Month: May 2020

Categories
Press review Tech Magazine

Businesses are Preparing the Return to Activity

IT News

Almost two months after the start of the global lockdown, some parts of the world are slowly starting to reopen. People walk the streets and are allowed in stores again, albeit under strict social distancing guidelines. 

Business is ready to get back on track, but companies now face the double challenge of ramping up activity and adapting to a new normal. Last week we discussed how investing in IT is crucial to enterprise survival and recovery – this week we saw some positive signs confirming this trend.

Many multinational companies are hiring for their Indian offshore IT centres, while the country’s demand for senior positions related to digital transformation remains strong.  

As yesterday’s Harvard Business Review article reminds us, the key to digital transformation is talent, not technology.

Microsoft is doing more than well

It was not that long ago that Microsoft seemed destined to take a more secondary role in the future of enterprise technology. But the company bounced back.

This week was packed with news from the Redmond, Virginia company — from a 59% quarterly increase in cloud revenue to an upcoming update to its VMware Azure integration.

More about Microsoft’s momentum in our latest industry snapshot. Spoiler alert: you could win up to $200K if you beat the company’s new hacking challenge.

More on contact tracing

This week we got more details on the upcoming contact tracing technology that Apple and Google are developing to help fight the spread of COVID-19. 

Addressing what has been one of the most contentious points of debate, the duo said their app will not permit the use of location tracking. The full system, which is expected to be released mid-May, will rely instead on Bluetooth to safeguard user privacy. 

Meanwhile, the UK’s National Health System, started testing an app that uses a similar approach. 

The solution leverages (the ironically named) Bluetooth Low Energy handshakes to tell whether a person might have been in contact or not with an infected individual.

News from the frontlines

One more week, the tech world keeps up the fight against the pandemic. This week…

Cybercrime has spiked amidst global chaos and the rise of remote work. Regrettably, healthcare institutions are among the hardest hit. 

A group of security companies and professionals calling themselves the Cyber Alliance to Defend our Healthcare have struck deals to protect a series of hospitals and national health organisations across Europe. The U.S. will be their next area of focus.

Meanwhile, Ciaran Martin, chief of the UK’s National Cybersecurity Centre, has pledged to redouble the body’s efforts to protect the country’s hospitals and health system.

Categories
Growing your career: permanent & freelance IT Consultants

6 Simple Steps to Improve Online Visibility as an IT Professional

6 Simple Steps to Improve your Online Visibility as an IT Professional
Just as with face-to-face interactions, first impressions are crucial in the online job-hunting world. Here are the key steps to improve online visibility; that every technology professional should take to project a solid online image.

Just as with face-to-face interactions, first impressions are crucial in the online job-hunting world. Here are the key steps to improve online visibility; that every technology professional should take to project a solid online image.   

6 steps to improve online visibility

Google yourself 

Among steps to improve online visibility, this one might seem rather obvious… But you would be surprised of how many applicants forget this vital step. Remember that Fotolog or Myspace profile you made in middle school? Well, Google does. Chances are your adolescent self does not quite reflect the person you have grown to be. Or perhaps you would simply prefer keeping your personal life to yourself.  

Conduct an in-depth search to unearth all the information a stranger would find should they looked you up online. Then review all that info and ask yourself whether or not you should delete certain things or update your account’s privacy settings.  

Polish your LinkedIn profile 

LinkedIn has become an absolute necessity for any professional looking for a job or wanting to stay active in the talent market. Your LinkedIn page is like your business passport, if you will. Start by polishing your profile.  

Make sure your photograph is updated, professional and in HD. Follow the platform’s simple guide to complete your profile – add a good intro and about section describing your background and aspirations. Include all relevant skills in the dedicated section. Don’t just add job titles and companies in the timeline detailing your work experience. Provide a brief description of what you did while working for that company or what the project was about.  

Be active where it matters 

Would you trust a social media expert that wasn’t active on any social media platform? Probably not. Even if you secretly are an expert on something, it really pays off if you show it. At least you should be visible in the circles that matter the most to you and your area of expertise. 

