Ben Smith - Passionate about IT

Thoughts, Opinions and Learnings

[bensmithnz]

Evangelising ICT

New Zealand's first dedicated nationwide ICT Outreach programme,ICT-Connect, is here! ICT-Connect is the IT industry's in-school programme to increase the visibility and desirability of a career in IT for the next generation of IT Professionals.

ICT-Connect is one of IITP's cornerstone initiatives for 2012, where we connect IT professionals like you with schools and students considering their future options and evangelise what a career in IT looks like. So what's it all about and how does it work?

What is ICT-Connect?

ICT-Connect is the nationwide in-school programme designed to inspire and educate young people about future options in the ICT sector.

What that actually means is that ICT-Connect puts role model IT professionals face-to-face with students in schools, introducing and discussing what a future in IT means to them. The IT professionals explain what they do in a short series of weekly presentations, plus illustrate the diverse opportunities and pathways available in our great industry.

ICT-Connect's objective is to ultimately strengthen the future of ICT in New Zealand, by opening a new generation's eyes to the endless possibilities emerging in the field.

The programme partners IT professionals with schools and with students but it isn't about telling teachers what to teach - that's their area. It's about telling inspiring stories and opening eyes to the opportunities in IT.

ICT-Connect: Pilot Phase

Back in 2009 NZCS (as it was then) commissioned the ICT-Connect pilot. The pilot programme ran over 4-5 weeks in 12 secondary schools across 3 regions. The schools selected were chosen based on a geographic and socio-economic spread.

What was fascinating about this Pilot was the interest from schools to be involved. The Pilot schools were chosen from over 300 schools who wanted to be involved in the Pilot, a strong indication of the need for such a programme.

Through a vetting process, we were responsible for the selection of schools and IT Professionals that went through the pilot phase.

Based on the feedback from students, the professionals who took part and the teachers involved, the pilot phase was hugely successful in engaging schools with IT.

In short, we know this programme works.

How will ICT-Connect make a difference?

One of the fundamental issues our profession has to address is the declining number of students graduating from the tertiary space (or moving straight into industry). These are students with relevant qualifications looking to join the IT Profession in New Zealand.

Given the huge demand for professionals in IT, the high pay rates, the opportunities and the potential benefit for New Zealand, this is an alarming situation to be in.

Modern-day society is heavily reliant on technology, communications and software. Unfortunately, we have to battle with the current declining numbers of graduates. BUT given the proven success of the ICT-Connect pilot, we know that this initiative will help reverse these declining numbers and start turning New Zealand into the leading-edge technology country we all know it can be.

There are sufficient and growing job opportunities in New Zealand for IT graduates but we just don't seem to be able to fill them. If we want to keep these great tech companies in New Zealand, we need to prepare for the future state as well and that includes introducing tomorrow's professionals to our industry today.

2012 Rollout

Earlier this year we concluded the funding stage of ICT-Connect. Having brought aboard over 40partners to support the programme. This was overwhelming support and showed awesome support for ICT-Connect from our industry. Thanks everyone - you've made a very real difference.

Since the closing of the funding stage, the ICT-Connect programme has gone from strength to strength. With the newly completed phase 1 of the website we are now accepting expressions of interest from both professionals and secondary schools.

And we have big plans for the website too, including a big section of information for students about the industry, how to get there, videos, etc.

Expressions of Interest for Schools: Be part of the ICT-Connect programme

With expressions now open for secondary schools around New Zealand, now has never been a better time to get in at the ground floor and give your students to opportunity to learn what a career in ICT really means! And best of all, it's free.

If you are a school or an ICT teacher and would like to get involved in the ICT-Connect Programme, you can download a prospectus or head to our web site for more information

Download the Schools Prospectus or head to the ICT Connect web site for more info.

Expressions of Interest: Professionals - Step up and be counted

This program cannot be successful without IT Professionals like you to deliver their inspiring and success stories and to talk about what they love about our field.

Are you passionate about IT? Want to step up and make a difference? It isn't hard and it won't take much of your time, but it'll make a very real difference to kids in school.

