

4) What is your current salary or pay rate?

5) Are you currently eligible to work for any employer in the US?

6) When is the best time to contact you and what # can you be reached at for this opportunity?

We pay for referrals, so if this opportunity is not a good match for your skills or you are not available but know someone who is, please forward this link to them.

Regards,

Mike Hanes
ProVisionTech

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How to Thrive in Today’s Job Market: Five Tips for IT Professionals

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:01:17 +0000

The days of the IT department existing in the back office and not communicating with the front of the business are gone. IT professionals need to take a leadership role, take initiative when making decisions and understand the business. Here, Knowledge Center contributor Rich Milgram outlines the skill sets IT professionals need in order to improve their career and thrive in today’s job market.

You’re an IT professional. So it’s time to become aware of the changes happening in your industry and understand how they could affect your job and your company. You’ve had it pretty good over the years, but it’s no longer enough to simply be a "ticket taker" for your next project, leaving the strategy and big picture company goals to management.

To succeed in your career, it is important to demonstrate consistent value to your employer and take initiative when making decisions for the best interest of the company. Employers are more likely to hire and retain workers who carry out multiple technical functions in the business. They value those who understand how to leverage their knowledge to deliver the right technology to achieve company goals.

While there may not be a universal skill or attribute that can guarantee job security, here are five tips on how to position yourself as the indispensible go-to IT professional in your company.

Tip No. 1: Understand and apply project management and people management skills to your job

One of the most powerful ways to increase your job security is to understand the strategic direction of your company and how it relates to your position so you can make the most impact on the bottom line. As an IT professional, you are much more desirable if you understand project management, business process reengineering, and can effectively work and communicate with the management team.

These skills allow you to be more self-directed and not only do your job, but make wise decisions on how to tailor your work efforts to directly affect the profitability and success of the company.

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Job Tips and Job News -

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:06:59 +0000

By Greg MacSweeney

Read the Original Article at Bank Systems & Technology

Jon Beyman, managing director of operations and technology for the global institutional client group at Citi, has a long track record of driving technology and financial innovation. Before joining Citi in 2008, he was CIO at Credit Suisse, and prior to that he was the long-time CIO at Lehman Brothers, so he has a pretty good perspective on the state of innovation in the U.S. financial services industry. Beyman discusses with Greg MacSweeney, editor-in-chief of Bank Systems & Technology sibling brand Wall Street & Technology, financial firms’ search for technology talent and the dangers of the United States falling behind other regions in the race to lead global technology development.

What is the state of technology development in financial services? Are you concerned with the pace and rate of innovation?

BEYMAN: I am most concerned with providing technology solutions that help drive the revenue generation, risk management, efficiency and productivity of the businesses that we support. The technology that I provide needs to be closely aligned with business goals and needs to be aimed at business goals.

A large part of the innovation equation is finding technology talent. Some experts say it is hard to find enough technology talent here in the United States. Are domestic firms having trouble finding qualified technologists?

It is an interesting question. The answer is "no" here at Citi. Honestly, because of the nature of these businesses that we are in and in particular, the trading businesses, it attracts smart people because it pays very well. But to meet my goals, I need great technologists, and I need these technologists to have a lot of domain expertise — they need financial services knowledge.

For a long time, people have said that the best and brightest technologists have been going to Wall Street in search of wealth rather than pursuing engineering or software development, fields in which their compensation would be lower. Given the struggles and bad publicity the financial industry has experienced in the past two years, will the best and brightest software developers and quants turn away from Wall Street?

I suspect it is too soon to tell. There are always people who are going to make as much money as they can. Wall Street doesn’t have the star attraction it had a few years ago, and a lot of what has gone wrong in the economy is being laid at the feet of Wall Street firms.

Certainly there are people who will refuse to work on Wall Street and will work in other industries for less money. But there are also people who are designing systems and technology who say, "I’m just working on technology; I’m not hurting the economy."