Sign up to mission control center newsletter

Create a robust profile on all relevant job boards and professional networks – from generalist sites like Indeed, to more specialised ones like GitHub or AngelList. Get involved in discussion groups and forums. Write an article or post with tips or insights you’d like to share. Here are a few examples of content you could be writing yourself:   

If you want to go the extra mile, sign up to the portals of companies exclusively dedicated to IT and tech recruiting. That will put you in the radar of the top recruiters for your specialty. You can sign up to ours here. 

Consistency across platforms 

Once that’s covered, make sure that you are presenting a cohesive profile across all platforms and services. Is the image you are projecting on LinkedIn consistent with your Twitter profile? Are your past job titles the same on the different job boards? Do the start and end dates of previous projects match?  

Maintaining consistency is important. It shows that you take yourself seriously and conveys a unified and robust message regarding who you are and what you aspire to. 

Know your keywords 

You know how search engines work. Check that you are including in your online profiles all the relevant keywords to secure a top spot on the search results page. Pay special attention to synonyms, and make sure to include the most common descriptive variants of an activity or skill.   

Look at your peers 

Something that can help you in your keyword search is looking at the profiles of other people. Look for experts in the field you are applying to, see what keywords they are using. Pay special attention to how they structure their personal and professional details, learn as much as you can. The more senior or trusted this subject matter expert is, the better.  

Need tips on how to find a job in IT? Check out our IT job hunting guide.

Categories
IT Decision-makers Talent strategy

Industry Snapshot: Microsoft’s Momentum

Industry Snapshot: Microsoft’s Momentum
Microsoft’s Momentum: we look at the most recent developments and headlines involving the U.S. company. Things change quickly, especially in IT.

Microsoft’s Momentum. It was not that long ago that Microsoft seemed on track to take a more secondary role in the future of enterprise technology. Software sales had been sluggish for some time, and the company seemed unable to keep up with the pace of innovation of its competitors. Well, things change quickly, especially in IT. 

To the surprise of some, Microsoft has managed to bounce back in just a few years. It has delivered its finest OS to date, Windows 10, created a new line of successful hardware products like the Surface, and become one of the top contenders in the cloud wars.  

We look at the most recent developments and headlines involving the U.S. company. 

Microsoft’s Momentum

Global lockdown and cloud momentum 

We have recently discussed how the surge in remote work caused by COVID-19 has helped the cloud industry. Microsoft is, of course, one of the biggest beneficiaries of the current situation. Finding itself incredibly well-positioned with cloud collaboration tools ranging from Azure to Microsoft Teams.  

The Redmond, Virginia company just posted its Q3 2020 earnings, delivering 59% growth for Azure sales and taking its share of the global cloud market up to a 17%. The second place after Amazon. This steady expansion is forcing Microsoft to grow their overall cloud infrastructure.  

The company announced this week it will be investing billions of dollars in new data centers in Poland and New Zealand. It also presented an upcoming — and significant – update to the integration of VMware cloud solutions into Azure.  

Microsoft is betting big not only on cloud infrastructure and third-party support. But also on cloud security – a major concern for the modern digital enterprise. The company revealed this week a new hacking challenge for Azure Sphere. Promising a total of $200K in bounty for those who can break into the system.   

Software consolidation 

Although it’s been almost a year since Microsoft released its last big update for Windows 10. The company announced no major upgrades or changes for the upcoming May 2020 update. Furthermore, and in response to the global pandemic, as of May 1st, the company will limit the scope of its updates to security fixes. For how long? We don’t know exactly. Altogether, this makes analysts and industry experts think that Windows 10 has reached a maturity state. And that it will not change much more. 

Ironically, this consolidation comes at the same time that Microsoft is shifting its strategy for Windows 10X. What was going to be the dual-screen variant of the OS is now being redirected towards a more simplified, one-screen version. The move signals Microsoft’s intention to compete more head-on with Google’s Chromebook. Which holds a big share of the business and education market. 

🔊 Subscribe to our podcast

Join our community and find your next job or expert in IT