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1.Could you introduce yourself?
My name is Herbert Russel, CEO of JobOfMine Limited (www.JobOfMine.com). I’ve been occupying this position for more than 2 years and do my best to contribute to the development of our international portal of job search for job seekers as well as staff search for companies and recruiting agencies. Every month we launch new modules, which gives an opportunity to our users to get the search service of the highest quality. Due to the high quality of the services provided, we make deals with new companies almost every day and have thousands of newly registered seekers.
2. What are the trends on the job market? Is there a demand for specialists from IT?
IT experts have always been required. And the demand for them will only grow. Even now, under the conditions of the crisis, when many companies close and employees start searching for a job in other companies, you won’t find a qualified IT expert staying at home unemployed. Yes, sure, salary goes down. But this decrease is minimal in the IT field in comparison with such branches as building, automobile production, etc.
Trends… Well, there are trends… Companies of big and medium size move from custom developments to packaged solutions; from the systems they developed themselves or custom-made systems to the time-proved flexible modifying and scalable solutions. Consequently, the IT experts market reacts to this with keen demand for experts possessing knowledge about the concrete scheme, the ones who can set and maintain the system of this kind.
The main trend is professionalism. The market needs professionals. No matter whether it is a CISCO net design engineer, or Oracle administrator, or .NET developer – professionals are in great demand everywhere. Yet, in the time of crisis, there has appeared a backward trend. Companies who try to cut their expenses by all means possible very often hire less qualified but “cheaper” employees. Sometimes, this strategy pays for itself. If there is time and a person educates themselves, then as time goes they become professionals, while at the initial stage they save the funds of the company performing the minimal necessary set of the tasks. But sometimes this strategy may cause problems. For example, the company may start a big project and newbies can overrate their strength and make mistakes which will finally lead to the break of terms and problems with the customer.
3. Where, in which regions of the country are the best job opportunities for IT specialists?
Although USA, Canada, Australia and West European countries still remain the most attractive places to IT experts from the point of view of the salary range, many experts from the East European countries are able to find the job in countries of their residence that their life standard corresponds to the life standard of Great Britain, for example, as the difference in salary will be compensated by the difference in the cost of living.
Actually, as the time goes, geography influences the ability to make money less and less. The market of outsourcing IT services is getting more and more popular. More and more deals are made between companies from well-developed countries and companies from developing ones. For instance, it is profitable for a New York company to cooperate with an IT company in Ukraine as the quality of the work is the same but the expenses are many times lower. Not only because there is a salary difference but because there are no expenses on accommodation rent in a megalopolis, no expenditures on the purchase of computer equipment, minimization of taxes.
4. How having various certificates can influence your job search?
Even not a very good specialist having serious certificates (such things happen, too) can gain some advantage over a good specialist who doesn’t have any certificates. Certificates demonstrate not only professional features of an employee but such features as straightforwardness, being ambitious, wish to work for result. Thus, professional certificates essentially raise chances to get a job and are a bonus when the salary is discussed.
5. What is the best way to look for a job?
(Laughing) Of course this is job search on JobOfMine.com ;-) If you don’t find the job at once, the best way is to make a good resume and subscribe to job postings meeting requirements and abilities of a job seeker. Every time such job postings appear in the system, a job seeker will get email notifications.
6. When you should know it is a high time to seek for a new job?
If the market offers essentially better conditions to an expert and an expert doesn’t expect any bonuses in the future from the company they work for, it’s high time they changed their job irrespective of crisis or anything like that. Why should one work per 10 dollars per hour if the company situated two floors above pays 20 dollars for the same work?
7. What other clues would you give to job seekers?
I am absolutely sure that a person should be “in position”. They should like the job they do! Only in this way they will be able not only to perform their work well but demonstrating personal interest and initiative, suggest new business solutions in the field they work. If a person does not like their job, there are two ways out – either to find a new job or try to find a niche which still gives pleasure and, having settled this issue with the boss, concentrate attention on the tasks in this niche.
I’d like to wish success to all job seekers in their search, and when they find what they’ve been looking for – create! Create and make products (software, hardware, services) which will not only solve the task set by the management but will help to move up the career ladder, gain authority in the company, and become an acknowledged expert in the field chosen.