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Posted by Corpcorp | 26, Apr, 2012
Inability to get desired projects or to move up the ranks leaves many IT consultants frustrated. In spite of the demand for consultants in the industry, the personal experiences of these professionals indicate the opposite. Even today the requirements of a successful IT career remain elusive to a majority of professionals. The secret to IT career development lies in gaining business perspective.
Why Business Perspective in Essential for Successful IT Consulting
IT industry is highly dynamic. New technologies are coming up faster than ever and the success of IT organizations depends on their successful adoption. With the fierce competition existing between companies, no firm can afford to ignore new IT developments. These organizations are always in need of professionals who not only have technological knowledge, but also possess the ability to apply it effectively based on business requirements. For this, IT professionals need to make efforts to gain business perspective. In today’s environment, technological proficiency alone is not sufficient for a successful IT career.
Acquiring Business Perspective
You need to prove to the recruiter or employer that you understand business requirements and are capable of coming up with innovative ways of attaining them through effective IT application. For this, along with the knowledge of the latest technologies, you also need to gain soft skills for:
• Leading projects
• Motivating team members
• Understanding client ecosystem
• Making yourself invaluable to the clients
• Communicating in business language
Such soft skills are almost as important as technical knowledge in the development of your IT career. Unlike technical skills that keep changing with time, soft skills remain unchanged and keep building on themselves. For long term productive contribution to the business, employers need IT professionals who have both business perspective and the right technical skills.
Photo Courtesy: ForexLearning on Flickr
Posted by Dan Zubrzycki | 25, Apr, 2012
We recently discussed ways to engage your online presence to further benefit your professional brand. The advice seems simple, but few people seem to really engage an active online presence. Simple tools like twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIN, all can drastically increase your visibility.
Those steps require little effort. Swallow your pride and join the social media revolution.
Fewer people take the next step which truly puts you head and shoulders above the rest of your competition. It is the step that takes you into the 1% of visibility which means you exponentially increase your potential to bring in new clients.
Blogging has many forms, for a long while, it was simply writing your thoughts on a subject. It was considered the domain of the rarefied experts and angst-ridden teenagers. Yet, more and more, businesses and entrepreneurs are using Blogs as a platform to leverage their online presence into creative businesses and as sales pitches for their free-lance work.
Here are a few basic overviews of what you can do to use a blog to your advantage.
What to create: You can use almost any skill in your pocket to make a name for yourself with a blog. If you are a decent writer, write about industry news, write about your strategies, write about new technology or interesting developments. If you feel like you are a better speaker than writer, create a podcast or a video blog which talks about the same things. Put yourself into it, people like characters! Just by putting yourself out there, you’ll position yourself as a major player in your industry. People believe what you show them, so show them you are a pro.
Tip – Not everyone creates their own content! See below for information about ghost writers and hired bloggers.
80/20: “Wait a minute,” you say, “why should I give away free ideas? I should be charging!” Yes, you should. But first, show them what they’re buying. In fact, pay it forward in a big way. Give them 80% and charge for the last 20%. They’ll be so hooked on your voice that they’ll insist on buying.
Creative Business: Beyond simply leveraging your page to advertise your traditional services, you can create e-courses, e-books, or other consulting and mentoring programs which you can charge for or use to further increase your brand in your industry. You diversify your income and expand your presence. Talk about win-win.
Alright, so not everyone can do it. It takes a bit more creativity, but blogging is hugely rewarding. Dedicate yourself to writing 1-3 times per week and you can see significant changes in your network, your reputation, and even your own understanding of your field. Combine these tips with the section about social media presence, and you will surely have a brand new business self prepared to succeed in the new business world.
– You can get in touch with Dan Zubrzycki for quotes about blog-creation, ghost writing, and self-start-up consulting at DMZubrzycki@gmail.com.
Posted by Corpcorp | 25, Apr, 2012
For earning a promotion, you have to work hard. At various points in our lives, in both professional and personal capacities, advancement requires us to grow personally. For some fortunate people, personal growth can be found in areas that we enjoy pursuing. However, if, for example, getting a promotion requires that you learn to be a successful project-manager and you find it difficult to delegate work to others, this will be hard for you professionally.