Download the Professionals  Information Pack or head to the ICT Connect web site for more info.

We know this programme works. But we can't do it without your help.

For the hundreds of schools and professionals that have registered already, a huge thank you to you all. Your expressions are coming in thick and fast, and this is shaping up to be a fantastic programme and a very busy 2012!

And a big thanks for those that have made it possible

The ICT-Connect Partners saw and understood what we were trying to do and got in behind it. They're not doing it for their benefit, they're doing it to step up, be good corporate citizens, and make a real difference to the future of our kids. Well done.

The programme is also being delivered in association with the Health IT Cluster, SoftwareNZ andInternetNZ.

ICT-Connect has made fantastic progress so far this year, we'd like to see this momentum carry on through 2012 and 2013 as we roll this out across New Zealand. As always you can contact us on [email protected] or head over to the ICT-Connect web site. If you are socially engaged then you can contact me on my twitter account @bensmithnz

Ben Smith is Projects and Engagement Coordinator at IITP and is responsible for coordinating ICT-Connect nationwide

[bensmithnz]

Engaging tomorrow's IT Professionals in schools

As mentioned in last week's Newsline, 2012 is the year NZCS embarks on a number of new and strengthened initiatives.

One hugely important one is ICT-Connect, where we connect IT professionals like you with schools and young ones considering their future options and evangelise what a career in IT looks like.

This is crucial if we, as a sector, are serious about leading New Zealand's future economic growth. But it's also a broad initiative and if we're going to succeed, we need your help.

ICT-Connect's had a lot of buzz recently, including coverage in Computerworld, Dominion Post,Newsline and others.

Computerworld editor Sarah Putt, who "gets it" about this stuff, talked about much of it on the Tech-Talk segment of TVNZ's Breakfast show recently:

And she's right of course - this stuff is seriously important.

What is ICT-Connect?

ICT-Connect is (and will be) the nationwide in-school programme designed to inspire and educate young people about future options in the ICT sector.

What that actually means is that ICT-Connect puts role model IT professionals face-to-face with students in schools, introducing and discussing what a future in IT means to them. The IT professionals explain what they do in a short series of weekly presentations, plus illustrate the diverse opportunities and pathways available in our great industry.

ICT-Connect's objective is to ultimately strengthen the future of ICT in New Zealand, by opening a new generation's eyes to the endless possibilities emerging in the field.

The programme partners IT professionals with schools and with students but it isn't about telling teachers what to teach - that's their area. It's about telling inspiring stories and opening eyes to the opportunities in IT.

ICT-Connect: Pilot Phase

Back in 2009 NZCS commissioned the ICT-Connect pilot. The pilot programme ran over 4-5 weeks in 12 secondary schools across 3 regions. The schools selected were chosen based on a geographic and socio-economic spread, plus ensuring girls schools and those with a high Maori enrolment were included.

What was fascinating about this Pilot was the interest from schools to be involved. The Pilot schools were chosen from over 400 schools who wanted to be involved in the Pilot, a strong indication of the need for such a programme.

Through a vetting process, NZCS was responsible for the selection of schools and IT Professionals that went through the pilot phase.

Based on the feedback from students, the professionals who took part and the teachers involved, the pilot phase was hugely successful in engaging schools with IT. Example feedback included:

I'm really going to consider a future in the IT world thanks to each presentation. It showed me that there is a lot more to offer in the IT world than I originally thought. Also the people you work with look really down to earth which I see myself working with in the future.

- Chrissy, Year 13, Heretaunga College

Before the presentations began I believed that if you went into a career of ICT you only work in the big buildings with hundreds of offices and you'd work in a warm sticky environment. However, now I see how broad and extensive a career in IT really is. This idea excites me and especially the sound of travel that goes along with that.

- Nathan, Year 12, Aotea College

I'm now even more encouraged to pursue a career in the IT industry. I also have a better idea of how I can get involved as it seems at first like a difficult industry to get a job in unless you are a super-genius-coding expert."