If there is a sustained period of time when there is no compensation difference between financial services and a software developer in another industry, then it might become an issue. But that is not the case right now. Financial firms still pay more for technology talent, and I am in a war for talent with other firms. [For more on IT salary and compensation trends in banking and the capital markets, see this month's Special Report for the results of the exclusive InformationWeek Analytics 2010 IT Salary Survey, page 28.]

Do you think the current state of education in the United States is preparing enough software developers/engineers/technologists to sustain technology innovation in the U.S.?

We don’t exist in isolation. There are an awful lot of technologists who work in the U.S. and they were not native born. The question is if the combination of people wanting to come to the country and the U.S. graduation rates are enough to sustain the level of innovation domestically. There is a certain level of technology job that can be done anywhere in the world.

My broad answer is, we will always be able to find talented people — as long as there is no societal restriction on the people getting into this country. But if there was no access to external talent available, I don’t think the U.S. schools are training enough qualified people.

What are some of the dangers if the U.S. falls behind in terms of financial innovation?

The only way that would happen would be if there were no way to attract talent to the places where the financial markets are located. But the jobs we are talking about in financial services need to be in certain areas — where the innovative companies are and where the innovative work is being done. Right now, that is happening in the U.S.

India is not a deep financial liquidity pool, though there is a lot of technology there. The advantage the U.S. has is that it is still the biggest and largest and deepest financial market in the world. As a practical matter, you need to be here both for the business and for certain types of technology development if you are a financial firm. I don’t see China or another country becoming a large financial center anytime soon. It could be that other markets grow faster because of regulatory constraints on trading activity or IPOs. But the regulators around the world have learned that the different liquidity centers need to adopt similar rules.

China does not have a deep and liquid capital market. Capitalism works on rewards, and stock markets grow up around where capital providers can build returns on capital. The fear that the financial markets have is not that we are going to lose all business to China. I have not ever heard that expressed. There is a lot of development in China, but there is a lot of Chinese financial investment here in the U.S. because the U.S. has the liquid market.

What are the dangers if the U.S. falls behind in terms of technology innovation?

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Dilemma: IT Staffing Solution- Staff Augmentation (part II)

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:06:14 +0000

Here’s a continuation of my previous post about staff augmentation. Another consulting client had a very short term project that required a specific skill set that no one on her staff possessed. The intricacy of the project required that our engineer become part of the IT team and interact regularly with marketing and senior management. Handling that as a fixed priced project would not have worked for us or them. We were able to provide an experienced engineer to become a temporary part of the staff and complete the development in just a few weeks. That engineer had at his disposal our entire team of engineers and project managers to offer advice and guidance as the project progressed. This is another significant advantage to the client. The staff augmenting engineer of a solid integrator has an impressive team on their staff and can access that team at any time. Compare that to a new hire coming into the company. He or she may have contacts from previous jobs, or a network of peers in the industry but it is not the same as having fellow employees who have a strong vested interest in the success of the engagement.

Just as the engineer has an opportunity to bond more closely with the client, a big plus for the integrator, the client gains significant visibility with the integrator. I am a huge fan of tight, loyal, long term relationships between integrators and their clients. It is much better for both businesses in the long term. The very process of staff augmentation goes a long way in strengthening the relationship.

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Dilemma: IT Staffing Solution- Staff Augmentation (part I)

admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 15:46:16 +0000

“We interviewed for six months for this position, and then gave this guy six months to prove himself, but he just hasn’t worked out.” a frustrated client explained to me just last week. “Now the head of that team has given her notice, and will be gone in two weeks! It’s just extremely frustrating” she went on to say.

Unfortunately this type of problem is a regular occurrence for small to medium sized businesses trying to build and/or keep their IT staffs intact, happy, and motivated. This recession, which many IT managers had hoped would provide a much needed reprieve from the incredible challenge of finding the right IT talent, has brought little relief. It is just as difficult to recruit and keep exceptional IT talent as it has ever been. There is a solution however, that I have seen work well for many companies willing to think outside the box a bit. I refer to it as “staff augmentation, basically bringing in outside personnel to augment your current staff from time to time”.

