7 Skills Every IT Manager Needs to Survive the 2010s

InfoWorld  — As companies emerge from the recession, IT managers need to rethink their careers, especially as businesses recast IT’s role more as growing the business than running the operations. The old approaches to career growth won’t work. Instead, IT managers — and those who aspire to be managers — should focus on seven key skills for the new era.

Although no single set of skills can bulletproof your career in this decade and beyond, the foremost of these seven is the ability to continuously learn and possess a broad range of valuable tech and leadership capabilities, according to IT experts interviewed by InfoWorld.com.

[ Keep your IT and business skills sharp: Read Bob Lewis’ IT management advice in InfoWorld’s Advice Line newsletter. | Discover the 30 skills every IT person should have and which tech jobs are recession-proof. ]

“The survival skill for an IT manager is the ability to think about where you develop your career,” contends Kathryn Ullrich, an executive IT recruiter and author of “Getting to the Top” (Silicon Valley Press, 2010). “How do you stay on the cutting edge of tech so you’re continuing to develop your skill set? And career resilience? If you’re developing into a manager, director, or VP, it is about adding leadership skills.”

Although IT managers can’t be proficient in everything, they are expected to have fluency in major business and technology issues. “Unless they want to be order-takers, [IT managers] should have a point of view on the business — its strategy, its operations, and how it can be improved,” says Hank Leingang, an IT strategy consultant and former CIO at Bechtel and Viacom.

Many IT managers focus solely on mastering new tech skills to increase their value to their employers — a strategy that makes perfect sense, but only up to a point. Once you reach that point, you can damage your career by becoming viewed as only technically proficient and being perceived as unskilled in business planning and learning how to communicate and collaborate well with customers, coworkers, and service providers. But if you have a balance of these “hard” technology skills and “soft” business and people skills, you can go a long way toward insulating your career from recessionary woes.

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IT Careers: There’s More to an IT Career Than Technology

As IT roles move up the value chain, companies like Johnson & Johnson, State Street, W.W. Grainger, General Mills and Xerox are looking to hire smart, tech-savvy, collaborative business professionals for 20- or 30-year multifaceted careers, not for IT jobs.

Computerworld  — As IT roles move up the value chain, companies like Johnson & Johnson, State Street (STT), W.W. Grainger (GWW), General Mills and Xerox are looking to hire smart, tech-savvy, collaborative business professionals for 20- or 30-year multifaceted careers, not for IT jobs.

“I believe the idea of hiring people for a job is well past,” says LaVerne Council, CIO at Johnson & Johnson. Instead, Council and other savvy IT and business leaders are more focused than ever on developing sophisticated job-rotation programs and flexible career paths that offer employees exposure and experience throughout the enterprise and significantly boost their opportunities to move up and branch out within the company over time.

“We have a talent management process where we help people coach their careers into various different roles — business to IT, and IT to the business. But we do it as well within IT, from infrastructure to applications to change management and to all of the other various functions within IT,” says W.W. Grainger CIO Tim Ferrarell.

So far, it’s a strategy that appears to be working. Ferrarell, for example, started out at Grainger in merchandising and product management, then progressed through marketing and strategy before moving to IT seven years ago. Grainger’s CEO, Jim Ryan, is a former CIO.

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Senior Information Security Analyst Opportunity in Dallas, TX

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 as we pay referral fees for anyone you refer that we place with a client.

GENERAL FUNCTION:

The senior information security analyst provides technical leadership in support of implementing, maintaining, monitoring and troubleshooting a broad range of security infrastructure at the client company.  The role will serve as a consultant to internal and external parties in establishing security for CLIENT, its affiliates and its products.  The senior information security analyst will provide technical direction and support to more junior members of the team and to product teams who require security expertise in their projects.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

· Monitor, analyze, and interpret security/system logs for events and incidents reflective of unauthorized access or operational irregularities and escalate for action as appropriate

· Serve as information security subject matter expert and actively assist CLIENT teams in the development of secure business solutions for medium to highly complex problems

· Work on multiple projects as the team member who leads the security design of the project

· Support security incident response as required

· Provide technical leadership and support for more junior level security personnel

· Monitor security advisories and ensure security updates, patches and preventive measures are in place throughout the relevant CLIENT computing environments

· Perform technical IT security risk assessments

· Analyze audit findings and make recommendations to lower security risks to acceptable levels

· Support information security awareness efforts throughout CLIENT

· Consult, advise and approve secure network design

· Ensure that security changes comply with company change management policies and procedures

· Author security policies, procedures, standards, and guidelines for computing infrastructure

