The Education System – Failing to prepare people to secure positions in the real world?
Aug/100
In a week which saw record number of students applying for third-level college places, the importance being placed on further education is obvious. As a recruitment consultant who has been working in the Dublin market for the past 10 years I have however noticed a distinct lack of emphasis on actually preparing individuals on how to go about securing real jobs.
I have encountered people who have spend considerable time, effort and money in ensuring they have excellent education qualifications and certifications and yet have spent minimal time on how to present these credentials to prospective employers.
CV presentation and interview preparation are vital areas to focus on in order to give people the best chance of getting a job in the real world, there is no point in having all the qualifications/skills/abilities in the world if you can not actually “sell yourself” at an interview.
I would recommend that every secondary school and college student be given courses covering these topics and no this is not just a suggestion to give recruitment consultants more career opportunities! I would consider this preparation a vital part of educating young people to reach their maximum potential in this extremely competitive world.
Angela Redmond – Senior Consultant – Verkom
Summer Heating up on the IT side
Aug/100
I thought I would update our followers on whats hot and not so hot in the summer months on the IT front. There has been an increase in the amount of signed off jobs for July and companies seem to be getting more confident about hiring people. Technical tests are growing in demand and becoming a major priority especially for start ups. The main skills in demand are very much Java/J2EE/JEE skills, core Java is not so popular however mid level candidates with 2 – 5 years experience are (smokin’ hot!) very much in demand.
Senior positions such as IT Advisory, Audit, Governance, Risk and Release Management are becoming a necessary requirement for Professional Services and some of our FS clients.
We have seen a growth in Technical support with Languages and Network Engineer positions
Skills especially certified in Vmware, Citrix and Cisco with a noticeable decline in Field Service and 1st level Support vacancies’.
C++ continues to be a popular skill set at the moment, most notably in niche software development houses, the gaming sector, telecommunications and the contact centre space. Candidates with a strong mathematical background with the ability to absorb complicated algorithms are in demand. In the .Net space, the latest versions of C# (3.5 and 4.0) coupled with technologies such as LINQ and OO Programming are desirable across all markets.
Contract Developers are still in high demand with a special focus on Business Intelligence requirements noticed a slight decline in new jobs registered in July in line with seasonal trends.
Keen to hear your thoughts on the above;
What Companies want – Now and Then
Aug/100
Having recruited for Software Developers for various companies in Dublin over the past decade I have noticed a big change in most clients’ priorities over the past 18 months.
Traditionally clients were much more concerned with candidate’s work experience; what technologies they used, what they had achieved, industry background etc.
Now while track record is still important, qualifications are also crucial. Educational background is emphasised, with many companies looking for 2.1 Degrees or above and some will only consider applicants who have Masters! Certifications are important to have, one of the most desirable is the Sun Certified Programmer for Java.
Membership of professional bodies and specific interest groups are also extremely desirable.
The reasons behind this new focus are varied but fundamentally I believe are because clients are looking for extra reassurances that the person they hire can really do the job as especially in this current environment they cannot afford to take a chance and there is also the perception that they can be extra “fussy”. There is an increasing requirement for IT professionals to be able to multi task, so they may need to be able to do full life cycle development, have leader ships skills and be comfortable in client facing situations.
While this may prove good news for the various providers of further education it has put many strong developers who have excellent track records at some what of a disadvantage when pursuing new career opportunities.
Like most things in life I would recommend clients have a more balanced approach and not to rule applicants out purely based on lack of academic achievement.
Angela Redmond: Senior Recruitment Consultant: Verkom Dublin