You see, there are many solid IT integration companies that have talented IT engineers with a wealth of knowledge of a variety of networking solutions. These are very expensive people to keep on staff. For integrators, keeping these engineers busy on billable projects is crucial to their profitability. Utilizing this talent in staff augmentation roles on a regular basis has many advantages. The first and most obvious is that such an engagement is usually billed by the hour, making the engineer’s billable hours 100% percentage billable100%. The second is that it can provide a degree of stability for the engineer who can report to the same site, with the same hours, for a specific period of time. That can be a welcome break for an engineer who has been all over the map juggling a variety of projects. It also allows the engineer to form much tighter working relationships with key staff at a valuable client. From the integration company’s perspective it can be a real win.

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IT Careers: Job, Revenue Growth Eyed by Some IT Firms

admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 19:32:16 +0000

Sixty percent of IT firms expect to see revenues in the second half of 2010 exceed those in the first half, and 37 percent expect to increase hiring, a CompTIA survey says.

About one in six IT companies expect revenues in the second half of 2010 to come in higher than in the first six months of the year, according to a report released July 8 by CompTIA.

According to CompTIA’s IT Industry Business Confidence Index, 60 percent of tech firms surveyed expect third- and fourth-quarter revenues to be significantly or moderately better than those in the first and second quarters.

This despite what CompTIA termed “the slow and unsteady economic recovery” following the worldwide recession of last year.

“IT industry executives remain relatively confident about the tech sector and about their firm’s prospects, but concern over the health of the U.S. economy persists,” Tim Herbert, vice president of research at CompTIA, said in a statement. “In some ways the results point to a ‘two steps forward, one step back’ mentality, where positive news and momentum are followed by unexpected bad news and a renewed sense of negativity about economic conditions.”

There also seems to be some positive movement on the job front, which has been a key weakness of the overall economic recovery. According to CompTIA, 37 percent of IT companies in its survey expect to ramp up their hiring in the next six months.

Of the other firms, 47 percent said that while they are fully staffed, they’d like to add workers to help grow their businesses. The other 53 percent said they are understaffed by 5 to 20 percent.

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Why there should be no such thing as an IT project

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:08:54 +0000

IT is not an island: CIOs reveal the secrets to successful business projects…

By Mark Samuels (Cross Posted from silicon.com)

ANALYSIS

How is it that pure IT projects seem destined to fail, and yet technology is clearly key to business? Mark Samuels canvasses a group CIOs for their views on what barriers there are to IT project success.

"IT projects never really work," says Mike Day, CIO at fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger. That seems like negative talk from a technology chief but there is sound method in the apparent madness.

More technology chiefs are waking up to the need for IT projects to be sponsored by the business. In cost-constrained times, CIOs are trying to avoid driving into a technology cul-de-sac. So rather than simply implementing IT projects, many CIOs are aiming to understand what executives need from the outset and meet agreed outcomes.

"The best ideas are sponsored by the business," says Day. "Technology is now so pervasive through the organisation; it’s end-to-end. The CIO has to communicate to the business what is possible and why."

Such communication has to rely on agreed business objectives. IT and other line-of-business executives need to collaborate and work back towards technology implementation from an end goal that is well defined.

Take Day, who was searching with his executives for a means to help a dispersed workforce of global designers collaborate in real-time. The answer was videoconferencing, with the firm having recently signed a five-year managed services contract with BT to provide high-specification Tandberg technology.

The system meets the stipulated business demand, using virtual fitting rooms to allow employees from various business units around the globe to work together without the need for travel. "You have to understand the problem that the business is trying to solve," says Day, who reports to the designer clothes brand’s chief operating officer.

"Success is about trying to identify what people want through a particular initiative. I’m able to talk in a language the business understands. CIOs have to rely on a strong network for outside peer review."

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