Finding a safe harbour to see out the storm

The reverberations of the global credit crunch are being felt across all sectors today, and many firms have imposed stringent cost-cutting programmes already. Job losses are mounting steadily, and unfortunately even highly skilled IT professionals have not been spared the axe.

Amid this nerve-fraying uncertainty, it is tempting for IT professionals to seek shelter from the storm ­ – looking for industries or sectors that seem to be more immune to the ravages of the deteriorating economy.

During the last recession in the IT industry, when the exuberance of the dot com era resulted in a grim technology-led hangover, the public sector provided a haven for vendors, consultants and IT professionals alike.

National and local government departments had trailed private sector companies in their adoption of internet technologies. But while late to that particular party, they were also able to maintain, even increase, IT spending while the private sector cut back.

But circumstances change. While undoubtedly the public sector will continue to invest in IT, many of the big-ticket IT projects are now well advanced, if not quite finished. And while we might all be able to argue over whether the money has been spent wisely, there is scant evidence of any appetite ­ or need ­ for further big IT projects.

So are there other areas of IT ­ – or specific skill sets ­ – that are likely to remain in demand?

One of the things that happens in any recession is an increase in fraud and criminal activity – ­ or at least a whopping great fear of fraud. When business leaders are watching every penny, they become more attuned to the risk of losing any money. And that means demand for security skills is likely to increase sharply.

There are other IT skills that are also likely to prove popular in the current recession. For example, finance directors will be on the prowl for areas where they can cut costs ­ – and that may be an opportunity for IT professionals with skills in purchasing and supply chain systems.

Large businesses had a taste of e-procurement and business-to-business trading exchanges in the dot com era, and much of it did not work particularly well. But often the problems were rooted in inefficiencies related to how the markets were established, not in the technologies themselves.

In the intervening years, the knowledge of how to best use e-commerce systems has improved, and there is likely to be a renewed drive from big businesses into this area. The demand for e-commerce-related skills is likely to be significant in the retail sector, where there will be increased competition to obtain custom from the cost-conscious consumer.

That is a tremendous opportunity for IT professionals with search engine optimisation skills. Retailers that can improve their online visibility will find themselves at a distinct advantage.

Allied to that will be a demand for web site design skills ­ – not necessarily the technical skills that allow organisations to add the latest bells and whistles to their web site, but the skills needed to ensure that users can navigate seamlessly through the site. There are still too many web sites that make it difficult for customers to buy items.

Elsewhere, a number of organisations will be looking at the value they receive from their enterprise resource planning and supply chain systems. These are areas where significant investments have been made, and where business value has always been apparent.

Many business leaders are looking for new approaches, so those IT professionals with experience in software-as-a-service implementations may well find growing demand for their skills.

That said, in terms of recruitment, this is a buyer’s market and the one thing that will help prospective candidates stand out is a track record of achievement.

It is difficult to say that any particular qualification is going to enhance a candidate’s employment prospects, but as a general rule, those who fall within the Skills Framework for the Information Age are likely to be more highly regarded.

Jim Norton is an external member of the Board of the UK Parliament’s Office of Science & Technology and council member of the Parliamentary IT Committee