It's tough, but don't be put off

By VIKKI BLAND


University lecturers, recruitment agencies and job seekers seem to have conflicting ideas about the state of the IT job market in New Zealand.

A former telecommunications employee believes university lecturers are talking up job opportunities in the IT industry to protect their own jobs.

"I have been in the IT industry for 25 years and there are always ups and downs. But in the past three years there has been a paradigm shift downwards which I don't think will change. There has been a move towards outsourcing and buying package-built solutions rather than in-house development," says the employee.

Nick Cardwell, director for IT recruitment firm ITEC, says while it is difficult to draw conclusions from isolated case studies, the IT job market has been adversely affected as a result of the wind down to Year 2000, the events of September 11, and the "dotcom" sharemarket crash.

He says growth in the New Zealand IT job market depends on national and international economies, but notes there has been a recovery in the British contract market which has a flow-on effect for New Zealand.

Ben Person, national practice manager IT&T for Hudson Recruiting, says the sector is benefiting from government projects. However, while 57.4 per cent of employers surveyed by Hudson say they will increase their staff numbers over the next year, this means 42.6 per cent won't.

Cardwell says the biggest hurdle prospective employees face is finding their first job.

"What they can do to improve their chances is to [achieve] excellence - in academic grades, presentation and communication ability."

Steven Laing, 22, scored his first salaried job as helpdesk support and network engineer-in-training for retail software firm Triquestra International. However, finding his first IT job wasn't easy.

Laing, who graduated from Unitec with a Bachelor of Computing Systems more than a year ago, says when he looked for a job on graduating, lack of experience locked him out of contention.

"I ended up taking a part-time job at a gas station and started a small business fixing computers. But there were a lot of hidden costs so I looked for a job again after about a year - I thought it was about time I used my degree."

Laing's short foray into self employment helped him to secure an IT job.

"A deciding factor in our selection was that when Steven couldn't find a job, he went out and did something for himself. It also told us he knew a bit about customer service and time billing," says Lyn Walker, a director of Triquestra International.

Walker says her firm had 138 applicants for the position eventually filled by Laing.

If that comes as a shock, ITEC's Cardwell says 138 may be on the high side.

Walker says narrowing down the applicants wasn't too difficult.

"CV spelling errors showed us applicants hadn't paid attention to detail and that's critical in our industry. Others didn't reveal anything about their personalities. We need some insight because we have an existing, well-bonded team."

Pearson says employers look for candidates who recognise IT as business support rather than an isolated function.

"Employers are likely to hire individuals with fewer technical skills if they demonstrate strong personal attributes and a positive attitude," he says.

Walker says despite lazy CVs, the quality of IT job candidates has improved "1000 per cent" in the past five years.

"The people we interviewed were confident, well presented and personable as well as qualified," she says.

She says whether or not a candidate had visited the firm's website also counted towards them.

"Only two had, and they ended up being the two we shortlisted."

Laing credits his success with a radical revamp of his CV and more self confidence.

"I got over being shy and had a bit of work experience," he says.

For the 137 who missed out, the truth about the IT job market remains this: it's tough.

Some truths about the IT job market


* Competition is stiff

* Candidates typically work their way up from support and helpdesk positions to "dream jobs"

* Salaries are stable and significant increases are unlikely, according to research by Hudson Recruiting

* Tertiary institutions compete for enrolments and IT job prospects may be inflated as a result

* Job opportunities are frequently lost through simple application mistakes - poor interview presentation, not researching the employer, sloppy CVs

* A poor grasp of English or lack of people skills can be a significant impediment; employers look for good communicators and team players first and technical skills second