· Establish and enforce operating system and application hardening standards

· Establish, maintain and monitor mechanisms to ensure protection against malware on company computing systems

· Automate security processes and tasks to achieve efficiencies and/or improved accuracy

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS REQUIRED:

· Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or similar field of study, or have equivalent industry experience

· Minimum of ten years of technical IT experience, five of which were working as information security analyst

· Strong background working with security technologies: firewalls, intrusion detection, vulnerability scanning and remediation, security log management, network traffic analysis, privilege management

· Knowledge of regulatory compliance standards used in financial industry e.g. PCI, GLBA, SOX, SAS70

· Strong understanding of LAN, WAN, and wireless communications and protocols

· Strong knowledge of UNIX and Windows operating systems

· Prefer CISSP, GIAC, or CISM certification

· Must be able to juggle priorities and operate with little ongoing supervision

· Must have excellent teamwork skills

· Certification in Control Self-Assessment (CCSA) or Check Point Certified Security Expert (CCSE) certification preferred

· Familiarity with physical, administrative, and technical controls commonly used to secure information and systems

· Working experience with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS)

· Hands-on experience with Active Directory deployment and maintenance

· Experience with and knowledge of Internet/Intranet networking protocols and services

· Advanced level of understanding of routed and switched networks

· Extensive experience with TCP/IP, routing protocols, and network sniffing technology

· Hands-on experience configuring and managing Cisco routers and switches

· Extensive experience with VPN technology

· Extensive knowledge of Encryption software

WORKING CONDITIONS:

· Office environment with limited exposure to extremes in dust, noise or temperature

· Extended hours of viewing of computer screens and use of computer mouse

· Position requires scheduling flexibility to support on-call work assignments and off hours security incident handling

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 direct-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?

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Retain Your IT Staff Through Job Rotations

As the economy slowly shows signs of improvement, an IT Job Rotation Program can help you retain your top performers.

As the economy slowly shows signs of improvement, your IT staff members will inevitably question whether they should explore new opportunities. The management challenge that we face is that IT professionals possess skills that are relatively transferrable from one industry to another, so if you’re in a hard hit industry, you have more risk in retaining your top talent as other industries improve faster. So, how do you retain your IT staff in today’s unpredictable economy?

Build a Job Rotation Program

Job rotation programs are designed to move employees from job to job within a company as a vehicle to attract, retain and motivate staff. Rotation programs give employees an opportunity to explore other careers, prevent job boredom, develop competencies, foster career growth, and improve talent in an organization. A well designed job rotation program can have a very favorable impact on job satisfaction, productivity and retention. Rotations are different from normal job openings because the job opening is created by two employees interested in moving into each other’s jobs.

Where Do You Start?

First, assemble a small, cross-functional team of individual contributors and managers to define the program. The team can help you study the topic, define specific objectives, establish the process, and make sure that whatever you eventually put in place will be an effective program. There is a lot of free information available on the internet and even consultants that specialize in the topic.

Defining Objectives

While the name of the program clearly implies its intention, it does not convey the reasons why such a program is necessary for your company. It is important that you clearly emphasize why the program is needed. Organizations put rotation programs in place to solve different objectives. The team that you assemble to build the program can help you identify and communicate the objectives of the program. Merely saying that the program will be designed to help retain employees is not sufficient because no one will understand how such a program will help retain employees. And retaining employees is a goal or an outcome, not an objective. An example of an objective of a job rotation program may be to broaden an individual’s knowledge of other functions in the IT department, which in turn will help become more valuable to the organization. In this age of doing more with less, this is a worthy objective.

Establishing a Process

After you have sufficiently studied rotation programs and are ready to design your own, carefully consider the type of process that you will need. Some companies have very informal rotation programs. In these companies, the culture itself encourages employees to move from one job to another. There may be enough natural movement that a highly structured program is not necessary – too much structure may even be viewed as an impediment in this type culture. Although, it is arguable that some amount of structure is necessary in any type of culture so that employees understand how to make a move into a different role that is right for them – and for the company.

When designing a job rotation program, consider steps such as the request process, eligibility, matching participants to opportunities, terms of rotation, timing, transition plan, and monitoring the rotation. It is best to have the program clearly documented and made available on the company’s intranet.

Measuring the Success of the Program

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Long-term Contract Java/J2EE Opportunity with Great Company in Irving, TX

Long-term Contract Java/J2EE Opportunity with Great Company in Irving, TX

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 as we pay referral fees for anyone you refer that we place with a client.

