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By Stuart Packham, 27 May 2009 11:00

COMMENT

Change can be a good thing
With all the talk of downsizing in the media, it would be easy to see the current economic downturn as a purely negative trend for IT workers.

However, it is clear that for a number of companies, the changes they've made as a result of the recession have been essential to allow them to continue to trade, whilst maintaining a platform to facilitate future growth.

In the short term, this often means doing more with less, and changing the requirements for the IT leadership team. The ability to operate at all levels of the organisation, both at strategic and tactical levels, will be critical to anyone looking to develop their career these days.

Every day I talk to IT directors who may move from a meeting with the CEO where they have presented the IT roadmap, to a project meeting where they are overseeing the data migration plan for the new ERP system, to speaking to an end user with a password problem.

Demonstrating that you are the best IT leader to help your company through this period requires pragmatism, flexibility and genuine hard work.

Get flexible
The role of IT contractors has changed in line with the market. IT contracting is often synonymous with boom periods - large projects and big budgets have driven the need for a readily available and flexible workforce.

The demand for specialist contractors is still evident, though often for highly specialised requirements for a definite period or phase of a project.

Interim positions are an avenue that a number of IT professionals who are faced with redundancy are considering for the first time. For businesses interim posts give them access to a wealth of experience and talent, without the commitment of a permanent position. For candidates they can present an opportunity to experience a different industry or market sector.

So what do the coming months look like for ambitious and career-minded business and technology leaders?

The marketplace for talent has not come to a halt, though it has clearly changed. My clients are looking for IT leaders with a broad portfolio of skills - technical, commercial, strategic. They must also be highly pragmatic and flexible.

A challenging climate allows the best IT leaders to shine - if they're ready to take on the challenge.

Stuart Packham is director of UK recruitment agency Michael Page Technology.