What qualities do you look for when hiring for your team? The ability to work with others is a key requirement in today’s team-oriented environment. Another is the ability to look at IT as a service and understand how we support the business, even if a person is an infrastructure specialist. Everything and everyone supports the business, not just functional analysts.
I’ve been in law enforcement for over 10 years, and my opportunities to advance have been slim. My position is secure, with good benefits. Unfortunately, it doesn’t provide me with any challenges. A company that is hiring in my area will accept applicants with only a bachelor’s degree and will train you on the job. I have a good background in IT, especially hardware. Should I give up a sure thing to pursue an IT or project manager position in this economy? The IT market has certainly picked up in the past year. IT can be a very challenging and rewarding area, and I feel that opportunity abounds. On-the-job training is a great way to get the basics and get in on the ground floor. There is a groundswell of projects that were delayed over the past couple of years with the recession that are now starting to come back to life. While there are no guarantees, I would say that this would be a good career move.
In an increasingly cloud-based world, what skills will be most in demand in years to come? We have to look at the two cloud environments. Public clouds alleviate the need for server support, but you still need strong security and firewall expertise. With a private cloud, you will actually require stronger support skills in the advanced technical systems that make up that environment. This includes experience in virtual-machine support from the server side, storage expertise, networking skills, and security and firewall expertise. You also have to be a good architect.