- Vicky, Year 13, Heretaunga College 

There were heaps of similar messages and feedback from teachers and presenters was equally as ecstatic. In short, we know this programme works.

How will ICT-Connect make a difference?

One of the fundamental issues our profession has to address is the declining number of students graduating from the tertiary space (or moving straight into industry). These are students with relevant qualifications looking to join the IT Profession in New Zealand.

Given the huge demand for professionals in IT, the high pay rates, the opportunities and the potential benefit for New Zealand, this is an alarming situation to be in.

Modern-day society is heavily reliant on technology, communications and software. This reliance is only going to increase. If the ICT Profession in New Zealand is unable to service these needs, how does this affect the sustainability of New Zealand? How does this affect the future of our country?

ICT-connect is a programme that looks at the future state of our profession. Unfortunately, we have to battle with the current declining numbers of graduates. BUT given the proven success of the ICT-Connect pilot, we know that this initiative will help reverse these declining numbers and start turning New Zealand into the leading-edge technology country we all know it can be.

In last week's Newsline NZCS CEO Paul Matthews stated "Companies like Orion Health and Jade are signaling they'll individually need hundreds of IT peeps over the next year alone and that's matched by many others also finding their growth hugely constrained by lack of people with the right skills in IT."

There are sufficient and growing job opportunities in New Zealand for IT graduates but we just don't seem to be able to fill them. And that's the current state. If we want to keep these great tech companies in New Zealand, we need to prepare for the future state as well and that includes introducing tomorrow's professionals to our industry today.

ICT-Connect is the foundation to change this through introducing the great positives of a future in IT to the younger generation and helping them understand the great opportunities now and in the future.

Can we do it alone?

Nope. We need YOUR help.

There are two major ways you can help us get this initiative up and running:

Have your company partner with ICT-Connect

NZCS is funding a huge chunk of this project but we need industry (that's YOU!) and others to get in behind it and come aboard as Partners. Many organisations all contributing a little bit will mean the programme is sustainable in the longterm.

There are partnership opportunities for all organizational shapes and sizes, private and public, and every small bit makes a difference. Supporting this initiative will also help your organisation establish itself as being serious about providing for the future of our sector.

As well as being part of the project that will make a huge difference, Partnership comes with significant profile and branding opportunities. And the fact is, we can't do it without your help. So if you're a decision maker, drop us a note and we'll talk through options. Otherwise, forward this to those in your organisation who can support it - it's too important not to.

Download the Partner Prospectus for more info or drop us a note for more info.

Step up and be counted

This program cannot be successful without IT Professionals like you to deliver their inspiring and success stories and to talk about what they love about our field.

Are you passionate about IT? Want to step up and make a difference? Prepared to step up and talk at schools in your area? Stay tuned - we'll be calling for volunteers in the next month or so.

We know this programme works. But we can't do it without your help.

Ben Smith is Projects and Engagement Coordinator at NZCS and is responsible for launching ICT-Connect nationwide.

This blog written by myself was recently published in the NZCS weekly Newsline e-newsletter (February 20th 2012). Newsline is an online newsletter which goes to 10,000 ICT Professionals in New Zealand.

Original article can be seen here http://www.nzcs.org.nz/newsletter/57

[bensmithnz]

Building a sustainable profession starts with you.

Our sector is made up of thousands of talented people involved in a variety of roles which in turn contribute to the success of our industry.

From helpdesk analysts, technicians, engineers, developers and team leaders, through to security consultants, project managers and CxO level roles, each person has a responsibility and duty of care to attend to their own learning and behaviours.

But what about our industry, who is responsible for looking after it? Who is responsible for its development?

What's happening?

Fortunately, there are a number of great people doing great work in order to advance our profession. These people develop and apply the following in order to advance their own careers and also our profession:

Experience

Ethics

Education

Engagement

Each of these four elements forms a fundamental part of growing your career and our profession. They also determine the way we conduct business, provide customer service and interact with our customers.

Let's break down these four elements and look at what they are made up of.

