Ambition Tech Blog | Singapore – IT careers, job market updates, news and events

At a consumer level, Mobile applications or “apps” are already very much embedded in the public perception – this is in no small part down Apple’s involvement in making them as accessible and ‘cool’ as is humanly possible. However, the same cannot necessarily be said of B2B mobility, which essentially leverages the same technology platforms – however as is common in the world of IT, there is a significant gulf between perception and reality, especially if we consider recent growth trends and projections over the next 5 years.

The basic facts around mobility versus desk bound platforms as an access to web speak for themselves. In fact according to Gartner, By 2013, mobile phones will overtake PCs as the most common Web access device worldwide. Furthermore in Asia, it is predicted that 20% of a consumer’s first ever access to the web will be via some kind of smart device. Whilst much of the B2C apps market is awash with rather frivolous tools that aren’t necessarily going to transform the economic landscape as we know it, things get a little more interesting when we think about mobile as a means to transact or indeed bring products to the attention of a certain user audience. By 2014, over 3 billion of the world’s adult population will be able to transact electronically via mobile, including mobile payment, commerce and banking – this fact alone puts an entirely different spin on the real significance of smartphone adoption at a consumer and B2B level.

Looking more closely at the B2B market, consider the example of a major train operator employing 1,300 train conductors who had limited access to real-time information and paper-based business processes. They wanted to improve the quality of information and service their conductors were providing to their 270,000 daily passengers. As such, they completely overhauled the way in which they worked with the introduction of Blackberrys to all conductors, enabling super quick on the spot ticketing plus real time service updates through mobile email as distinct from unreliable SMS. The upshot is a significantly improved customer experience and a resulting ROI, which is ultimately why any investment in a new IT solution is made. Another rapidly accelerating trend is the uptake of ERP solutions through mobile – recently a major prestige vehicle brand with an ASEAN HQ here in Singapore undertook a major hiring spree for Solutions Architects with strong experience of Android and Handel C to help transition their existing web browser ERP to mobile tablet form. This enabled their 400 employees within sales, distribution and finance to carry out they day to day workload on the move. Typically you would only have seen such technical requirements within quirky start up design agencies.

Other common application areas we are seeing include:

• Process automation – Apps that automate specific client solutions, eg that lets customers browse your stock, place orders and check order status;
• Event or product-launch updates – Apps for an upcoming conferences that might help attendees plan their schedules or connect with others ahead of time through social media or that announces upcoming product innovations that keep clients ahead of the field and boost their engagement
• Manufacturing – Apps to enable efficient equipment reliability and maintenance, eg the use of a mobile application that would allow a machine operator to connect to the equipment manufacturer for troubleshooting.
• Food and pharmaceutical – As these are such regulated industries, mobile apps help streamline regulatory compliance or avoid non-compliance for processes such as commissioning and qualification, hazmat handling, etc.?
• Geo- Location-based services – Enhance productivity by optimizing support resources and improving customer response time.
• Calculators and reference tools – increasingly popular, especially for the technical audience. Whether it’s ROI, popular engineering formulae or productivity/efficiency calculations.

In terms of platforms, in the world of B2C. the Apple iPhone is one of the most popular destinations for apps . However Google’s Android OS is quickly gaining popularity along with Blackberry and other devices within the B2B market. Though other devices such as iPads and Windows Mobile OS devices do exist, they are so new that the uptake on the enterprise market is difficult to judge – certainly, for the time being , Blackberry and Android are leading the chase. The broader point is that now such mobile platforms are forming a significant part of the recruitment wish list – it goes beyond saying that for the budding software engineer, gaining experience in 1 or 2 of the above would be a very smart move.

So it would seem, mobile apps are no longer the preserve of the gadget addict at a consumer level – on a B2B level, the uptake of mobile apps seems to be all about  servicing customers anytime and anywhere; the possibilities are phenomenal as are the implications for the technology job market.

The shift Singapore has made to becoming a regional hub for so many MNCs is already well documented as are the implications of this in terms of the job market. However, the dialogue around how to bridge the gap between demand and supply of speciality IT staff seems to continually go round in circles especially in relation to the matter of local versus imported talent. This is only exacerbated when you are dealing with specialist positions where there are both business domain and technical requirements to fulfill.

