Homecoming

I have just got back from a month long vacation to Australia. No words can do justice with the magnificence of that continent at the other side of the globe. When I grow up, I would like to be an Australian.

During my too short a visit, I had the pleasure of engaging with some very interesting people in the Sydney Open coffee meet up.

Harsh times have come to the hundred-acre-wood of the IT industries, and the Australian IT was not spared. Yet, it was apparent that the world wide gloom was not in residence. The messages I’ve heard were about times of change, opportunity and of new beginnings.

It had occurred to me that in deed times have changed. The rules of engagement are being rewritten. Opportunities lay in initiative and added value, rather than in the sole code-literacy capabilities that are the tools of my trade.

I was discussing exactly this with a good friend and experienced Sydney IT Recruiter Darren Saul at one of the Sydney meet-ups. Darren mentioned that he has seen a definite shift in the way employers qualify potential employees – “after all”, said Darren, “a great organization is only as great as its people”.

The way Darren put it, is that employers need as much added value as possible and it’s no longer enough to “just” be proficient technically, it is as important to really understand your industry sector as a “Domain Expert”. Employers recruiting in the financial sector, for example, will be looking for technical support specialists or developers with a very strong understanding of the financial industry, a strong knowledge of the industry specific applications and will be looking for individuals that are generally “Business Savvy”. Thus continuous learning and broad thinking are of the utmost importance to stay ahead of the rest and ensure your place as an integral, valued and respected member of your team.

As I see it, Darren’s definition of Business savvy hits the spot in what concerns the attitude for the IT people and industry. It’s like the difference between being a co founder in a startup opposed to the first employee being hired.

When I was fresh in the army, we used to practice night time maneuvering. They would team us in pairs, and we were given two legs to cover, one for each in the pair.

While one was doing the navigation, the other would follow until it was his turn to lead. The partner that was not navigating was called the dummy. He would carry everything and concentrate on following.

We quickly came to the understanding that the more involved your dummy was, in the actual navigation, the better your own results would be. Even if it’s your turn to follow, do your best to help lead.

For more of Darren check out his blog at: www.carnegiehillblogging.blogspot.com

Step up, lead the field.