Experience

You can't rush experience yet it is very important for a successful ICT career. From design and development, delivery of services, troubleshooting and issue resolution for clients through to concurrently managing streams of work crossing several sectors.

The longer you have been involved in your line of work, the more likely you are to have the skillset needed to tackle the day to day challenges that our profession brings.

Education

Education on the other hand is something that you actively pursue. It involves dedication and commitment, and can take a number of forms. You could attend a tertiary institution which is generally the most common form of education but it is not the only option.

ICT Professionals who pursue higher education show:

Commitment to the ICT profession.

Commitment to advancing their own level of knowledge.

Commitment to ensuring that they are providing the best solutions as governed by current "best-practice" methodologies.

Based on the above, education can be defined as:

"a degree, level, or kind of schooling"

but also, it can also be defined as:

"the act or process of imparting or acquiring particular knowledge or skills, as for a profession"

According to the latter definition education can encompass several other mediums which could include:

· Attending industry held events.

· Membership through Professional Bodies.

· On the job knowledge sharing with colleagues.

· Mentoring.

It's not limited to the above of course. Education isn't just about knowledge gained; it is also the sharing of knowledge with others.

Engagement

Engagement is the odd one out: it may not appear as important as the other Es, but should still play a part in growing ourselves and our profession.

Engagement is how "involved" you are with what you do. How engaged are you at your workplace and with the wider profession?

Everybody has a certain level of engagement with their workplace. This is simply because you work within the constraints of your workplace. However, how many people can take this same level of engagement with their work place and go a step further and engage with the wider ICT community?

To give you some examples, low levels of engagement might be:

· Knowledge sharing internally within their company.

· Building relationships with those within their company.

· Assisting others internally with issues and problems that arise.

And high levels of engagement:

Converse with the wider ICT community via social media and other forums.

Frequent ICT events in the local area.

Have a professional body membership enabling like-minded people to come together.

Use their knowledge to help solve the issues, problems experienced by the wider ICT community

Communication and application of externally gained knowledge to their day to day work.

Building of relationships and networking with others in the sector.

Ethics

Ethical behaviour is paramount to the sustainability of our profession. Whilst in every profession you are going to get good eggs and bad eggs, the IT profession needs to continue to focus on two major areas:

· Adoption of an ethical framework.

· Educating the sector as a whole as to the merits of ethical operation and the flow on effects this has on the sustainability of our sector whilst ensuring ICT continues to be seen as a profession.

Ethics can be defined as:

"The branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions."

Maintaining a level of ethical behaviour challenges each of us to evaluate our available options, take into account all affected parties and potential conflicts and then make an informed decision.

We are all individuals acting on behalf of our profession. How do we ensure that we maximise the good eggs? There are two simple methods:

Become a member of a professional body.

Obtain a professional certification.

Joining a professional body with a Code of Conduct or Ethics is a fantastic start.  For those looking to really commit to their professional development then making a move to become ITCP certified is a great goal.

As the current generation of ICT professionals move onwards and upwards it's important to instil good practice, clear codes of ethics, networking opportunities, professional development opportunities into the incoming generation. I am a firm believer of lead by example.

Whilst it does take time and commitment to grow our own individual careers and also to achieve some of the bigger goals of increasing the level of professionalism within our industry, if everybody pulls together in the right direction, I am sure we would see a significant change both internally within organisations and externally within the industry.

So who's responsible for our industry?

We all are of course. It doesn't take a lot if we all contribute to help raise the level of professionalism within our sector but the impact will be, and is significant.

This blog written by myself was recently published in the NZCS weekly Newsline e-newsletter (September 16th 2011). Newsline is an online newsletter which goes to 10,000 ICT Professionals in New Zealand.

Original article can be seen here http://www.nzcs.org.nz/newsletter/42

[bensmithnz]

All white.....back to it.

If you were to say, 4 years ago, that the All Whites would make it into the 2010 draw and face off against current world champions Italy and pull off a win, I am sure you would have heard nothing but tears of laughter from individuals.

But here we are in 2010 and did exactly that. We held off the current world champions in a pool play match and not only did we help force them to the bottom of our pool, but also out of the running to retain their title.