Examples of this could be a bank looking to hire application development staff with domain knowledge in a specific area / process within the bank (e.g. FX, or an area as specific as cash management for wholesale banking), or it could be a digital design agency that are looking for testing staff that also have an understanding and interest in the creative process of the websites or products that they are required to test.

What options do these companies have to identify the required talent and how can they attract talent into what is globally one of the most exciting and active markets?

Some companies look to bring staff in from overseas. While this can offer up a solution it is often expensive to relocate staff. There is also always a risk when relocating employees that they will not settle into their new environment which can lead to an even more difficult situation of having someone in post for a few months who then resigns, putting the company back at square one. Also, when working in Asia it certainly helps to have an understanding of the culture and nuances of doing business in the region.  From a long term sustainability perspective, relocating staff globally, may not always be in the best interest of the local business.

As a recruiter, one of the biggest challenges we face in identifying high caliber talent is when companies will rigidly stick to a specific job description offering no flexibility around the criteria, which can often lead to having an empty desk for months resulting in projects running behind or getting cancelled negatively impacting revenue streams.

One of the more enlightened ways that companies deal with this problem is to become more creative with their hiring. Clearly, if you have a project running that requires an application to be developer in Java, then there is no point bringing on someone with a .Net background. However if you cannot find both the Technical and domain knowledge there are other factors that could be used in shortlisting candidates.

In this instance companies can look at criteria such as: Does the person fit the company culture? Do they have very strong technical skills? Are they a self-starter? Have they proven track record in picking up a new domain previously? Do they have a skill set that will lend itself to the requirements of the job? Are they able to train up in a specific skill set relevant to the job? If so, it can be a better investment in the long run for companies to bring onboard an employee that fits the company, shows relevant interest and has the potential to do the job, and then spend a few months training them up. It is relatively easy to teach domain, it is not easy (impossible?) to teach talent, common sense or competency. This is especially the case when you are dealing with candidates who have a strong understanding of Computer Science fundamentals such as C++, Java, OO development, design patterns, multithreading etc.

Further to the point, according to the statistics some 44% of Singapore residents are Degree holders. There are close to 45,000 students graduating each year, c10,000 of which in IT related qualifications (Source: MoE 2009 Education Statistics Digest). This gives prospective employers a large pool to source well educated candidates from. So one solution to fill that ongoing vacancy can be to open up the job specification and consider those who have the potential to shine with the right level of investment – this in turn will lead to upskilling the local population and provide longer term stability in the function.

From a common sense point of view, it’s the best solution for Singapore and requires only a small leap of faith on the part of the employer community.

As we enter the Year of the Dragon here in Singapore, many of you will have your eye on exploring the job market once the New Year celebrations subside. This could be for any number of push or pull factors or you may simply feel like benchmarking your current status. For many of you however, this will be based on the yearly bonus cycle that we are all familiar with – the job market always warms significantly around March as so many employees shore up their search until bonuses have been received to evaluate next steps…

As agents the best thing we can do is embrace this yearly migration, so with this in mind I offer a set of key things to consider when re-entering the job market – all are common sense and possibly obvious, but it’s amazing how many high skilled and capable candidates fall foul.

Retool your cv.
It is not effective to submit the same  CV for 50 different job applications. It is a good idea to research the specific role you are applying for and tailor accordingly – of course you MUST always ensure the information on the CV is accurate, but these days, as job specs have so many facets and there are so many permetations of the same job type, it’s almost impossible to be all things to all men based on 1 CV – especially in Technology..

Prepare
Good preparation will help you exude confidence and confidence is the first step to success. Firstly, It is essential to know key details about the prospective employer (domain, years established, USPs, scale, recent business developments) and the spec you are applying for (always ask for a job spec and review in advance of the interview – linking your background to the key competencies). On a more personal level, many questions you will encounter these days in an interview are designed to challenge and are often open in nature. No-one should sound scripted but continued self evaluation will ensure finger tip, concise and meaningful answers that you can justify – we explore these themes further below.

First Impressions Count:
There is a difference in opinion about how many seconds it takes for an interviewer to form first impressions but it ranges from 30 to 60 seconds, with some saying that it is formed within the first 5 seconds when you extend your hand to the interviewer.

