Interquest Blog

The geek is dead, long live the GEIK

IT has always been viewed as the realm of the geek: introverted, bespectacled nerds who only think about bits and bytes. However, the reality of a career in IT today is very different: IT encompasses a raft of diverse, stimulating and well-paid careers for those with the right skills. It’s recognised as a key enabler for business success and is a sector that can offer employment security when other skilled jobs are facing cuts.

Thus, as of 2008, the traditional notion of the geek is dead.

However, with the advent of web 2.0, widespread home broadband and increased computer capacity – and know-how – available to everyone in the UK, we say ‘long live the GEIK: today, we are all GEIKs (Gadget Expert with IT Know-how).

We know how to blog, we feel comfortable buying and banking online, we get excited about the latest consumer gadgets (i.e. the iPhone), we can connect our home entertainment to the Internet and can fix our own IT meltdowns – even if it’s just by turning the computer off and back on again!

Too white, too German, too male

An article has appeared in today’s FT suggesting that the board at Siemens is ‘too white, German and male’ (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1199a7f0-4205-11dd-a5e8-0000779fd2ac.html). The piece, written by the boss of Siemens, sees him admit that the company’s board is too uniform – and he is now planning to develop a greater ‘global diversity of managers’.

A global company’s board must reflect the diversity of the markets it is trying to address. Any business owes it to its customers, staff and shareholders to bring in a broad range of experience and viewpoints, so opportunities both at the core and the periphery of the business aren't missed.

By not having qualified women in senior positions, for example, companies are effectively discriminating against half the workforce and as such, are missing out on a huge pool of talent. If there is a lack of women in senior positions then there are no role models to draw more talented individuals into the business.

Interviews aren't working

Candidates are often blamed for interviews going badly, and advice is given from all sides on how to improve their technique. Everything is put under the microscope, from the firmness of their handshake and appropriateness of their attire to how they present their experience and how many questions they ask.

But how often is the interviewer’s performance analysed? All to often, junior managers are thrust in to an interview situation ill-prepared and unsure of what to look for. It is little wonder that first impressions and rapport are what matter most: many interviewers are ill-equipped to look for anything else, so end up choosing the person they remember best.

Untrained interviewers plus high levels of subjectivity equals unfair interview processes that fail to select the best candidates. This is a ticking time bomb under British businesses: not only do poor selection processes present a real threat to business success, but using untrained junior managers to conduct interviews leaves employers at risk from failing to comply to employment legislation. Legal action – and all the negative PR that brings – is a very real possibility for companies that don’t get the interview process right.

How to improve your employability fivefold

• Acquire rare skills – these are more desired by employers than ‘good skills’
• Improve interview performance – its not just about an impressive CV when you go to meet a potential employer
• Make the most of your feminine side – men need to learn to multitask and how to smile to get on in the workplace – even in IT!
• Be less money-motivated – or at least appear so when looking for a new job or promotion
• Have location flexibility – don’t tie yourself to one place if you want to find the best opportunities

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships really are an anachronism. The time they suggest it takes to acquire skills simply isn't relevant any more to the world we live in and the real needs of employers or employees. Industries have moved on and skills have moved on.

Take IT skills. Apprenticeships have largely overlooked their relevance to date but they are integral to almost all business and present students with an outstanding opportunity of a challenging and well-paid career. But an apprentice framework won't give us the future generation of IT workers which the UK is crying out for. These people by and large are self starters who can now study and practice at home, or in their own time. They don't need access to lathes and looms.

The answer is to engage with students far earlier and educate them more effectively – in a more interesting and targeted fashion – as to what opportunities exist and what interests they should pursue. This will be far more effective than trying to lead them by the hand out of the career waiting room after the event.