SKILL SETS FOR TODAY'S IT INDUSTRY

Skill Sets in each industry are based on the business process in that particular industry. When we look at the Information Technology industry it is in no way different.

IT industry could be classified into two major categories based on their nature - IT Products and IT consulting. When it comes to IT products, the focus is on developing IT products be it software or hardware. Companies like Microsoft, Sun Technologies, focus on developing software products whereas Bell, Intel, IBM focus on hardware products.

IT consulting focuses on providing software solutions to client's business needs. Companies like Viant, Scient, Infosys, TCS, Cognizant focus on providing software solutions ranging from developing new applications for client's business, to maintaining and enhancing client's existing applications.

In Chennai, more than 90% of the IT industry are IT Consulting companies.

In Product-based industries, technology does play a vital part in deciding the skillsets. But for Solution Providing companies, more than technology the need is focussed on the ability to be flexible, to learn fast and to apply what we have learnt.

I take the cue from the business nature of the industry. Most of the IT consulting companies are in the business of providing solutions and consultancy to their clients. Clients are in the need of consultants, who help them move on with their business needs. Hence the technology of the client becomes the technology of the consulting companies.

A typical consulting company in Chennai might have clients with technology ranging from legacy technologies like Mainframe, DBASE, FoxPro to the latest mobile technology. For a career in the IT industry one's aptitude should be one of openness to learn new technologies and at the same time old ones at lightning speed. One should also be able to translate what is learnt into project execution. Nowadays IT consulting companies focus more on soft skills like learning ability, creativity, assertiveness, teamwork skills than on technical skills.

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