The New IT Benchmarks (
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IT is a relatively new field, and its demands are constantly
shifting. The IT department of five or 10 years ago does not resemble the IT
department of 20 years ago. The IT department of 40 years ago didn't exist.
For IT professionals, keeping up is a daunting task. Over the
years, they've been told to be everything from techies who work out of the dark
room at the end of the hall to business folks in suits, driving the
organization's growth strategy. They've been told to stock up on as many
certifications as they could, and then were told that many of the
certifications weren't more than expensive pieces of paper. They've been told
to get really good at one technology, and then were told that being good at
only one technology was a career-limiting move.
With so many moving targets, it is no wonder that IT
professionals can suffer from an exhaustion that comes from having to
constantly remarket themselves as the IT worker du jour.
When CIOs and IT managers are asked what they measure their IT
hires by, their answers are surprisingly abstract. Few talk about, say, SAP
skills or specific business skills—but not because they don't want those skills.
Simply put, CIOs and IT managers want from their staff more
enthusiasm, more flexibility and a better ability to execute. Few of the people
eWEEK interviewed for this story felt they had this ideal mix in their
departments, but they were more than willing to build it themselves.
IT Management News & Reviews 
