Career Trends in Information Technology Essay

The information technology industry is always changing and evolving, and 2013 looks to be no different. The dramatic rate of change in technology is great for innovation and increased business efficiency but can also cause problems for many organizations. The new changes and breakthroughs in technology require organizations to hire employees that are experienced and up-to-date on the new technologies. Often, this can pose a challenge for businesses because the talent pool is split between recent grads with little experience or longer tenured employees whose skills may not be up to date with the newer tech advances. A recent study of IT executives conducted by Computerworld outlines what the most popular and in demand tech skills will be in the future. 1. Programming and Application Development 60% of the IT executives surveyed claimed they plan to hire employees with programming and application development skills. This need for programming and development skills stems from organizations trying to implement new programs, products and services. Organizations want to offer their customers the positive experience with their products, and having the newest technology is usually the best way for them to accomplish that. A majority of the industry professionals expressed that they will specifically be looking for people with experience in Java, J2EE and .Net. 2. Project Management 40% of employers plan to hire individuals with project management skills in 2013. It seems obvious that the organizations requiring programming and application development skills will also need individuals to plan, oversee, and execute the new projects and initiatives. Newer technologies lead to increased demand for project managers mainly due to the new projects being more complex. IT executives desire project managers that have a proven track record for success, display leadership, and show great attention to detail. 3. Security Security has been and always will be a major issue for IT leaders. The threat of data and identity theft is very real, and protecting that information is imperative. The increased demand for specialized security individuals can be attributed to more complex systems, larger amounts of data, and organizational policies such as bring-your-own-device (BYOD.) These items will make it more difficult to monitor and keep secure data and information. 27% of IT leaders plan to hire more security professionals in 2013, and the majority of those leaders want the professionals to have expertise in encryption technology, deploying firewalls, threat detection tools, and high levels of business acumen. 4. Help Desk/Technical Support Expected system and program updates for organizations in 2013 will lead to the increased demand for tech support professionals. 35% of IT executives surveyed said they plan to hire help desk or tech support individuals due to the need to monitor and support the new programs and systems created by their organizations. Implementing new systems can lead to questions and confusion when using the systems, and tech support individuals will be necessary to support the increased number of inquiries. Roles of Responsibilities of Employers and Employees Employers and employees work together on a daily basis and have very different roles and duties. These primary roles and duties have remained fairly static over time despite changes in technology that have made business more global and efficient. They define what workers are supposed to do on a daily basis without delving into specific job descriptions and thus establish a foundation for the kind of relationship employers and employees should expect. Employer Responsibilities To provide and maintain * a safe working environment * adequate resources, information, training and supervision * an effective health and safety program * to establish a process for identifying, assessing; and controlling risks To ensure that * relevant laws are complied with * workplace rules, procedures and methods are developed and maintained To prepare and maintain OHS&W policies in consultation with * Health and safety committees * Employees * Elected Health and Safety Representatives * Unions, if requested by an employee * And if the employer chooses, a registered employer association of which the employer is a member, Employees Responsibilities Workers’ responsibilities are: * to not place themselves at risk; * to not knowingly put others in danger; * to follow safe working procedures; * to use machinery and equipment safely; * to not let drugs or alcohol affect their work. * to report any hazards they may notice in their workplace; * to apply any training they have received. Responsibilities Of Employers Towards HSRs And HSCs An employer must:- * Consult any relevant Health and Safety Representatives and Health and Safety Committee on the occupational health, safety and welfare practices, procedures and policies that are to be followed; * Consult any relevant Health and Safety Representatives and Health and Safety Committee on any proposed changes to any workplaces such as: – the workplace itself, plant, substances used, handled, processed or stored; nature of work to be conducted, procedures for carrying out work; where those changes might effect the health, safety and welfare of employees at the workplace. * At the request of the employee, permit a Health and Safety Representative to be present at any interview concerning occupational health, safety and welfare between the employer and the employee; * Permit any relevant Health and Safety Representative to accompany an inspector during a workplace inspection; * Permit a Health and Safety Representative to have access to such information as the employer possesses or can reasonably obtain:- relating to workplace risks, concerning the health and safety of the employees and, when requested to do so, supply a copy of that information to the Health and Safety Representative; * Immediately notify a Health and Safety Representative of