Benefits are an important part of any IT worker's compensation package, and while the 2015 Computerworld IT Salary Survey revealed that base salaries have risen over the last year, more and more organizations have eliminated at least some benefits from their compensation packages.
The good news is that more businesses are planning to boost their IT hiring in 2015. The bad news? Many are struggling to find talent to fill vacant or newly created roles, especially for software developers and data analytics pros, according to a recent survey from HackerRank, which matches IT talent with hiring companies using custom coding challenges.
Here's a look at how three CIOs are cultivating a business-focused outlook among the up-and-coming IT leaders who report to them.
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There's no good reason your age should hinder your job search. But that doesn't change the very real perception, especially in the IT industry, that age is an impediment to innovation, efficiency and, ultimately, success. While you can't do much to change the widespread unconscious biases against older workers, you can take steps to mitigate their impact on your own job search.
David Thorburn-Gundlach's resume might as well have been covered by a cloak of invisibility, at least as far as recruiters and hiring managers were concerned. Though the nine-page document included a wealth of technical skills, knowledge and facts, it wasn't doing him any favors. In fact, it was hiding his true value to potential employers.
Networking, whether during a job search or simply to maintain professional connections and grow your network, can be stressful, even for the most outgoing, extroverted job-hunter. For an introvert, however, the process can be downright paralyzing. Even though introverts are often creative, thoughtful and work well with others, it often seems that extroverts have the edge when it comes to networking and making beneficial professional connections. But if you're an introvert, you can make networking more enjoyable and more successful by translating it into an approach that works with and not against their personality.
Mike Samaras has worked steadily in IT for a decade, starting when he was 17 and fresh out of high school.
One of the best places for your competitors to find great talent is within the walls of your company. If your best and brightest have been jumping ship to work for your biggest rival, it's important to know how they're being recruited, why they are being targeted and what you can do to stop it. Here's how your competitors may be poaching your talent.
The milestones along the traditional path to IT leadership look a lot like this: Earn a computer science degree, serve an IT internship, take development courses, gain coding experience, obtain certifications and sign up for management training specific to technology. However, as IT increasingly becomes a business strategy enabler, IT leaders are being promoted from places like the sales or marketing department.
When Cathy Lee started working at New York startup Faith Street last year, she quickly learned a lesson that could benefit other recent college graduates who want to advance their IT careers -- soft skills like being flexible, taking on new tasks and asking questions matter a lot.
In theory, the concept of "work-life balance" seems to make sense – splitting your days and weeks between a collaborative and connected working life while also enjoying personal activities and leisure time with friends, family, pursuing hobbies, exercise or just watching TV.
In the current business climate, networking is at the nexus of technology, the customer, and true innovation, and it's about time you put your heart and soul into it. In short, it's time to get on board with social or get left behind.
You got the job offer. While you cleared the biggest hurdle, you're not finished yet. Now it's time to negotiate your compensation package. These tips will help you get the best deal while keeping the process a positive one.
Hiring for the right cultural fit can be more important than focusing on technical skills alone and can help companies improve employee retention, engagement and loyalty.