• Dress professionally.
• Offer a smile and a firm handshake.
• Introduce Yourself!

What are your drivers?
Following from the theme above, it is essential to have a clear grasp of your reasons for making a move – furthermore it is very important you are able to articulate these concisely. Below I explore some regular questions that arise and some suggested approaches – once again, good answers will stem from strong self awareness and personal evaluation:

• Why are you looking to move on?
  Be careful not to criticize people at your current employer and stay away from “higher salary, better benefits, better leave, overtime” etc. Also show that you want to add more value, obtain greater challenges in your work and stretch yourself.
• Strengths and “Weaknesses”
  Prepare a short list of your strengths AND one or two “weaknesses” (which you should portray as areas you are working on to improve into strengths). Be careful with anything too inflammatory, eg I struggle with taking orders from my manager!
• Know Your Achievements
  Know your achievements; how you achieved them and the benefits they resulted in for your employer.
• How do You Overcome Challenges
  Prepare a few examples of how you overcame challenges, problems, issues, at your earlier jobs and current job. What were they? How did you resolve them? What were the outcomes? Would you do it differently “next time” (i.e. did you learn from any negative outcomes)?
• Why Join Us?
  “Why would you like to join us”? Prepare yourself well for this question, especially around the role, the organization and what you can bring to the role. Always do research on the company and the role. The internet may yield a treasure trove of information, which will not only make you look informed but also make you look pro-active. Maybe mention some extra information that you have encountered during your research of the company on the internet.
• Have you ever faced conflict at work from clients/stakeholders?
  How did you handle it? Obviously your answer should be more than just a short “very well”. You will have to think deeper. One great answer I encountered was “I listen actively to try and diffuse any possible anger, then address the issue with facts and invite the other party to discuss the matter logically based on the facts”.
• How do you manage stakeholders (this is an obvious question for people in the IT industry)
  Ensure that you are familiar with what and who stakeholders are.
• How do you measure your own performance?
  As an example, I could offer the following answer provided by an excellent candidate who was successful in securing a role through us: “against key performance indicators which I agree with my manager, or in the absence of that, key performance indicators as per my job description”.
• What are your short, medium and longer term goals?
  Again, it’s important to stay away from anything too fiscal; always strive to provide answers based on personal career ambitions, acquisition of new skills and the opportunity to experience new skills and challenges.
• How do you work under pressure?
  Let’s face it, we all have to deal with targets and deadlines, so always examples ready that show that you are up to the challenge
• What kind of people do you like to work with and why?
  This comes down to cultural alignment and is especially relevant in Singapore given the level of diversity. An ability to gel effectively with colleagues from all backgrounds is all important – again it’s a good idea to provide pertinent examples here.

And …What inspires you and why? Surely there has to be more to going to work than paying the bills?.

The recurrent theme above is that all your assertions should be backed up with well chosen examples that illustrate the point you are making or the competency you are trying to demonstrate. Current interview practice is very much based on this and without examples, employers simply will not be convinced. Furthermore, always be aware that, ultimately, employers are looking for a return on their investment in you as an asset to their team and the business as a whole – so the underlying message should be – ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THE VALUE YOU CAN ADD.

Diversity in the workplace is attracting significant attention within HR circles at the moment for many good reasons. When looking at the proportion of female to male professionals at executive of board level, the net result of discrimination either consciously or unconsciously is as plain as day. However, lack of diversity can be seen on a grand scale when considering the IT space. Tiscali U.K. chief executive Mary Turner highlighted  the disparities in a recent high profile interview when she stated how IT is just part of a bigger picture: “It’s not just women in technology. It’s women in management and women in boardrooms.” But Turner was hopeful that change is on the horizon. “Technology is seen as a geeky male arena but we are seeing more women coming into it and I think it will be exponential. As with everything in life, you need the first cluster to come in and spread the word and encourage”.