This world cup, and in particular the All Whites reminded me of the movie 'Cool Runnings', the film about the Jamaican Bobsled team. Who'd ever heard of a Jamaican bobsled team? But more to the point a Jamaican Bobsled team qualifying for the Winter Olympics??

This concept behind the film goes on to show how through determination, hard work persistence and keeping your head held high anything is achievable, no matter who looks down their nose at you. It also goes on to show how changing the mindset of a few people can have far reaching positive effects.

I would imagine these concepts were displayed in this 2010 world cup. Other nations displayed the "Who are the All Whites", "They don’t stand a chance"...... cards. Then as soon as we entered those stadiums and played competitive, Grade A, honest and quality football, mindsets started changing, heads were turning. Who were these 'All Whites' and where did they come from.........

.....New Zealand. The little nation that could!

For too long has the size of a nation dictated the impact it had. Well not this time! Our small nation of 4 million supporting our 15 players while they represented us at the top level of Football was amazing! Not only did the bulk of New Zealand get behind the team through conventional mediums but also new media initiatives (through such communication channels as Twitter and Facebook) but also the All Whites were headlining international newspapers and news broadcasts!

Unfortunately last night the All Whites needed a 'win' to push through to the next round, alas it was not meant to be. We drew nil all at full time.

You can sugar coat it any way you want, by saying we were 'undefeated', but at the end of the day, at the core of this is a dedicated team who played some fantastic football and had a nation of supporters behind them. These supporters were probably not just people from New Zealand, but also other nations who wanted to see New Zealand succeed!

Singularly the All Whites may not have made it through, but as a nation, together, we have succeeded in showing the world who we are. Whats important is that we all came together for a single cause.

Look at what we achieved this time, the All Whites, NZ as a nation. Who knows... could be the All Whites facing off in the final in 4 years time.

I am proud to be a kiwi and I think that’s something we all have something to be proud of.

All white, back to it.

Ben twitter: @bensmithnz

[bensmithnz]

Do you "like this"

For those facebook users..... Do you "like this"?

Facebook status' or statii, I dont even know what is gramatically correct.... I see hundreds and hundreds of facebook statii roll down my news feed weekly..

I have always found the concept of Facebook status's, or statii (which ever one is gramatically correct) quite interesting. What is it that makes people post an update? Is it image based or some sort of insecurity people have? Or is it because they generally have something they want people to know?

As a facebook user, I am constantly bombarded with these 'status updates' from people.....Some are interesting, some are funny, but most are a bunch of nonsense which most of the time I am not interested in.

I see facebook statii' of all kinds.

Acceptable facebook statii

<> is going to the pub <> is off to the gym

<> if status's was to be made plural would it be statii or status's (thanks to Belinda for making this a status as I write this) :)

<> thought that <>had great special effects would recommend people to go and see

<> thought that the customer service a <> was substandard..... <>

<>'s phone has been cut off, so dont worry if I dont reply.

A lot of these updates have relevance to people. Both from an entertainment point of view, but also from a informative point of view. Informative status updates by people can yield a wealth of information.

I wont bother to ring or text that person if their phone has been cut off.

Poor example of a book status update

<> is posting a status update <----- Oh come on!!!!!

The "like this" functionality

But one of the amazing features of facebook status updates is the ability to "like" peoples statii. But this is not just limited to othe peoples updates. You can also "like" your own status.  This feature is largely under-utilised by a lot of people I feel.

How can one post a status update, but not like it? (assuming its a good thing, as one wouldnt "like" a bad thing)

Example: <> passed all her exams with great results.

Its like 'hey thats great, fantastic, well done' << Ben likes this>>

but shouldnt the poster also like his/her status???? One would think that they would, wouldnt they?

For example, I always like my own status updates. I posted one recently titled "Guitar Hero with the lads + drinking". Sure enough I "liked this", along with several other people. I could of not added that I liked my own status, but wouldnt that seem silly????

OR OR is this "likes this" functionality implied when one makes a status update???