the occurrence of an accident, dangerous occurrence, imminent danger or risk; or hazardous situation; * Notify a Health and Safety Representative of the occurrence of any work-related injury; * Provide such facilities and assistance to Health and Safety Representatives as are necessary to enable them to perform their functions under this Act. This includes time off, without loss of income, to perform duties as Health and Safety Representatives, and to attend approved training courses (minimum of 5 days per year). Mechanisms for fast-paced and stressful work environment All of us live incredibly fast paced lives. We commute to work and for many people the ride to work is getting longer as people move to more distant locations in the suburbs and rural areas. The journey to work is complex. Drivers are faced with traffic accidents and jams that often cause lateness. Many employers are not sympathetic to the reasons for lateness. Instead of sympathy they demand that people leave for work even earlier. Once at work, there are enormous pressures to be productive. The nature of many careers is that productivity includes the need to think creatively. However, it can be difficult to think creatively if someone is exhausted and stressed once they arrive at work. According to an article in the September 2005 edition of Scientific American it is suggested that in order to maintain the ability to be productive as well as creative, it is necessary to take a twenty minute break from work and go on a â€Å"mental vacation.† By â€Å"mental vacation† is meant that you close your eyes and imagine your self in the most relaxing, beautiful and serene place that you can. In other words, this is a kind of self hypnosis or visual meditation that actually reduces the levels of stress hormones excreted into the cardio vascular system resulting in the reduction of stress and exhaustion. The article urges that a nap not be taken because this dulls thinking and does not necessarily reduce stress. However, the â€Å"mental vacation† sharpens the ability to think and reason after the fifteen to twenty minute journey is over. In doing this visualization it is important to imagine all of the sensory experiences that would go along with the actual trip. If you are at the beach on your journey, smell the ocean water and hear the sounds of the surf hitting up against the shore. If twenty minutes in one lump of time is too much then a ten minute break will help, especially if repeated during the day as pressure builds up. Working in a fast-paced environment can induce stress in many employees. According to the Helpguide website, people tend to react to stress in three distinctive ways: Some freeze up under pressure, others become frustrated and angry and the remaining withdraw or become aloof. In order to be productive in a high-paced, driven work environment, you must know your own limitations and reactions. Survival depends on developing the right mental, physical and practical skill set to manage any hectic, stressful situation to the best of your ability. Industry-related lawsRegulations Computer Law is concerned with controlling and securing information stored on and transmitted between computers. Computer networks contain and store a great deal of private digital information: data on identities, internet access and usage; credit cards; financial information and information for electronic commerce; technical, trade and government secrets; mailing lists; medical records; and much more. It is illegal to maliciously erase this type of data; acquire proprietary information; manipulate said data to obtain funds illegally, through bank withdrawals and transfers, identity theft and credit card use; and to access and use any of this data for any other reason, without authorization. Computer crime and criminal information law are relatively young phenomena. A first historical analysis indicates that each new development of computer technology was followed by a corresponding adaptation of crime as well as by legislative changes. A short overview – using the example of Germany – illustrates this adaptation of crime and information law to the new information technologies. It also indicates that this process started gradually at first, but then continued at an increasing pace: – From the beginning of the 1950s computers were introduced in industry and administration to control routine processes. As late as 20 years after that time, the first cases of computer manipulation, computer sabotage and computer espionage became known. Only in 1986 did the German legislator react with the Second Act for the Prevention of Economic Crime. – On the other hand, the mass processing of personal data in electronic data banks since the 1960s was soon regarded as a danger to privacy. In Germany, the first law that took this development into account was enacted in 1970. – The open networks of the 1970s soon led to corresponding misuses in the form of â€Å"hacking†, which the Law Committee of the German Parliament could still consider in the Second Act for the Prevention of Economic Crime in 1986. – The mass phenomenon of program piracy came along simultaneously with the spreading of personal computers in the 1980s, forcing the legislator to carry out different reform measures from 1985 onwards. – The use of automated teller machines in the 1980s, too, was immediately followed by new ways of code card misuses, which already represented criminal offenses due to the reforms of the Second Act for the Prevention of Economic Crime. – Today, electronic post services, mailboxes, ISDN as well as the development of close links between data processing and telecommunication are used by neo-nazi groups, perpetrators in the field of economic crime and organized criminals: Computer technology and telecommunication have not only become part of general life, but also of general crime. The changes that these new technologies caused in criminal procedural law do therefore not only concern traditional computer offenses, but all kinds of crime.