From the early 90s, looking at the foremost academic institutions globally, including in Asia, certain statistics  suggested the tide is turning for women as a growing proportion enroll in university degrees which would set someone up well for a career in technology.  Women made up 42 percent of students enrolled in graduate courses in science and engineering in 1993, and  50% in 2006. In the late 1990s, 36 percent of master’s degree holders in science and engineering were women. That went up to 46 % by 2007. However, the reality is counter to what one would expect as  t he proportion of women with bachelors’ degrees working in the computer field fell from 35 percent in the early to mid-’70s to 27 percent between 2000 and 2005.

There is a popular school of thought that the low proportion of women entering the industry is really for social reasons. It is certainly not based on ability as many of the early computer pioneers were female. Indeed, Ada Lovelace  created the  first algorithm intended to be processed by a machine and  as such she is sometimes considered the “World’s First Computer Programmer”.  It is far more likely that during a child’s education, very early on, gender stereotyping often kicks in to the extent that girls are turned off the more masculine disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Since children’s beliefs about their abilities help determine their interest and performance in various subjects of study, girls are often, in effect, conditioned to avoid maths or science disciplines.

When you consider Asia specifically, however, there are pockets where the story is far more positive. In Malaysia and India , the IT population is  very close to a 50 / 50 split between females and males and it is suggested that this may be due to the fact that in both countries, women view careers in IT as a means of employment rather than a status symbol. A job in the Computing industry also implies a safe work environment and better than many of the alternatives, such as working a busy factory floor. Another factor in both countries is the popularity of software engineering, which can actually be done from home and allow women to carry out maternal duties simultaneously.

The story overall does not just rely on these isolated examples of equality, and as Mary Turner points out there are plenty of great case studies of women not just entering but succeeding in  the world of IT.  Some great examples  include CEOs like Meg Whitman, who headed eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) and grew it into an enormous business; Patricia Gallup, CEO of PC Connection; and Anne Mulcahy, CEO of Xerox (NYSE: XRX). So perhaps these female pioneers represent part of the cluster that can inspire and buck the trend that is necessary to promote proper diversity. But there is without doubt a long way to go and it is up to employers as much as shifting social perceptions to make this happen.

The nature of the global economy is such that every cloud has a silver lining and this is particularly true when considering the true impact of the Global Financial Crisis on the creation of new and exciting job opportunities within the world of banking IT – especially Middle Office.  Given the short term view financial institutions were prone to taking prior to 2008, it was only a crisis situation that was likely to put Middle Office to the top of the pile when considering further investment in IT. Historically, the leaders of the pack in terms of pay, scope and opportunity were those IT professionals who were knowledgeable in front office business domains such as FX, Equities, Fixed Income and in recent times in Singapore, Commodities. To this end, investment in Technology for capital markets IT has always been about providing additional growth to top line, i.e. the right technology would be deployed to enable institutions to go to market faster. Now investment in IT and the resulting creation of jobs has taken a different emphasis – to safeguard exposure.

To put this in real terms there have been notable increases in demand for highly skilled business technologists across application support / development, business analysis and projects, who have a real grasp of the principles underpinning risk, regulatory reporting, and enterprise data management. Risk Management is the most obvious area for growth as it is the most established. Close inspection of many financial institutions post crisis highlights considerable  failure on their part  to have proper checks and balances in place and failure to appreciate or even understand their level of exposure in  coherent and accessible fashion, leading to excessive positions in toxic markets. Linked to this, the growth in regulatory reporting is part of a major drive to create operational efficiency in relation to accounting and performance measurement.

Enterprise data management is linked to both risk management and operational efficiency, e.g. When Lehman’s crashed, some buy side institutions took weeks to work out their exposure, mainly because many institutions  would use different systems across many different locations (some in house and some outsourced to hosting vendors)  for different purposes, e.g. reporting, accounting or performance measurement. The problem was that these systems were not talking to each other. Therefore control of data is becoming more of an issue these days to avoid further mishaps down the line; so emphasis is being placed on synchronizing data sources into one single reporting line. The problem was felt particularly acutely in Singapore, since data management was certainly not top priority. Linked to all of the above is connectivity in order to enable data cohesion between different systems, platforms and trading entities; there has to be real time connectivity. This has given rise to  the creation of opportunities in networking and speciality areas such as FIX.

