ITWorks

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: :[email protected]

 

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: :[email protected]

 

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 week (17-23 September 2012) is Age UK's Itea and Biscuit Week, which offers people in later life the chance to learn new technologies and the benefits they can bring.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The annual campaign is backed by broadcaster Penny Smith, this year, who along with Age UK is encouraging everyone to pass on their technical knowledge to an older family member, friend or neighbour. Whether you are a tech geek or novice you can still help out.

In its fifth year, the campaign offers hundreds of 'taster sessions' across the country, which provide basic knowledge on technologies such as how to use the internet and digital cameras. These sessions also highlight how technology can be used to try out new hobbies, find online bargains or keep in touch with loved ones.

According to an Ofcom report 73% of people aged 65+ say they do not regularly use the internet.

Age UK Ambassador Smith is calling for older people to attend the events and for those already in the know to pass on their knowledge to someone older.

Smith said: "If you connect to the Internet, you connect to the world. So if you know your dongle from your mouse, please help an older person you know to get online during itea and biscuits week."

David Mortimer, head of digital inclusion at Age UK, said: "Over 5.5 million people aged 65+ have never been online, so we're calling on anyone who knows how to use technology to pass on their knowledge of the Internet, smart phones, tablets or digital cameras to an older person they know.

"There's no need to be a technology guru, just basic knowledge could really make a difference to someone's life."

To find out more information about the week visit www.ageuk.org.uk/itea-and-biscuits.

This is a guest blog from Renee Hawkins who heads up the Ambassador Programme at ThoughtWorks.

Hackney school children taking part in the Primary School 2012 Ambassador Programme were left star-struck recently after meeting football legend David Beckham and US First Lady Michelle Obama.

The Ambassador Programme saw 102 Year Six Hackney school children learn a variety of new skills as they took part in projects to spread the message of the Games.

As part of the scheme, the children attended a prestigious event at Winfield House, the residence of the Ambassador of the United States, on 27 July and were thrilled to meet Beckham, and even got to take part in several games with Mrs Obama including an obstacle race.

This star-studded meeting was a fitting way for the children to celebrate their achievements as Ambassadors as the Games themselves kicked off. It was the second brush with stardom for the kids in as many weeks, following shortly after they had their own taste of the spotlight at the Graduation Day for the Hackney Primary Ambassadors Programme.

The night of celebration came after more than six months of dedication from the children as part of the scheme managed by the Hackney Learning Trust. Two children each from 51 Hackney schools were chosen to take part in the scheme the 102 students were divided into four groups to take part in different creative projects and learn new skills. They created a sports themed fashion show, an Olympic magazine, a trailer video and an Olympics themed web site. Some of the children also took part in creating two official songs for the Ambassadors Programme.

Taking to the stage at a packed out Hackney Empire, the children proudly displayed the fruits of their labour and were presented with awards commemorating their hard work after six months learning new skills on a variety of projects. DJ Tim Westwood, MTV presenter Kat B and Olympic medallist Brian Brinkley were among those on hand to offer their congratulations and advice. Local politicians, Olympics organisers and representatives of the Hackney Learning Trust were also on hand to give out awards in front of a full house of friends and family.

Children learn how to create and build websites

IT Consultancy ThoughtWorks were involved in the Programme, guiding a team of 25 children through the process of designing and creating a website. Social responsibility is a key part of the company's ethos, and it spent more than 6,000 hours on community work in the last year alone.Principal Consultant Renee Hawkins and Business Analyst Sarah Mead took part as team leaders for the project, and were also on hand to congratulate the kids at the graduation ceremony.

Over six sessions, the group learned how to design and build a website from scratch. The students began by working out what they wanted to achieve with the site and who the audience was - settling on their fellow pupils, teachers, parents, and anyone interested in a career as an athlete. Over the next few months they covered key areas including design selection and tools such as Word Press. Towards the end of the project, the children were able to explore other possibilities in IT, and had some fun designing their own video games with the Alice design software.

A main focus of the site was to offer up advice for anyone who wanted to become an athlete and the children wanted to tap into the theme of this year's Olympics inspiring a new generation of young people in sport. They made sure the site was full of practical advice for budding sportspeople, including diet and training tips, and advice on must-have clothing and equipment.

The site highlights the childrens' favourite sports and reasons for taking part, from the team spirit of football to cycling being a natural fit for Londoners getting around by bike. They also wanted to put some of the Games' long and storied history on display, including world records in different sports and interesting titbits such as a comparison between Jamaican record-breaker Usain Bolt and 1936 Olympics superstar Jesse Owens.

