How to get ahead in IT

Like many other sectors, the IT industry is feeling the cold wind of change. While organisations turn to technology to gain a competitive edge in a post-recession world, IT workers are still faced with skills-related challenges that threaten to create a leadership crisis.

As well as galvanising the discussion around the knowledge required by the managers of the future, Computing’s Tomorrow’s IT Leaders campaign aims to provide a career roadmap to help aspiring technology workers to reach the top of their profession.

Here, leading IT chiefs give advice to technology professionals looking to rise through the ranks.

Gain international experience
The reach of the web and the predicted growth in outsourcing/offshoring in 2010 mean businesses are increasingly international and IT expertise must adapt to that trend. Conversely, such developments present an opportunity to technology professionals looking to enhance their own careers.

Tony McAlister, chief technology officer, Betfair
“The world is much smaller than it was, so you need international experience. You can get it by moving to a different country and working for a business there or working for a multinational and getting transferred. Another alternative is to become involved in offshoring and work with foreign organisations to develop your skill set. That will improve your CV tremendously.”

Daniel Marovitz, chief operations officer of technology, Deutsche Bank
“Multisourced IT environments are central to how companies will deliver, so a more international life will become increasingly common. This means process and project management expertise will also become incredibly important. Co-ordinating tasks all over the world isn’t easy.”

Gain business experience
Having a good understanding of business is a common characteristic of a successful leader. If gaining “real-life” experience is not possible in your current role, think of alternative ways to gain non-technical knowledge.

Robin Young, chief operations officer, Bradford & Bingley
“Career-focused IT managers should work in a genuine business capacity where they run day-to-day operations and delivery. The most valuable training I undertook was a two-week store placement at McDonalds prior to a senior role in operations. The hands-on, customer-facing contact ensured I understood how IT could enhance or kill that key relationship between companies and the people who keep them in business.”

Ben Booth, chief information officer, Ipsos Mori
“The key to success is getting as much experience as possible in user departments, by working on specific projects or through secondments. Never turn down an opportunity to participate in any activity ­ – business or social ­ – with non-IT colleagues and build a network of business and IT people who can help your career. Above all else, avoid being perceived as a geek.”

Learn from your peers
The creation of internal IT practitioners ­ – as seen at British Airways –­ is a new way in which cash-strapped companies are using their in-house talent to train the technology workforce to meet business demands. However, that can also work as a way to enrich individual skill sets.

Yann L’Huillier, chief information officer, Turquoise
“You don’t know everything and never will, so learn additional competencies from your peers and use their expertise as they will use yours to create cohesion and excellence. But don’t abuse it and always reward people for what they have contributed.”

Don’t complicate IT for the business
One of the traditional obstacles preventing IT and business alignment is communication, meaning the managers of the future must be able to translate te ch nical terms into business benefits.

Paul Coby, chief information officer, British Airways
“You need to understand where the business is going and react to it. Don’t retreat into your IT shell and don’t be too theoretical or use obscure terms. Recognise the world is changing and then enjoy it.”

Create your own opportunities
According to research by Deloitte, one of the main stumbling blocks in IT skills development is that too few human resources personnel understand the needs of technology staff. Despite this, ambitious professionals should actively carve out opportunities for themselves.

Veronique Arnoldi, chief technology officer, Aviva Investors
“Be proactive, don’t wait for your boss or HR to come up with an opportunity. Start a conversation with your manager about how you can work on your development.”

James Veall, head of the office of the CIO, Discovery Channel
“On a daily basis, spend an hour thinking about the links between what you and your peers do and the value of the company ­ – stock price, customer experiences. This is far more impressive than ‘knowing the business’, knowing how seemingly small actions contribute to the business value.”

Watch and learn
Many technology leaders have had a mentor at some point in their careers. Observing how these mentors operate as well as picking up their best practices has helped to shape the management style of today’s leaders.

Mark Pickering, chief information officer, EDF Trading
“If you can, find a role model and learn what has made them successful. Learn about the way they manage people, make decisions and communicate with staff. You can go on any course you like, but nothing beats seeing people in action.”

Come up with good ideas
Coming up with new ways of generating business value is a sure-fire way to get recognition from senior management.

Garry Hanson, IT manager, Reading FC
“If you have a great idea, discuss it with your manager. However hard it may be, try not to be negative about requests. If a request seems unfeasible at first, take it away, think about it and come back with workable options.”

IBM White Paper download
Read more about meeting the challenges of effective IT leadership in turbulent times

Check out the campaign web site for more careers advice
As part of the Tomorrow’s IT Leaders campaign, Computing launched a microsite providing a wealth of material intended to support the development of future managers.

Online resources include white papers, articles written by IT leaders and independent industry experts with advice on how to further your career, as well as interviews with the current crop of IT directors on their IT skills development strategies. Multimedia content available on the site includes video interviews and audio podcasts.

Computing has also launched a LinkedIn group, Tomorrow’s IT Leaders, to stimulate the debate about the future of the profession.

See our special web site at www.computing.co.uk/til and join our LinkedIn group by visiting http://bit.ly/49UDHR