There can be no doubt that whilst financial institutions need to take risk in order to secure profit and drive the economy, the fact  that institutions are becoming more risk and compliance focused is good for industry as a whole. Furthermore, from a credibility point of view, investors themselves look for operational efficiencies within the custodian itself. The net result is good news for the IT professional, who is able to balance their technical skills with expertise in the business themes considered above.

SAP may be one of the most in demand IT skillsets the world over, but there’s no doubt this is felt very acutely here in Singapore and there are both global and local factors causing this. SAP themselves are particularly vocal about their confidence in the long term for SAP across APAC region. A  group spokesman recently made the statement: “We are very optimistic about the outlook for the rest of 2011 and [will] continue to invest in our future success by aggressively hiring top quality industry talent across the region,” Currently, about 16% of its revenue comes from APAC, which is proportionately higher relative to the number of employees and clients in the region compared with EMEA and the US. “This is Asia. We should be growing faster than the world. I think that is sustainable,”  was the headline assertion.

Looking at Singapore  specifically, there are obvious reasons why SAP is seen as such a sustainable market. There is a fantastic cross section of businesses here who would typically rely on an ERP type solution to cover its application requirements. This would include manufacturing, logistics and FMCG – though SAP has diversified its portfolio significantly, SAP is completely synonymous with these domains tracing back to its business origins in 1972. Furthermore,  despite SAPs movement into the SME market space, it is more commonly associated with the bluechip enterprise solution market. As Singapore has now become more of a de-facto corporate HQ location for many MNCs, this has led to many very high profile SAP implementations in recent times across finance, sales, HR and payroll functions.

There are also many factors relating to the evolution of SAP itself, leading to increased turnover of projects in the region. These include the advent of SOA and Netweaver into the product portfolio, which have enabled significantly greater platform inter-operability within the user environment. Other areas include, mobile services with the launch of such services as HANA, which SAP has placed as a key customer trends and opportunity for growth in revenue potential – clearly Singapore is a ripe market for this.

There are also great recent examples of world class, leading edge SAP projects unique to Singapore, such as the BusinessOne service. This is a showcase initiative in which SAP has teamed up with the local telco, Singapore Telecommunications, to deliver its business management software through a cloud model. This represents the company’s first such attempt in Asia and  is targeted at small and midsize businesses, which they define as companies with less than S$1 million (US$827,600) in revenue and fewer than 200 employees. This is revolutionary for the business on 2 levels – firstly, this SAP agenda is firmly directed at the SME market and secondly, SAP has been considered by some to be slow off the uptake regarding SAAS as it removes much of the fee earning potential typically associated with complex and lengthy on-site implementation cycles.

Looking at the implications of the above for the budding SAP professional, there are a few key observations to make – SAP is an ever changing platform and it’s important to stay ahead of the game in terms of new releases, versions and certifications. Overall, the emphasis in Singapore is on consulting, projects and implementation. For such roles, a strong technical grounding in hands-on implementation is necessary, but additional skills will need to be picked up along the way such as PM methodologies, budget handling and man management.

SAP is also a highly diverse domain requiring mix sourcing and delivery models, which  SAP heads of delivery will also need extensive exposure to get the best opportunities available on the market.

What’s causing the shift?

Singapore has made a transcendental shift as a cost efficient IT operations hub for regional and global MNCs to now: The de facto location for your APAC  corporate HQ, despite the escalating cost of hiring and retaining staff here. But why is this the case despite the ever heightening employment costs, in relation to other destinations in the APAC region. Further analysis tells us there are many, many good reasons for this.

The employment market for IT in Singapore has dramatically changed in as little as the last 5 years. This is in terms of the breadth and scope of opportunities here and the emergence of new job types not typically associated with the region. But the most notable shift has been the average salaries that are available. Between 2007 to 2011, average IT salaries have experienced a 3-5% hike year on year with only the obvious exception of 2009, when only a 2% drop was experienced in the light of the GFC. In real terms this means that a typical mid-weight IT project manager would have been on S$75k in 2007, but close to s$80K in 2011. IT starts to look like an espec ially hot sector when you consider the national average salary in Singapore is S$35k annually. Yet if you were to compare average salaries to Kuala Lumpur, typical salaries for IT are practically halved. Despite lower cost of living there, the net result is that your typical IT employee in Singapore can expect significantly higher pay and is therefore a greater expense to the employer.

