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 A
question that school leavers who want a career in I.T. have to face is whether
to invest 3-4 years getting a degree, or instead get certification in networking
or PC repairs or other I.T. qualification while getting actual work experience.
Many I.T. managers in Trinidad insist on a degree, at
least for the more senior positions in the company. A degree demonstrates
that a person is intelligent and has the discipline to learn. Some
consultancy companies insist on a degree so they can prove the high calibre of
their staff to their clients.
There's another school of thought that actually discriminates against graduates
as being too arrogant and having too high expectations of their worth.
This can also apply to people who have invested in very expensive certification.
It is interesting to note that In North America and the
UK, the requirement for a degree is usually waived if an applicant can show
strong work experience, i.e., from the "University of Life". So it is
frustrating for non-nationals with extensive I.T. experience, who have acquired
T&T citizenship, to be faced with this cultural barrier here.
Certification provides excellent training in specific I.T.
areas and in some cases, such as networking, is essential to get a job.
Trinidadians tend to work hard at improving their credentials and their résumés
are often an impressive listing of certificates, diplomas, first and second
degrees and various short training courses. So, if you don't go this
route, then you lose out to the competition for the best jobs.
My own view is that, if it is at all possible, you should
get that degree under your belt. It doesn't matter that what you learn is
soon obsolete (if it's I.T. related). A degree gives you better job
options all through your life. The latest must-have certification will
become obsolete at some point too but the difference is that once obsolete, it
only serves to show that you're not keeping up-to-date with technology.
A degree is expensive and you have to invest years of
your life in its pursuit. These days, however, there are options available
to allow you to do classes in the evening so that you can work during the day
(see http://sta.uwi.edu/evening/ for
information on the University of the West Indies evening degree programmes).
No matter how experienced you are, getting a degree is a passport to the best
jobs in this part of the world.
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Letters to the Editor:
There is one other aspect I think is worth considering before taking a job
with a TT firm: the culture. As you said, very rightly, managers here may be
blown away by the resumes some IT professionals [who have worked abroad] can
present. But they may also be blown away by the level of initiative that foreign
workers have, and may react defensively and indeed try to shut down the new
employee, fearing they will show up their colleagues or bosses.
Our clients here are mostly Government and large organizations, and we see it
from the outside all the time: an entrenched culture of obeying rules and
sticking to the prescribed job description, suddenly is upset by a proactive,
enthusiastic individual who is accustomed to being rewarded for innovating and
doing more than his/her share.
They can't both win, so either the co-workers begin to feel resentment, or the
new addition begins to feel his team is working against him. A lot of maturity
and wisdom is needed to enter a new work culture without causing upset--and
without losing the very 'edge' you bring with your new ideas! ......
Repatriated National
This is a sad indictment of our work ethics. However, I don't think it's
true for most private sector companies. My experience is that Trinis are
very hard working (at the professional level) and display a keenness to get the
job done even at great sacrifice to their personal lives. Trinis tend to
do very well abroad because of this.
I was very impressed by the strong work ethics and team spiritedness I
encountered while contracting for a chemical company and then a bank when I
first returned to Trinidad - much more so than what I experienced in nearly 20
years of working in many types of companies in the UK. What is everyone
else's view on this? ..... Ed.
We would love to hear what you think of this issue of
CRS News. And of course, if you have any suggestions for upcoming issues that
you would like to share with us, please send those too.
Comments, suggestions, feedback?
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© Copyright 2005
Caribbean Resourcing Solutions Ltd.
All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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In This Issue:
-
Editor's Note
-
Degrees and Certifications
- Tell Us What You Think
-
Subscriptions
Check our
website for a complete list of I.T. JOBS
New requirements include:
IT Auditor (TRINIDAD):-
To perform complex level internal auditing work.
– Job Ref:SJ99
UNIX Operations Engineers (CARIBBEAN):-
To provide overall support of messaging, multimedia & wireless
Internet products in the Caribbean.
– Job Ref:SJ100
Urgently required:
Programmer Analyst AS/400 Administrator
(TRINIDAD):-
To provide technical support and to assist in the development and
implementation of the organization’s operating procedures.
– Job Ref:SJ89
C, C++, C# (.Net) Developers
(TRINIDAD):-
To provide Software development of Server and Client network
applications primarily for MS Windows platform.
– Job Ref:SJ92
PeopleSoft Systems Administrator (TRINIDAD):-
To ensure the PeopleSoft Application environment is properly
maintained and optimized to meet customer service level expectations
– Job Ref:SJ98
We are always looking for the following skills so please
encourage anyone with experience to apply via
www.crsitjobs.com:
I.T. Sales - all levels and for
different Caribbean islands
AS/400
UNIX
Contract jobs are usually filled quickly from our
database and therefore are not advertised on our website, so make sure that your
résumé is up-to-date to get included in our searches
Online
Psychometric Testing
WHO IS CRS?
Caribbean Resourcing Solutions Ltd
www.crsitjobs.com
... a leading provider of technical resources in the Caribbean
We are based in
Trinidad & Tobago
DID YOU KNOW?
We also do Oil & Gas Recruiting!
www.crsoilandgasjobs.com
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