This is expected to be a 12 month Contract and requires web development experience

3 – 5 years experience with the following:

Skills required:
1) Java J2EE Technologies – Enterprise Java Bean (EJB), Java Message Service & Message Driven Beans (JMS-MDB), Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI), Remote Method Invocation (RMI), Web Services, Java Database Connectivity (JDBC), Servlets, Filters, Listeners
2) Oracle – SQL PL/SQL, Familiar with the SOA Suite.
3) XML
4) Unix – Shell Scripting

These skills are a plus:
1) Oracle SOA – Oracle Data Integrator (ODI), Automatic Application Development Framework (ADF), Business Activity Monitoring (BAM), Business Process Execution Language (BPEL)
2) ActionScript 2.0/3.0
3) Flash
4) Flex
5) Silverlight

LOCATION: Irving, TX

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 contract?

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?

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 as we pay referral fees for anyone you refer that we place with a client.

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SAP SALES PROCESS ADMINISTRATOR

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 as we pay referral fees for anyone you refer that we place with a client.

SAP SALES PROCESS ADMINISTRATOR

For over 100 years, our client has been the premier provider of advanced test and measuring instruments for electrical power applications.  Our products provide testing solutions in the most critical electrical power maintenance areas including cable fault locating, protective relay testing, and power quality testing.  We currently have a career opportunity for an experienced Sales Process Administrator at our Dallas, TX location.

Job responsibilities include:

SAP Administration/Projects for Sales & Marketing

  • Material master
  • Order entry
  • Commissions
  • Reports
  • Training
  • Work instructions

Sales & Marketing Contact Management Database Administration

  • Create reports and SQL queries as required by Client Sales and Marketing.
  • Training of new personnel on Customer Relationship Management (CRM) usage
  • Work instructions for CRM usage
  • Work with IT/business process owners to identify and resolve CRM issues as identified by Client sales and marketing personnel.
  • Proactively follow up with IT/business process owners regarding any outstanding CRM issues
  • Proactively define screens/tabs/program modules within CRM for future use by Client Sales and Marketing.

Sales and Marketing special projects

Sales Secretary/Operator back-up–all functions

Material master data entry

Support and attend Client sales meetings as required.

Required skills and experience include:

Strong verbal and written communication skills.

SAP, Microsoft Office, and Access computer skills required.  Goldmine skills a plus.

Ability to work well with multiple departments.

Ability to complete multiple deadlines–requires strong multi-tasking and time management skills.

SAP PA and/or BI report experience preferred.

Understanding of general accounting principles a plus.

Client offers an excellent work environment and competitive compensation program.

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 direct-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?

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IT Staffing and IT Staff Augmentation – Project-Based Staffing

It’s next to impossible for IT employees to be experts in every skill needed to complete any project that comes up. To make up for this lack of expertise, many organizations hire outside temporary help. About 10% to 20% of workers on IT projects are contingent employees, according to David Van De Voort, a principal consultant with Mercer, a human resources and consulting firm in Chicago.

The task of staffing is typically an HR function, but the CIO oversees allocation of resources in the IT department, where it is often prudent to recruit specialized workers for specific projects. Establishing an efficient process for hiring and managing temporary workers is essential to the success of those projects.

One of the challenges in hiring temp workers involves finding the best contract workers and getting them up and running quickly and efficiently. Temporary workers aren’t cheap. According to Van De Voort, organizations fork over $3 for every $1 they pay a regular employee. Find the wrong people — or supervise them inadequately — and an organization is likely to waste a great deal of money in the process.

The upshot: It’s essential for CIOs to have an effective freelance-management system. According to staffing experts, a few key steps in the hiring and managing processes can ensure smooth sailing.Hiring

The first stage involves finding and hiring the right people. The more systematic the process, the easier it will be to locate the right freelancers quickly.

  • Designate regular sources Organizations often find freelancers from a few sources. Contingent staffing firms offer temps who specialize in IT skills. Some focus on specific areas of expertise, such as ERP applications or Java development. Because those firms are able to devote considerable effort to finding specific candidates with specific skills, they’re especially useful when the project needs only a few freelancers at a time.
  • Create a database of expertise An ongoing database of freelancers can list specific areas of expertise. “When you actually need the freelancer, you’re ahead of the game,” says Dora Vell, managing partner of Vell & Associates, an executive search firm in Waltham, Mass.
  • Clarify the job description While this step may seem obvious, doing it right can make a difference. Articulate specifically which skills are needed and the day-to-day duties will be performed, as well as the size and scope of the project, specific benchmarks, timelines, and other expectations for performance. Failure to do so often leads to hiring the wrong person. “We have to make sure we have every detail nailed down so we provide the right candidate,” says Kevin Knau, executive vice president of Hudson, a Chicago staffing firm.