Hawkins at ThoughtWorks concluded: "The students all put a lot of effort into their project and ThoughtWorks is proud to have been there to help them. I think it's particularly gratifying to see their website celebrated alongside more fashionable and traditionally popular areas like music and clothing design.This helps challenge the perception that IT is a dull and dusty profession. These children learned that it can be a fun and dynamic career full of chances to create interesting and worthwhile things."

Mead at ThoughtWorks added: "Social work is incredibly important for everyone at ThoughtWorks, and we have put a collective 6,000 hours into it in the last year alone. It's fantastic to help give these children the chance to prove their abilities. They had a great time getting stuck into the project, and with any luck we have helped set some of them down a lifelong path in IT."

In this guest blog post, Naomi Hewitt, director of HR, The NET-A-PORTER GROUP, writes about why it is time to teach tech at schools.

The founder of a new after school coding club for 10-11 year olds recently claimed that http://www.rec.uk.com/press/news/2080"We're teaching our kids to be secretaries rather than programmers." I can understand her concerns as they echo those of the Corporate IT Forum's Education and Skills Commission, which recently called for ICT education to be replaced with "IT in business" lessons. I do believe that more could be done in schools and universities to encourage and inspire young people in learning about technology and the essential role it plays in business today.

In the UK specifically there seems to be a disconnect between Academia and 'the real world' with many of the computer-related courses on offer bearing little relevance to the exciting technology roles available in the business world.  This may be symptomatic of a legacy of both free higher education and the pursuit of traditional liberal arts subjects, but it is certainly not helping to make the transition to the job market any smoother for young people.

As a fast growing ecommerce business, The NET-A-PORTER GROUP, whose brands include NET-A-PORTER, THE OUTNET and MR PORTER, is as much a technology as a fashion company. Recent new technology launches include the development of new shopping platforms for tablet, mobile and TV, NET-A-PORTER LIVE, an interactive shopping experience and an augmented reality shopping app. To ensure we continue to stay at the forefront of technical development we require cutting-edge tech talent and find ourselves competing fiercely for the UK's top notch developers and programmers, who are very much in demand. To address this, we recently launched an e-commerce academy, training tech-savvy graduates in vital programming skills alongside developing a commercial awareness with a view to further enhancing our in-house team, who continue to create and develop innovative ideas to benefit our business and customers.

It has not been a big budget for job creation. The Chancellor said the government was committed to increase adult apprenticeship funding by £250 million a year by 2014-15. The question is whether this is enough?

David Bywater, a KPMG tax partner, said, "The government is trying to support apprentices. It is a measure that is welcome, but the question is: is it enough? What will be the tangible benefits for business?"

However, Bindi Bhullar, director, HCL Technologies said: "Far from worrying about being left behind by foreign economies such as India, the government should instead look to follow their example, and find local government sponsorship for training and support from high-tech multinational corporations. There are so many savvy young minds who are facing the prospect of long-term unemployment today, and if the government is truly serious about embracing innovation, it should invest in IT skills for the young as a means of creating jobs, and driving Britain out of economic uncertainty."

David Roberts, executive director of The Corporate IT Forum, said, "Apprentices need much more support because the fall out rate is quite high. There has to be a mentoring programme in place. Apprentices need to have access to a business savvy mentor.

A guest blog from Dr Mike Lynch, CEO and Founder of Autonomy

The reduction of STEM subject university degree courses is a worrying trend that will undoubtedly have an impact on the UK IT industry. The problem, of course, begins before university, and that is where it needs to be addressed.

In the last few years, the way ICT has been taught in schools has stilted the imaginations of the young by boring them with the tedium of learning to use specific applications, instead of encouraging them to be creative with how they use technology and gain more widely applicable skills.

There is too much focus on learning to use specific platforms and applications - which will be years out of date by the time pupils leave school - and not enough on the fundamentals of technology. Young people are inherently good at getting to grips with using technology - why spend weeks teaching them what they can teach themselves in hours?

Keeping children engaged in Maths and Science at school will improve the demand for those courses at university and, with the right kind of IT skills, lead to a more employable generation of graduates.

The UK's ICT sector contributes £81bn of added value to the UK's economy. The sector is the largest in Europe and employs over a million people who contribute 10% of GDP, according to UK Trade and Investment.

On the surface the technology sector looks very secure - after all, the internet alone is worth £100bn a year to the UK economy.

It is clear that the UK is in an enviable position, but it is not a secure position. What the figures don't show is the technology investment gap in the UK, also called the IT skills gap. This is a problem that technology firms, and any organisation seeking to hire skilled technology staff, are facing right now.