To get noticed, you will have to move outside your comfort zone and acquire new skills. There will be areas you aren’t at ease with. Here are some tips on how to deal with this:
Try Out Something New
You might be a technical expert but there is always something new to be learnt. Maybe your specialty is network security and you would like to learn more about the subject and the latest developments in the field. By trying something new, you can keep yourself open to any changes you might be faced with.
Give a Presentation
For some people, just the thought of standing up in front of a crowded conference room and making a presentation is a terrifying thought – especially if the boss is in the audience. Give yourself a chance to make an impact, not only on your boss but on your team as well. Draw some positive attention to yourself and stand out from the crowd.
Volunteer to Lead a Project
Volunteering as a project leader is a daunting task. You will have to take risks, delegate work, and take responsibility along with setting deadlines and setting goals for the team. If you do a good job, not only will your confidence be boosted, it is likely that your boss will notice your achievement.
Volunteer to Train People
Training fellow employees can be exciting especially if you volunteer to take up the job. It will require a certain amount of confidence and responsibility. Your boss will begin to see you as someone he can rely on to do what is necessary. Being a manager is not always fun and games, you must be able to deal with any unpleasant tasks that arise.
Photo Courtesy: SimCura on Flickr
Posted by Corpcorp | 25, Apr, 2012
Generally in IT industry, an interview is usually divided into three broad sections: telephonic interview, face to face technical interview, and personal interview.
Telephonic Interview
A telephonic interview is often the first step. In this phase of the interview process, a preliminary match is made between job profile and candidate. Aspects such as job location, job expectations and responsibilities, hours of work, pay package, benefits, promotion, over time and career development are also discussed in phone interview.
Personal Interview
While phone interview is the first step in the selection process, personal interview is often the last step. It usually involves asking non-technical questions to determine the attitude and personality of the candidate, and introducing him to management personnel and the actual work environment.
Technical Interview
For a majority of companies, technical interview is the most important tool for determining the suitability of candidates. While some companies prefer to conduct technical interviews over telephone, others conduct it in person. The level of difficulty also differs from one company to another. For instance, if a firm has a large number of applicants for a position, the technical interview in such a case is likely to be rigorous. The interviewers may go beyond the requirements of the position and check the depth of the candidate’s knowledge. However, some companies may be satisfied with basic technical skills and job specific knowledge.
There is no single sure shot way of acing technical interviews. It is recommended to inquire about the topics for the interview beforehand, if possible. Finding out more about the technical interview style can also be helpful. For instance, it can provide an idea whether the interviewers are likely to focus on work experience or subject knowledge. Commonly technical interviews are likely to include basic questions, multiple choice questions as well as what-if scenarios or case studies. Having knowledge about technical interview style can be crucial in preparing for it and coming out at the top.
Photo Courtesy: Susanne13 on Flickr
Posted by Corpcorp | 25, Apr, 2012
Finding the right clients is only half the job done, you also need to convince them to entrust you with new projects. Intense competition among consultants has made this task very difficult. Once you have a list of ideal clients in hand, you need to draw their attention and ensure that they get in touch with you.
Contacting Potential Clients
There are a number of ways of getting your message through to the clients and attracting their attention. The most popular ones include email and telephone. While sending emails it is important to take care not to create spam. Rather than sending messages in bulk, customizing them based on individual client requirements is recommended for maximum impact. Ensure that the subject line is concise, crisp and to the point. The entire piece should be well thought out and should strongly motivate potential clients to get in touch with you.
Your message should clearly state your offer and highlight its advantages. But merely stating the benefits is not enough. In addition to emphasizing how the client is likely to benefit from the service, you also need to address the doubts or concerns that the client may have and remove them. Offering some form of guarantee is one of the most effective ways of overcoming client hesitation. Creating a presentation or a report offering useful information and asking prospective clients to contact you to get it is also an effective approach.
Following up
Although follow up is one of the most important steps, it is often ignored. Overlooking follow up is likely to result in the loss of a significant number of clients. Successful consultants know that for converting a prospect into a client, at least seven or more communications are required. Relationships are the basis of all business activities and building a relationship takes time.
Photo Courtesy: faithseekings on Flickr
