| Information Technology Careers and Coming to Canada By Matunda Nyanchama Toronto, Canada October 20, 2002 The 1980s and 1990s were years of worldwide technological explosion fueled by the growth of Internet and electronic commerce. Many a prophet suggested that this was a transformation of similar proportions as the industrial revolution of many generations ago. Over the two decades, demand for Information Technology (IT) professionals has continued to skyrocket. In many instances, many countries’ human resource development plans were caught unprepared. Very often emergency steps had to be taken to cope with the anticipated demand for professionals in this field. Ireland, for example, started a special expatriate program for IT professionals. Universities and colleges expanded their telecommunications and computer engineering programs to help meet projected shortfalls. They hurriedly expanded intake to computer science programs in an effort to meet the anticipated demand for computer programmers. This trend continues to date as we see more and more colleges put together specialized programs to address skill sets needed in the market. There are courses that span the whole IT spectrum, including business analysis, programming, systems development, network support, system administration, security and more. This is a phenomenon will continue for many years to come as computerization becomes even more pervasive and with the continued growth of electronic commerce. Despite the recent set backs in the stock market and the “dotcom” bubble-burst, demand for IT professionals continues to grow. The market valuation of for technology companies may have dropped substantially but demand for IT professionals is only marginally impacted. Many surveys project continued shortfalls for many years in the future. One element showing a slight dip is the rate of growth in IT remuneration. Canada has had plans to address this shortfall for a long time now through immigration. Potential immigrants with IT training and experience continue to get more preference in the point system used for selection. It is a trend likely to continue into the foreseeable future. This is good news for IT professionals coming to Canada. Indeed, it has been so for scores of immigrants many of who have joined the workforce within a short period of stay in the country. Among them are major successes and continued to progression through career ranks in a number of organizations. This is a story told by the common sight of recent immigrants in many organizations’ IT departments. In one organization I know, one IT team of 20 people has more than 15 recent immigrants in its ranks! There are challenges though that one must be ready to confront in the pursuit of success. The sooner an immigrant appreciates these challenges, the earlier s/he will start positioning her/himself for a successful IT career in this country. There are some companies that insist on Canadian experience, something that should not shock anyone. In this regard, immigrants may find their credentials undervalued and their experience under appreciated. It may in turn require that the immigrant take a more junior position than one had in their country of origin or take more courses to upgrade one’s skill level in a particular area. In many cases, it takes only a short while for the immigrants’ true skill level shows. Soon, such a person would find oneself at the right position commensurate with the experience and training. The process can be protracted, though! To stay ahead in IT, one requires continued training in various technologies, and the business and methodology of IT. Immigrants should not shy from taking such courses as they offer the positioning for success. Indeed, it has been the case that immigrants take a number of courses while they await the opening of an opportunity for employment. It is advisable to have a positive attitude towards training. Selection of courses is also crucial to for position for better employment opportunities. I know of a person, a former IT manager in his country, who chose to train in computer security in order to enhance his chances of employment. He remains employed to date and continues to climb the corporate ladder! There is a lot of emphasis laid on industry certification in North America. And while certification alone does not test the competency of an individual, it offers the potential employer the confidence that an application has knowledge in a particular area. It also underlines the fact that a recognized testing body has established one’s knowledge. Certifications can be product or industry knowledge-based. Examples of the former include CISCO, CNE, MCSE, Oracle DBA, etc. Industry knowledge certifications include PMI (from the Project Management Institute), CISSP (for security professionals), CISA (for IT auditors) and more. IT immigrants should study the market well and go for those certifications that offer the best chances for getting into the job market. In searching for a job and organization to work for, immigrants should take the long-range view. A number of people get disappointed when they focus on short tem choices and decisions. Considering that you have come all the way from your country and plan to make Canada your permanent home, it is worthwhile to take one’s time and ensure not to go wrong in making hasty career decisions whose outcomes may be mere frustration. As such selection of courses and jobs should have a long-term strategic outlook, informed by market realities and potential growth of opportunities in those areas. So what career areas are hot in the Canadian IT market? Computer security, ERP systems, IT business analysis, IT audit, network support, system administration, and project management are but a few of projected growth areas. Surveys show not only increased demand for IT security professionals and project managers but also projected growth in compensation. There is also substantial projected growth in demand for professionals in the other areas mentioned. In other words, the selection menu is broad. So you have arrived in Canada. How do you go about locating that job you would like? Published reports suggest that more than 80% of jobs in the market are never advertised. To get to these jobs one needs networking and getting to know people that would know about the jobs. When you arrive in Canada, take some job search training and locate recruiters in your area of expertise. Work with the recruiters on a continued basis in your job search. Of course, continue your own networking efforts and reach out to individuals that work in the same field. Joining professional organizations in your area of expertise can enhance your chances for employment even further and subsequent growth in your career. In this article we have focused on the IT job potential for immigrants. Self-employment is another option. With considerable experience and understanding of the Canadian IT market, it is possible to start one’s business in the IT sector. Potential businesses include managed and hosting services, service maintenance and service contracts, hardware supplies and support, professional consulting services (security, project management, IT business and more), IT recruiting and more. Anecdotal evidence suggests that immigrants have not ventured as much into IT business as their number would warrant. However, remember that nothing ventured is nothing gained and t is possible that this situation will change in the future. The Canadian IT market projections suggest future shortfalls in number of professionals in IT. The Canadian government plans to fill the associated shortfall through immigration. Potential immigrants taking advantage of this should be aware that there exists job and business potential in IT. It is possible that the immigrant will not get what one wants right away. However, over time, this situation can change. Indeed, there are many cases of success to cite. This road to success requires continued training, certification and networking. The shorter one takes to integrate in the job market, the less painful the experience. Come prepared, both psychologically and physically for the challenge; and prepare to learn from experiences of those that have succeeded in the same area. © Matunda Nyanchama, October 16, 2002. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The write is a computer security consultant and information security manager at a major financial institution in Canada. He can be reached at Matunda@hotmail.com or mnyanchama@aganoconsulting.com. |
| Copyright © 2003 Agano Consulting Inc |