The CBI's Building for Growth report that showed over 40% of employers struggle to fill these skilled roles; over half expect this to increase. I have no doubt the problem is more pronounced in small and mid-sized companies who find it hard to compete for the best IT staff. These companies are the engine of growth for the UK. We all need their innovation, energy and insight and we risk hampering their growth potential by not providing them the talent pool they need.

A big impediment to growth, businesses face, is getting the right people with the right skills. Everybody I speak to, in the IT industry, agrees that the lack of job-focused IT skills in UK school leavers and graduates is causing recruitment problems in the technology sector at a time when we wrestle with unemployment across the country.

The eSkills UK Technology Insights 2011 report quantified this problem, reporting that the UK is failing to capitalise on the £50bn productivity gain which could be achieved through the better use of technology.

The technology industry is taking responsibility for this issue - we have to if we are to continue to innovate and grow. The sector is increasingly stepping in to help with approaches ranging from transforming the technology curriculum to investing in new entrepreneurs.

For example Vodafone Ventures global investment is set to invest in the next wave of wireless start-ups. Vodafone will also expand its high tech version of Dragon's Den called 'Mobile Clicks' to coach the next generation of online entrepreneurs. And Intel Innovators has launched a contest where entrepreneurs can win $100,000 each month for the best tech-based ideas.

For our part, we recently launched the 'HP Institute', a new set of courses delivered by schools, colleges and training providers. This will give up to 20,000 people over the next four years the business and technology skills to help them secure long term careers and help businesses benefit from their skills from day one on the job. The courses have been designed to provide the kinds of skills that small and mid-sized companies need most. They cover the full realm of technology as well as a course on cloud computing and a vitally important module on IT and business which grounds the technology in the world of business.

This is the latest initiative in an ongoing series of programmes that has seen partnerships with The University of the West of England, De Montfort University and Buckinghamshire New University where HP jointly writes and delivers courses to directly improve the employability of graduates. And last year HP committed itself to creating new entry-level technology apprenticeships, in the Gosport, Portsmouth and Glasgow areas.

We've also seen that the government understands this issue and is making moves to address the skills gap, in particular, with the computer science GCSE qualification.

That does not mean there is less for the technology industry to do. On the contrary, we need more companies stepping up to the challenge to help broaden the horizons of the young and encouraging more of them to join this exciting, fast moving and profitable sector.

In this video recorded at a Microsoft roundtable, Marc Waters, director of strategy and communicatuons for HP in the UK and Ireland takes about the the people business. He says 50% of HP's business is IT services, which means people are important. "They are the inventory and the R&D of the business. You have to invest in the skills of the people you have, and bring in the best people."

To support this, HP is identifying universities to form partnerships with and build innovations labs.

In the third video interview from our roundtable with Microsoft, Rehan Bhana, senior lecturer, Birmingham City University, discusses the benefits of the university working with industry partners.

Bhana is responsible for developing curricula for postgraduate and undergraduate courses. The university has worked with SAP to develop a Master of Science in Enterprise Systems Management. Through the course, he says, "A lot of our students get access to analytics software and an opportunity to [speak to] specialist staff."

The course provides students with relevant skills and an opportunity for student work placements at SAP and SAP partners, according to Bhana. The university also works with Microsoft and Oracle. It supports Oracle's Think Quest and Microsoft's Imagine Cup competition. He says such competitions offer the student an international platform and allows students to problem-based learning from an industry perspective.

Image via Wikipedia

City University London's IBM Enterprise Computing scholarship for a place on its Masters of Information Leadership course is now open for entries.

Peter Swingewood, winner of last year's Computer Weekly Step-Up Scholarship for City University London's information leadership course, shares his experience of the Masters of Information Leadership (MIL).

"I started the MIL in April and have already learnt a lot and benefited significantly. The academic side of the course is very stimulating and exposes you to ideas and viewpoints that you may have not come across before. The course forces you to step back from day-to-day operational concerns and really think about your work."

"The interactive way the teaching is delivered, with student group work during the weekends, means you really get to understand the concepts quickly as well as critically questioning them with fellow students, who also bring their backgrounds and experience to the weekend."

"The course brings in experts from relevant areas who are willing to share their experience candidly, which is a huge benefit and opportuntiy to learn from them. Our most recent module has been on the "Information Leader in Society" and we've studied and discussed the work of theorists such as Castells and Hayek and debated issues such as the "digitial divide" and learnt about how IT pollicy is formed and shaped in government."