But IT job levels continue to rise significantly as more businesses invest in Singapore as an administrative hub. So what’s driving this despite the expense of doing so? The principal of supply and demand is clearly at work here underpinned by a combination of “soft” people and “hard” economic factors.

Singapore has always attracted foreign talent looking to set up new homes for themselves and their families. For all its residents, Singapore offers a meritocratic society, a safe, family-friendly environment with high standards of living. So no doubt this attracts more businesses here looking to leverage this ideal platform for the migrant worker, thus creating more opportunities, and more demand in turn. Political stability no doubt plays a big part in the trend of MNCs looking to set up their regional HQ and subsidiary here. The government here is strong, and predictable in its policy making and is accommodating to principles of entrepreneurship. The general economic landscape also offers significant comfort and visibility to both the enterprising business looking to set up new functions here and migrant workers looking to escape the bleaker conditions currently experienced in the US and Europe. Cultural assimilation also plays a factor, as corporations may favour Singapore as a destination to attract foreign workers from Western cultures – it is well documented that Singapore offers a more gentle introduction to life in Asia than the Indian subcontinent or Central China. Finally  there’s the obvious influence of language – as English is the official businesses language (closely followed by Mandarin), businesses will find it easier to scale out their headcount as they can reach out to many more nationalities who would typically count English as mother tongue or at least second language.

So to conclude, IT salaries are taking a hike and are set to do so for the foreseeable future for the same reason as so many other professional lines. But as so many businesses are not only opening divisions here, but their regional HQ, this is pushing up demand for core business functions. Needless to say, software development, infrastructure support, and Project / Change Management all fall into this category.

If we consider the key areas of talent which are in demand in Singapore, we could easily categorise this into 4 areas: Application development (eg developers), infrastructure (eg network support), Applications consulting (eg SAP) and perhaps the most difficult to define, Project Management (or as it is increasingly coined, Change Management). You could be forgiven for thinking that the highest demand areas here are the hard line technical areas. Make no mistake, any strong Java developer putting them on the market will be inundated with opportunities. However, there is no doubt that in terms of growth in demand in recent times, the softer skill of project management is in it’s ascendancy.

So what’s driving demand in this area? From our observations, whilst software is actually being developed here in Singapore, due to the speed with which institutions are looking to grow, there is considerable reliance on off the shelf products to enable business to get their functional needs off the ground . Furthermore, If you also consider the speed with which the economy is growing, how is this facilitated? Networks don’t suddenly appear because of leading edge engineering and SAP enterprise suites don’t just appear on peoples’ screens because it’s a great product.

So the aspiring IT professional may now see Project Management as the promised land rather than the more definable computer science disciplines. It’s certainly raised it’s profile hugely as a credible career line to break into and has the added advantage that, as it generally requires little or no pure technical input, it is open to people from a more diverse background . To break into the industry is no exact science. A BSc honours is a good starting point plus a grounding within an array of disciplines within an MNC environment providing exposure to a wide range of stakeholder groups within the IT domain. A well trodden path is the route from Business analysis to PM work as the two are well aligned in the delivery lifecycle. However, it is definitely most likely that an aspiring individual that exhibits the right core competencies will the afforded the break internally rather than moving to a new business. The only exception being very specific domain knowledge, such as FX trading solutions etc.

But what really differentiates the top end project managers from the mediocre and how do businesses measure what the y need from an individual? There is no doubt that leadership and stakeholder management are critical factors. Businesses are looking for visionaries who can break through resistance to change. Quite often this requires track record in aligning geographically and culturally disparate groups bringing everyone onto the same page. Needless to say this is easier said than done and the only way of proving this is track record. Businesses are also interested in scale and complexity of project history. This includes budget (typically s$5 million+), duration (typically 12-18 months for a single project), mandays (4000+), and stakeholder volume (25+ heads). Moreoever, businesses wish to see evidence of the individual having achieved something truly transformational for their employer, or something that has genuinely achieved ROI. Whilst there is no doubt that certifications add some credibility and weight in terms of capacity for best practice (the PMP certification definitely wins here), criteria in this ever growing area is primarily experience based.

