Blogging: The Way Forward
Apr/100
Blog, Tweet, Twitter, Comment, Chat, Facebooking – whatever you want to call it or whatever medium you choose to use, nobody today can escape the phenomenon that is Blogging. One of the forefathers of this online sensation is Pat Phelan who won Blogger of the Year at the Irish Blog Awards. From his background of being a butcher turned chef he went on to become a leading Entrepreneur with his telecommunications business active in 230 countries worldwide with a business model that costs zero and sold it for X. It wasn’t just this excellent business model that led to Pat’s success but a mammoth amount of patience and continuous blogging that enabled him to post his ideas to the masses.
The Blog world is an infinite community and a lot of people have web access and opinions’ and views that can be strewn across the www in nano-seconds. The current climate is constantly changing and emerging from it is a savvy class of people who choose to voice their opinion, so lets join them and you never know what might become of you!!
Innovation: The Way Forward
Mar/100
A recent government report released earlier this month, Innovation Task force Report, has led to a major emphasis on innovation in the Irish economy. The Report is an important element of the Government’s Plan, Building Ireland’s Smart Economy, for dealing with the challenges facing the Irish economy in a changed world. The Report sets out some key recommendations and steps to allow Ireland to be transformed into a Global Innovation Hub. Can innovation provide a solution to our troubled economy? Can technology provide the best solution?
Innovation can come from anywhere, anyone and at any time. It’s a case of moulding an idea and enabling people to take that idea and give them a platform to drive and develop it. Technology may provide the best answer. There has been continued growth in video based platforms online. One such area that could develop within this growth is working remotely. The idea of working remotely is familiar concept, but the development of video conferencing, web cams and Webex can allow for new opportunities for both employers and employees. For employers it’s an adaptation of workforce practices, trust, and enablement in the employees you are hiring and modifying the way we think successful workers work. It offers numerous opportunities for the Irish work force to export their knowledge globally. Historically, Ireland has been known as a hotbed for educational excellence, this excellence could be exported via technology, via TelePresence, or Webex to countries that struggle to attract the right level of quality that Ireland possesses.
The government report also highlights the need for investment in national infrastructure. This is a key factor in the development of video based solutions. Investment in infrastructure and the support of the private sector and service providers will assist access to workforce throughout Ireland.
Innovation can provide the next step in the road to recovery for the Irish economy. The next bright idea could provide a pathway to a smart Irish economy.
http://evertb.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/report_of_the_innovation_taskforce.pdf
Positive growth trend continues in Ireland’s professional jobs market
Mar/100
The latest Premier Group Irish Employment Monitor covering February 10 figures was published this morning.
This month’s highlights include:
- In February 10, new professional job vacancies increased by 34% compared to February 09
- Month on month, the number of new job vacancies rose by 7%
- This is the fourth consecutive month of increase in the number of new jobs available for professionals
- In February compared to January, the number of new professionals beginning a new job search increased by 19%
- There were 58% more professionals beginning a job search in February 10 compared to the same month last year
The full release can be viewed on our website:http://www.verkom.ie/Irish-employment-monitor-February-2010
In addition, the Morgan McKinley London Employment Monitor covering February 10 has also been published.
- New financial services job vacancies in February 10 rose by 13% month-on-month
- Compared to the same month last year, job numbers were up 67% in February 10, a similar uplift to that seen in January 10 vs. January 09
- The number of professionals entering the jobs market in February 10 increased by 29% on January 10 and also rose by 29% compared to February 09
- The average City salary stood at ₤51,560 – a 2% month-on-month increase
- For those considering changing jobs in 2010, career development rather than remuneration was identified as the key reason (57%)
The full release can be viewed on
http://www.morganmckinley.co.uk/Employment-Monitor-February-2010
Government planning PAYE crackdown on contract workers
Jan/100
Some of you may have read the recent article in the Sunday Business Post regarding proposed changes for contractors payment of PAYE. We would not be concerned at this stage that any proposed changes would have any affect on our current IT contractors. Those acting legitimately through a LTD company are unlikely to be affected.
The proposal is designed to ensure that contractors who are de facto employees cannot avoid PAYE by being paid through limited companies they establish.
The proposed changes are currently only in draft form and we will be keeping all of our contractors updated as we obtain additional information through the revenue in the coming months.
Changes were made in the UK a couple of years ago which had significant ramifications for IT contractors however we don’t anticipate the same level or amendments to legislation here.
http://www.sbpost.ie/news/government-planning-paye-crackdown-on-contract-workers-46695.html – Article from the Sunday Business Post
Contractors, how do you think this legislation could affect you? Do you think this legislation change will change the face of the IT Contract market in Ireland?
Has the recession affected the IT market?
Jul/090
Recession, Recession, Recession… Has the IT market Boomed, Crashed or stayed Consistent throughout the last 12 months in Ireland?
Two of the most common questions we are asked at the moment is “How do you feel the recession has affected IT? Are there more IT candidates looking for work now compared with this time last year?”
We decided to publish our statistics based on the Verkom website and the volume of candidates who have sent in their CVs to us from July 2008 to July 2009. This may help answer some of the common questions being asked. 
Firstly, you will be interested to know that within the last 12 months there has been a consistent amount of applications coming through our Verkom website. Typically during the middle of December applications slow down and early in the New Year we tend to see more applications year on year which was the same for early 2009.
What does this mean?
This means that, unlike other industries, the level of IT professionals applying for work has not dramatically increased during this downturn
However, the amount of IT jobs available has decreased between 30 – 35% compared with this time last year. We have seen that this decrease has mostly been in senior-end IT jobs like Project Management, Program Management, IT Management and senior Business Analysis. As a result, senior-end candidates have reduced their salary expectations both in the permanent and contracting market.
Other areas of IT have remained stable. The area of IT Development has remained consistent and skilled developers can command similar salaries to this time last year.
Overall, the IT market has not been hit as hard as other industries like construction and electronic manufacturing so be glad you’re working in IT! The good news is that there are still opportunities out there and companies are still hiring.