Just some food for thought I guess..... thats all for now....

Ben "likes this" blog.

[bensmithnz]

AKL Student Industry Night: The speech that wasnt delivered....

At the end of August of this year, I was invited to be a guest speaker at what was known as 'Evening with Industry'. It was an evening put on for Students of NZCS. It was a selection of 6 guest speakers chosen to give 5-10 minutes speeches to these students on pressing issues in ICT or ideas or tips related to ICT.

Being 25 years old and being asked to speak was a huge honour. Finally I could talk to people whose shoes I was in only a few short years ago. It was going to be brilliant. I thought what a better opportunity for people to listen to somebody who could relate to the situations they were facing during University and giving advice.

Unfortunately for me I was unwell and unable to deliver on the presentation I had prepared and was looking forward to giving. So now that my blog site is up and running, I thought I would type up (briefly) what I was going to talk about.

----Going back 4 weeks---

I decided that my 5-10 minute speech was going to cover 3 main areas that I think are important to students who are looking to graduate and also young people who are looking to enter the ICT workforce for the first time;

1. How do I get my foot through 'that' door? Working within the ICT industry whilst studying, is it a good idea and how can I make it happen?

2. Selling myself....... on paper. My CV, am I doing it right?

3. So my CV is good, and my foot's through the door, and now I have an interview..... now what? Interview techniques, things to possibly say and do and not......

How do I get my foot through 'that' door?

I believe thats its never too soon to get involved in the ICT in New Zealand. Studying full-time (as I know) can be highly stressful. Exams, assignments, lectures.... it can be a big workload. But there is no need to wait until you have that 'piece of paper' from the University or tertiary institution.

Being active within the ICT industry can take many forms. You can: 1. Work in ICT 2. Read/comment about ICT 3. Get involved with Community Groups or Profession Bodies.

During the course of my study at Massey University, I quickly found out that I was actually only attending for about 15 hours a week, that was a FULL-TIME course load. I decided to find myself a part-time job working in the Industry I wanted to pursue a career in. For the better part of 2 years I worked 20 hours a week for a company in a supporting role (IT support). WOW did I learn a lot in a very short time frame. I learnt the in's and out's of office culture, time management (balancing University life and a working life) and real life ICT skills.

Having this balance in my life allowed my transition from Univeristy life to full time work to be very simple. I knew what was expected as a 'junior' staff member and I also knew what I could expect from an employer.

This sort of balance has a few benefits. You are able to see your university skills manifest themselves in a work capacity, but also, it allows you to take real life situations and apply them to your university studies.

It might not be practical for some students to take on part-time work in that capacity. Alternatives can include getting involved with Professional Bodies (NZCS) or get along to local ICT events in your area.  These sort of local events can help provide insight and information about whats happening in ICT on a national or international scale. It will also allow you to start 'networking' and interacting with like minded people. Who knows you could end up sitting next to your next employer :)

In my opinion, STANDING OUT from other candidates or ICT professionals is important. Showing your own personal 'point of difference' from other people can mean getting that job that you are longing for over somebody else.

Personally, I strive to show my 'point of difference' through networking, interactions and generally being involved and knowledgable in the area I work in.

Selling myself....... on paper.

Creating a CV is a very important part of migrating from University life to the real world.....actually IT'S important all the time.

I guess I term it "selling yourself........on paper".

The number 1 key feature I think is important is

1. Customize Customize Customize + keep it concise.

I dont believe anybody should have a single CV! Each person should have a couple of variations of their CV, each one slightly tailored. One common mistake I have learned and have seen in others CV's is that they are generic and standard.

Having several CV's each customized for the job or role in which your applying for will give you an advance when it comes to the selection process.

Applicants who have a CV tailored or customized to a job description I believe stand a better chance during the selection process. Having spoken with my former bosses after I was hired, they confirmed this, that customised CV's really stand out when they are having to go through several, sometimes hundreds of CV's. The only thing they have in common is the white paper and black text.

I have an interview..... now what?

So you've successfully landed yourself an interview! Now what? You're sitting in a room... waiting for somebody to break the silence...