Managing

Once the right freelancers are on board, they have to be supervised. While management of contract workers requires some of the same steps used when overseeing any employee, there are additional issues to consider, as well.

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IT Job Satisfaction in a Rut

It’s getting tough out there for IT employees facing long workdays, short tempers and limited career options.

Computerworld — The Jet Blue flight attendant’s dramatic de-planing last week says a lot about workplace frustration, a problem that may be increasing in IT.

A few days before flight attendant Steven Slater released a rear chute and exited his career with a couple of cans of beer in hand, an organization of IBM users meeting at the Share conference in Boston held an informal discussion entitled “The Mythical 40-Hour Week.”

It wasn’t a gripe session as much as a chance to share notes about what’s going in IT workplaces since the Great Recession. What emerged was an insider’s view of the frustrations building among tech workers as work days lengthen, pay remains stagnant and career growth appears thwarted.

Those taking part in the discussion asked that their names not be used so they could speak frankly.

“You don’t know how many hours you work – it’s all about getting the job done,” said one IT worker. “There are lots, lots of people in IT who are expected to work far more than a 40-hour week,” said another. Sixty hour weeks are common.

Yet another worker described bosses who expect their employees to work late into the night if need be to fix problems and then be on the job the next day at the usual time. Even vacation time is no longer sacrosanct: one person said he expects to be contacted “more than a half dozen times” during his time off.

Even if companies are getting more unpaid hours from their workers in today’s climate, the companies themselves may be getting hurt in other ways, according to the Corporate Executive Board (CEB) in Washington, D.C. The CEB conducts ongoing behavioral surveys of employee attitudes, and many of its clients are Fortune 500 firms.

The willingness of employees to “exert high levels of discretionary effort” — or put in the extra effort to get a job done — remains at low levels, the CEB found in its most recent survey, completed in the second quarter.

This willingness to put in extra effort fell from about 12% of workers in 2007 to about 4% last year. It was the lowest level in 10 years. The latest CEB survey of nearly 20,000 IT workers said that percentage had changed little and is now at 4.6%.

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IT Departments: Bridging the IT Generation Gap

Older generations learned tech. The younger generation lives it. Organizations that want to succeed need the skills of both.

InfoWorld — IT pros who grew up in the Baby Boom are dinosaurs who just don’t get it. Generation Y is full of Facebook-happy slackers with an exaggerated sense of entitlement. But beyond these broad generalizations lie some real differences between the generations of geeks who do tech for a living, from Boomers to Generations X, Y, and the Millennials.

“Today’s generation was born into a world where technology is about interaction, whether it’s playing video games or using social media,” says Larry Johnson, age 62, co-author with daughter Meagan (age 40) of “Generations, Inc.: From Boomers to Linksters — Managing the Friction Between Generations at Work” (Amacom, 2010). “They spent hours at it, the way I spent hours watching ‘Rin Tin Tin.’ So their brains are structured to interact with technology in an entirely different way.”

[ Looking to get the most out of your IT investments, see InfoWorld’s “20 more IT mistakes to avoid” and “16 ways IT can do less with less” | Find out which of InfoWorld’s IT personality types best fits your tech temperament. ]

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IT Staffing: IT Hiring Continues to Improve, According to Surveys

Hiring for IT jobs continues on the upswing in the U.S. and Canada as recessionary gloom gives way to cautious optimism, according to various recent polls of employers, who cite networking, security, virtualization and database skills as among the most sought-after.

IDG News Service — Hiring for IT jobs continues on the upswing in the U.S. and Canada as recessionary gloom gives way to cautious optimism, according to various recent polls of employers, who cite networking, security, virtualization and database skills as among the most sought-after.

“Overall, employer confidence is improving,” said Tom Silver, senior vice president, North America, at Dice Holdings, which operates Dice.com, a technology and engineering careers website. “We hear that as we speak to our customers every day.”

The most recent edition of The Dice Report, which heard from 600 respondents across the U.S. who hire or recruit technology professionals, found that 71 percent expect to add more employees in the second half of the year than they did in the first. More than half of that 71 percent expect to hire 10 or more new IT staff members. Likewise, CDW’s IT Monitor has had similar findings in its surveys across the U.S. and in some areas of Canada.

The IT Monitor recently found that 37 percent of IT decision makers at large companies expect to hire more IT staff in the rest of the year, which is up 11 percentage points from a year ago — the size of the increase was “a much faster jump than I would have expected to see,” said Matt Troka, CDW vice president of product and partner management and acting CMO.

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