And this makes sense when you consider the role of the project manager is to bridge business, technology, and most challengingly, people.

In the past, an experienced candidate said to me that the IT industry had changed. He described the early IT industry as a safe haven for people who might not be described as good communicators, but were passionate about technology and who were happy to perform a ‘head down’ role that the rest of the business knew little about. Almost every advert on Seek today says ‘good communication skills required’ as if it’s an accredited skill, but what do recruiters and hiring managers mean by ‘good communication skills’?

I think most recruiters and hiring managers are referring to more than just the clarity of your spoken English when they refer to communication skills. I’ve conducted references in the past for candidates who are heavily accented and have been told that they were excellent communicators. Similarly there have also been occasions when candidates with English as their first language have been described as poor communicators. In most cases, hiring managers are looking for candidates to deliver solutions, and to have faith that candidates can do this they want people who can clearly explain whatever that solution may be. Completing a test in an interview or delivering a solution that appears on the surface to work isn’t enough for most managers. Hiring managers are referring to a candidate’s ability to articulate and elaborate their answers and describe in expressive detail the value of their work. In an interview, if you give yes and no answers or an obliging nod, you are probably not demonstrating the level of communication skills that are required in today’s business world.

Communication skills seem to be more critical as the perception of IT becomes more about alignment with business needs and less as a peripheral support unit. This is particularly applicable in fast paced, project driven environments require a extensive human interaction between technology and business divisions or where there is exposure to an external clients. A great example of such a job type would be where there is human interaction by definition, eg Project Management or Business Analysis. Within IT Development, there are also strong trends around agile and scrum methodologies that require strong cohesive work patterns with extensive human interaction between stakeholder groups. So communication skills are seen as increasingly important even within IT teams themselves irrespective of external departmental interaction. Furthermore, as requirements become more senior (Senior Developer, Lead Developer, IT Manager, Head of IT), ‘communication skills’ creep up the list of must haves as leadership qualities become more prevalent.

So overall, Is it fair to say that good communication skills today are a pre-requisite for a successful career in IT or does it remain a competitive edge?

The benefits of the cloud are extremely well documented and cover themes such as cost, scalability and convenience. But are we in a situation where the hype is exceeding the reality or are we on the cusp of a revolution in the IT industry that the wise among us will brace ourselves for? Additionally what is Singapore’s status in relation to the global cloud movement – are we ahead of the game here or are other APAC countries leading the charge?

Singapore’s economic and political landscape provides a secure basis for its position as the No 1 APAC hub,  especially  if you consider the types of technology businesses that have the scale and sophistication to launch such a service.  60% of MNCs with more than 7000 employees have their regional hub here; Tata have just opened their datacentre operation here, along with existing players Microsoft and Google, HP, AT&T, Verizon, Singtel  and Orange.

However, there are local factors that could well restrict Singapore’s positioning in this market including very high cost of real-estate and access to the kind of energy resources necessary. But maybe the biggest limiting factors are more fundamental to the role of cloud itself. There are well publicised  security risks, which is further complicated when you consider sector specific regulatory requirements in relation to the handling of sensitive data eg, retail or investment banking  which is fraught with regulation. Further limiting factors are based on how many global businesses place heavy reliance on legacy platforms for core applications, which are simply not platform compliant with the cloud.

The logical upshot is to take the sensible view. Singapore is indeed in a great position to take advantage of the growth in cloud as a strategic, technological hub. But this statement requires a certain degree of qualification. The message to the IT workforce should be to focus on ensuring skillsets are suitably up to date to take care of the evolving  technology landscape , eg certifications such as VCP, given the role of virtualisation technology within typical cloud infrastructure. Also, It is more likely we will see a growth in uptake of the cloud within the budding SME market as these businesses will be launching fresh infrastructure, less reliant on legacy systems. Consequently, the types of application most likely to be outsourced to the cloud are niche, client facing or ecommerce applications such as eCRM.

Bearing all of the above in mind, where we are far more likely to seeing anything constituting a revolution overnight is within the B2C market, where none of the security or legacy system challenges exist. This includes themes such as mobile social networking, gaming and personalised music download.

So if you work on site within a global MNC in technical support it would seem your job is safe…for now!