Career
Watch
Training Budgets Rebound
After deep cuts in
2008 and 2009, U.S.
training budgets got
a big boost in 2011,
according to training
advisory firm Bersin
& Associates.
YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGES IN TRAINING SPENDING, 2006-2011
9%
6% 7%
2%
SOURCE: THE CORPORATE
LEARNING FAC TBOOK 2012,
BERSIN & ASSOCIATES
2006
2007 2008
-11%
2009 2010
-11%
2011
In-Demand Skills
Listed below are the 10 most pressing hiring needs in
2012, according to Dice. The jobs posting company says the
appearance of system and network engineers on the list suggests that many companies have reached the limits of lean
sta;ng and now need to bulk up again.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Java/J2EE developers
Software developers/engineers
Mobile developers
Net developers
Project managers
Web developers
System engineers/administrators
Network engineers/administrators
SAP professionals
Business analysts
SOURCE: DICE SURVEY OF NEARLY 1,200 TECH-FOCUSED
HIRING MANAGERS AND RECRUI TERS
ASK A PREMIER 100 IT LEADER
Doug Beebe
The corporate manager for
information systems at Toyota
Motor Sales USA answers questions
about managers who get
buried in the details and more.
slowing down is not productive. However, my
experience tells me that ine;ciencies in work
processes can be reduced with better planning and a disciplined approach to delivering
results. In addition, I believe in and subscribe
to the philosophy that we need collaboration
in the workplace. It generates better ideas and
creates a more inclusive environment. However, there is an impact on leadership skills. The
opportunities to naturally lead are reduced,
and we need to be more attentive to the development of our future leaders.
We’ve gone through some devastating
rounds of layo;s, and I’ve been do;ng my
manager’s hat more and more to get hands-on with the technology — just because
there’s no one else to do it. But my CIO says
a manager should manage, not work with,
technology. I would agree if I weren’t facing
a mountain of things that won’t get done
without my help. What should I do? Early in
my career, I found myself in a similar situation.
My CIO at the time taught me three valuable lessons that I still incorporate in my management
style to this day. She did not buy the “I don’t
have enough head count” argument as su;-cient reason to get buried in the details in order
to get the work done. Instead, she challenged
me to create a vision and a set of strategies
to drive the organization toward a new model
that was capable of expanding and contract-
ing as the demand shifted. She also believed
that I found comfort in seeing the results of my
work much sooner than with the leadership/
management activities I was responsible for.
Lastly, she suggested I do a little
self-reflection regarding what I
wanted to do with my career. She
knew this would be tough but
believed that anytime you are not
able to perform to expectations,
you should look at yourself to see
what your part in it is.
I’m in a midlevel IT position, and I’m thinking
about getting an MBA to help further my ca-
reer. Do you think this is a smart move, and
if so, is this the right time? I think continuous
learning is what makes the future
interesting. When I went back
to get my MBA, I had 25 years of
experience under my belt. I saw
students with little to no business
experience who wanted to ex-
pand their analytical capabilities.
For me, it was more about con-
fidence and gaining an under-
standing of the qualitative side
of decision-making. We all had our reasons for
being there. So when is the right time? Anytime,
as long as you know what you want from the
experience and what benefit you will gain. I urge
you to seriously look inward for the answer.
If you have a question
for one of our Premier
100 IT Leaders, send
it to askaleader@
computerworld.com,
and watch for this
column each month.
What desirable qualities do
you find most lacking in recent hires?
Patience and leadership are two qualities I believe
are not valued today to the extent they were in
the past. The ability to obtain things as quickly
as we can today has created a perception that
