Editor’s note: How can recent graduates and other newcomers to IT fields make an impression on CIOs and other enterprise technology leaders who are looking to hire? Josh Hamit, vice president and CIO with Altra Federal Credit Union, recently visited with ISACA Now to describe what characteristics he finds most promising in early-career candidates. For more resources for industry newcomers, visit ISACA’s membership page.
ISACA Now: What are CIOs looking for from today’s IT grads?
JH: CIOs are always on the lookout for talent, but also recognize the importance of not overlooking potential. Individuals who are passionate about their chosen IT discipline and demonstrate a willingness to take the initiative in learning new skills really stand out. I take notice when someone tells me about how they took the initiative to create their own lab environment at home to practice networking, or grabbed a few books to learn about SQL. It makes a big first impression when it’s apparent that someone is willing to roll up their sleeves and put in the effort.
ISACA Now: What specific skills or relevant experience should new IT graduates or new-to-the-field professionals bring to the table?
JH: Especially if you’re a recent graduate or new to the field, you need to differentiate yourself from the competition. My advice? Get your foot in the door as soon as possible, whether through an internship or even a role that isn’t precisely your target discipline. Some people might be surprised how much they can learn and get exposed to on the help desk. Another good avenue is to pursue credible certifications that demonstrate your knowledge or skill. For example, the ISACA® Information Technology Certified Associate (ITCA™) is a globally recognized credential that is geared toward those starting their IT careers and attests to your knowledge and competency. Certifications are an excellent pathway to give yourself a competitive edge.
ISACA Now: What are some of the typical gaps that recent graduates need to fill as they transition from academia to the tech workforce?
JH: Most often the gaps are centered on taking academic concepts that are routinely applied to a very targeted platform or language and transitioning those skills into a real-world business environment that may use different flavors of technology. A practical example might be a recent graduate whose education was largely focused on the administration of a more traditional on-premise server environment, whereas the target employer hosts the majority of its workloads in the cloud. Certainly the job seeker in this example will possess some critical foundational skills that will transition over, but there will undoubtedly be some gaps if they haven’t had much prior exposure to the cloud. Another example might be a recent grad that is pursuing a role in IT support. Their academic experience might be almost exclusively working with PCs, whereas most businesses will have at least some population of Macs. You’d be amazed how much more attractive a candidate is if he or she has experience with and is comfortable supporting both Macs and PCs. I think so much of what employers are looking for today is someone that can be extremely versatile and adapts to the rapid changes in technology. Instead of being an SME in one thing, try to diversify your skillset into multiple areas. The old IT mindset used to be more fixated on one way of doing things and often revolved around using tools and technology that were specific to a business environment. That doesn’t work in today’s world, where the line is getting more blurred between enterprise and consumer technology. The more technology that students and recent graduates can gain exposure to, the better, and it will make them significantly more appealing as they transition into the modern tech workforce.
ISACA Now: What technical and soft skills make you feel like you should hire someone for a technology position?
JH: I appreciate when candidates share a practical application of how they leveraged a technical skill to find a creative or innovative way around an obstacle. In IT, we’re really looking for people who enjoy a good challenge and don’t give up easily. While the technical skills might land you the interview, it’s the soft skills that will land you the job. Communication, culture fit, and being humble enough to admit what you can improve upon are qualities I look for. Even failure can be a good thing if you can describe what you learned and how you were able to grow from the experience.
ISACA Now: How wide are the gaps when it comes to emerging trends?
JH: The gaps from classroom to workforce become even more apparent as we branch into emerging technologies, where technical colleges and higher learning programs aren’t keeping pace. Some notable examples of emerging technology include blockchain, robotics process automation (RPA), predictive analytics, augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR), the Internet of Things (IoT), conversational AI, no-code/low-code and zero trust. At times we all get a bit desensitized by these emerging technology buzzwords, but it’s a significant miscalculation to assume that adoption is only occurring within Big Tech and Fortune 500 companies. Many of these areas are quickly pivoting from emerging trends into mainstream technologies that even small and medium businesses are leveraging via cloud platforms that are both widely accessible and affordable. Are recent grads prepared to take on these emerging trends? According to a recent Cengage Graduate Employability Report, “half of recent graduates didn’t apply to jobs because they felt underqualified.” The same survey found that “2 in 5 only occasionally or rarely use the skill they learned in school in their daily job.”