"Finally the course also focuses on skills and self-development. We had an excellent weekend over the summer on negotiation where we were taught the ideas of Karrass and able to develop our skills through role play. I found this really useful and was able to use what I learnt immediatley - when I got back to the office I was able to negogiate a significant reduction from one of my suppliers!"
 
"I would thoroughly recommend this course to fellow IT professionals as you will learn a great deal of applicable knowledege and skills which you can start using immediately as well as gain a much bigger and broader prespective on key issues and the challenges facing IT."

"Plus, it is fun!"

Candidates can apply online for the 2012 scholarship by completing an application and submitting an essay, titled "What are the challenges IT leaders face in the sector you work in, and how would you address those challenges?". 

The deadline for applications is 12pm 16th January 2012.

The Open University's Kevin Streater looks at the IT sector's struggle to turn today's talented IT staff into tomorrow's boardroom decision makers. As IT becomes intrinsic to broader business strategy and CIOs increasingly sit directly under the Chief Executive in many companies, how can IT ensure more of its own are taking their seat at the top table?

Businesses are struggling to turn entry-level staff into senior management. At present around half of those brought into CIO positions come from outside the IT profession. This is worrying for two reasons. Firstly, it means a large proportion of those who make decisions on future IT strategy will have had no experience of delivering these strategies on the ground. Secondly, the lack of a clear path to senior positions will affect staff satisfaction and risks strengthening the tide of people leaving the sector.

The lack of IT workers moving up to the board should not be attributed to any lack of aspiration or ability within the UK's IT workforce. It's more an indication that up until now there has not been the tools to guide their development around the additional responsibilities they will face upon taking this step.

Whilst progression into entry and mid-level jobs requires an initial focus on reactive technical skills in order to understand the technology you are working with, as IT workers move further up in their organisation to senior management, greater demands are placed on their ability to collaborate and understand the results of the updates or innovations they deliver. These are the skills which enable good project work that produces clear business benefits.

At the final stages of development, learning should focus around the skills which identify CIOs as leaders. From an internal point of view this means understanding people, how they function within your organisation and how you develop them as professionals. But it's also about external, outward-looking leadership, understanding the changes in the market and the modern commercial realties of the IT industry and how these impact on your organisation.

Today's learning and development programmes must reflect these changes to give future CIOs the skills to thrive. 

The Open University has taken a large step towards addressing this issue by licensing the CIO Executive Council Pathways competency framework, which allows future CIOs to follow a clearly devised learning plan to board level.  The framework has been mapped to The Open University's extensive online curriculum, including courses from the University's top rated, triple accredited business school, to provide future CIOs with the essential skills required to reach board-level status.

The pathways framework aims to help companies improve their success in turning entry-level staff into the company's senior management and attract the best new entrants into the sector with the promise of a clear career path. It is the first ver learning tool specifically aimed at grooming future CIOs with the skills the industry needs and has been developed in collaboration with senior IT professionals who best understand the sector.

Following the pathway enables Open University students to have the right training at the right stage in their career. In the section below we look at the core skills required to make that step up to the board and how these additional skills-sets are applied in a real working environment.

Market Knowledge - understanding the market in which a business operates. This business context can include the competition, the suppliers, the customer base and the regulatory environment. Initially it comes down to knowing the basics of the market and how your business fits in to this context, but with further learning you will develop the skills and expertise to spot trends and anticipate, capitalize or even drives changes in the market.

Change Leadership - transforming and aligning an organisation through its people to drive for improvement in new and challenging directions. It is energising a whole organisation to want to change in the same direction. It's not just about accepting and adapting to change within your organisation but also proactively changing existing process and mobilising others to change as well.

Commercial Orientation - identifying and moving towards business opportunities. It is about having the understanding of how money is made in order to identify, prioritise and seize opportunities to increase profit and revenue. At the highest level it also includes inventing whole new ways to increase commerce.

Customer Focus - improving service to clients by better understanding their needs, and then using this information to anticipate future changes in their needs. After building up these value-added relationships with customers or clients, be they internal or external, CIOs should look to proactively shape the customer value proposition well beyond the transactional relationship.

Strategic Orientation -understanding the objectives within your own area of work and then looking beyond those to a broader business awareness and critical analysis of information. At the highest level it involves generating a strategic plan that integrates numerous business issues, functions and resources for effective action.

A full list of skills, how these have been mapped to the CIO pathways, and how they can be developed through relevant Open University courses, can be found here.

Also read:

Making your way in IT: Advice in entry-level IT professionals

IT sector must speak in skills to bridge gaps in capability and boost IT workforce

First steps towards a career in IT by the Open University