 Interviews, as far as I am concerned are a 2 way street. Its an opportunity for your potential employer to get to know you, your attitude, skillset and opinions. But the common misconception for young people is that its a "1 way street". Its not. The interview process is also also an opportunity for you to get to know your potential employer.

I am a firm believer of technical skills can be taught, but teaching interpersonal skills cannot (such things include attitude, working in a team, humour).

One of the main things I like to think about when at the 'interview' stage is just be yourself. Remember, they already like you on paper. They've seen your CV, they know a bit about your background, your hobbies, your skill-set and also your strengths.

How much do you know about them as a representative for the company they work for? Its a great opportunity for you to enquire about things like the company goals and visions. You can also ask questions such as "How does the see itself in 5 years?", "Does the company see much growth potential?" and things that most potential employees never ask, but should!

Building on my "2 way street" theory, you work for the employer, but also the employer works for you. So its in your best interests to find out as much as you can during this time. :)

I have also taken the opportunity to talk with a couple of people who are directly related to hiring staff. The comments below come from managers who sit in on face-to-face interviews and also people in HR departments who have to read through CV's and shortlist. Here is what they had to say about some of things they look for in CV's and some of the common pitfalls people make:

"I usually distinguish knowledge (what), skills (how) and attitude (want) when looking at a candidate relative to the role. With the focus on the attitude and trying to find evidence during the interview"

"If someone has earned a degree, irrespective of which one, they have already proven themselves to get through university studies which I guess is a challenge in itself, especially when graduating in a reasonably period of time"

  "Common pitfalls when applying for a job is usually not customising CVs or cover letters to the particular role that is advertised."

  "selection process usually is by key-word filtering, looking for the specifics from the job ad against the application."

  "applications with being too wordy/long. Better highlight your key ingredients relative to the job, and why you think you will be successful, either based on skills, knowledge or attitude ideally proven with past success stories"

When I ask the candidate a question, I am not only interested in the answer, but more so interested in the how they achieved their answer or reached their conclusion, testing their problem solving ability

   ----Coming forward into present time----

  So I guess the main points I'd like you all to take away from this is 

1. Get involved in ICT sooner rather than later 2. Keep that CV customised and tailored 3. Interviews are a 2 way street; be open and dont be afraid

    If only I had to opportunity to speak this to you all :)

Ben

[bensmithnz]

Young IT Professionals Group (YITPG)...goes live. Who,What,Where?

Today was Go-live day!

The new Young IT Professionals Group's first newsletter went out this afternoon via the NZCS mailing list. I am not sure of the number of people who subscribe to that mailing list, but its lots :) If you missed the Newsletter, you can sign up here

What is the Young IT Professionals Group about? Well to summarise what we have written in the newsletter:

" YITPG is a new Specialist Group of NZCS, the body for ICT Professionals, and is basically a networking group for 20- and 30-something ICT enthusiasts (generally those with up to 10 years’ professional work experience) and students."

YITPG will be running regular events tailored to those who fit the description above. Whether you're a young professional or a keen and eager student we want to see you there! To register for the first event, with guest speaker Ben Gracewood you can sign up through the NZCS website here .

YITPG is currently run by myself and Annaliese Bishop and we are looking for some keen and eager Young People to help us on our journey to helping expose the facets of ICT to anybody who is willing to listen and participate. We will be looking for a small handful of people to form a "committee" to help steer this group in the right direction with us.

Being on a committee is not all dull and full of meetings in crowded rooms!! We would like to get people together share a beer or 2 (not sharing mine personally.....) but to share thought and ideas which would in turn would form the basis for YITPG events (and be of interest to Young IT Professionals)

If this sounds like you, fire off an email to [email protected] a bit of a BIO about yourself (where you've come from, IT wise) and why you think you would make a great addition to our committee. We dont bite and would love to hear from anybody who thinks they have something to offer :)

Anyway, thats all for now

Ben Smith (@bensmithnz) Co-Chairman NZCS Young IT Professionals Group (Auckland) twitter:@yitpg