Last week, I taught several project management workshops. When I spoke about moving to Agile methods, a number of the PMs were quite concerned. "But people aren't interchangeable. I have only one kernel/GUI/database specialist (pick the specialist of your choice)." But they don't actually need specialists. They need people who get things done.

You can overcome this specialist/generalist problem by expanding your skills. If you're an application developer, learn about the platform or the GUI. Maybe you want to learn about more testing approaches or patterns. The key is to expand your skills across the product and to expand your repertoire of functional skills.

One technique I especially like is to look at feature slices (slices through the architecture) and learn more just above and just below where you currently work. The more you do that, the easier it will be for you to see the whole architecture, whether you are developing, testing, writing, or whatever you do for your project.

You are not interchangeable with any other person, even if you expand your skills. Especially if you expand your skills! If you stand out from the crowd, you will be more valuable to the organization. Which makes it much easier to succeed in your current job or find a new one.

For many years the most dynamic and cutting-edge IT roles have traditionally been seen as the sole territory of the private sector, yet on closer inspection there are some mouth-watering opportunities available if you choose to go public.  

 

Just as many private companies aim to maximise productivity and efficiency, the same rings true in the public sector, with IT playing a central role in achieving and delivering those goals. Several large-scale projects with a significant IT presence will be launching over the next few years, which in turn may swell the opportunities open to IT workers looking to delve into the world of the public sector. The government's £1.2bn investment in the e-borders initiative as well as numerous opportunities arising from the London 2012 Olympics are just some examples of where both permanent and contract work will be available over the coming years.

 

If you're thinking of making the move from private through to public then there will be numerous differences to take into consideration. For example, in the private sector when there's a problem, there's often a tendency to throw money at it until a solution is found. Public sector IT is largely governed by strict budgets, which are set annually and fixed, its important to consider some of the experience you have developed in managing budgets in the past and apply them in your future role. What's more, salary and career progression could be a little slower off the mark in the public sector as the variety and scope of opportunities is slightly more limited. However, what you get in return is a chance to be part of some dynamic upcoming IT projects, job security, peace of mind, good holiday entitlement and an excellent pension. All in all, definitely worthy of your consideration!

 

So you've decided the agilists aren't completely crazy and maybe it's time to think about it. And, your waterfall project is in the dumps. You'd like to make some progress, and oh, maybe even find another job because you can't see how your company can live through this project disaster.

If you're considering how to integrate Agile into your work, here are four tips you can try to implement now:

Decrease the size of your tasks so you can get to done faster. One of the issues in non-agile lifecycles is that the tasks tend to be too big. It's common to see 1-week, 2, 3, 4, even 6-week tasks. The problem with tasks that large is that people get lost in the task. They lose sight of what done means. They wait until too late to start the task (also known as student syndrome). It's just too hard to do. So, instead of trying to manage big tasks, break every task down into smaller pieces. I like 1 or 2-day tasks max (also known as inch-pebbles).

Work in short timeboxes. Once you have smaller task sizes, make a todo list for just one week at a time. I have to admit, I have my big todo list, so I can track and see all the work I have to do. But my working todo list is just one week long. Because I work in short timeboxes of one week, I have a pretty good idea of what I can get done in a week. And, I know when I'm not making progress in a week, so I have some early warning signs.

This can be quite difficult to do if you have many partially finished tasks, or if your boss wants you to multitask, or if you are depending on other people for input into your work, or if you've never received feedback about your estimates. Don't worry if your estimates are wrong. Estimates are just guesses, so guess for now, and track your work. I don't track actual hours per task, I just look at my one-week list and see how much I have on it and where I am during the week, and where I am at the end of the week. I often have a task or two I did not finish. I don't beat myself about it and neither should you. Take that information and re-estimate what you can do for the next week.

Finish partially completed work. One of the biggest changes I found when I moved to agile is I had much less partially completed work. I still have several articles (and books!) in progress, but they are all at reasonable stopping points. When you have partially completed work that's not at a reasonable stopping point, you feel a pull to go back to it until you get it to a reasonable stopping point. That pull causes you to multitask, which prevents you from finishing more work. So the more work you can get to a reasonable stopping point, the better. That frees your mind to go do the next piece of work. Which means you can do small pieces of work and get to done faster.

One of the ways I do this is to use the SCM system to help me. I integrate continuously, no matter what I'm writing (code, tests, documentation, project plans). That way the latest version is checked in, and I know the state that it's in and I don't have to think about it.

Know what done means. Any given task may have a different definition of done, but a project's definition of done is "fit to release." Since the project has to be ready to release, I like my pieces to be ready to release also. Sometimes, as one individual contributor, that's not possible until other people have done their parts. But make your pieces as done as you can make them.

For me, this means working by feature more than working by architecture. If your project manager is still organizing the work by architecture, offer to work with others across the architecture so you finish a feature, even if you don't finish the architectural layer. Yes, this may seem counter-intuitive, but it's faster and leads to finished product earlier.

Why should you do this? Because if you're looking for a job, even if you don't have agile experience, these practices will help you add value to your organization now. And you can talk about them in interviews.

The relationship between employer and candidate has often been seen as a one-way street, with that often-dreaded interview question; 'why do you want to work here?' springing to mind. However more and more, it's the employers themselves who are being asked the tough questions. Following a recent BCS report on how better company cultures would attract more women back into the profession; how much do we look into the company we're applying for? 

 

In the current job market, although many people searching for a new role will be keen to make a swift move back into work, the ways in which people make employment decisions is showing signs of change. For many IT workers, company culture is still high on the job-hunting agenda. Similar to the BCS findings, Computer People's Salary Survey conducted earlier in the year also suggested how the culture of an organisation is key to a happy and contented workforce.

 

Some 70% of those questioned placed high importance on the quality of their working environment and culture. Many also saw the culture of a company to be a deal breaker in their choice to apply for a position or not. Findings such as these highlight the shifting onus on companies of all sizes to sell themselves to the candidate rather than vice versa.

 

A key part of this process involves alerting all potential candidates, male or female, to what your company offers over and above a paycheque. From offering flexible working hours or childcare facilities to regular company-wide social activities or duvet days and sabbaticals, employers that offer the best mix of work and play will be the ones attracting and retaining the best candidates.

As the credit crunch bites, IT contractors are quickly picking up the pace as organisations look to take action as the permanent market begins to slow. Although hiring contractors can be pricier than salaried employees, it's often the case that companies are more likely to pay that little bit extra to hire someone on a temporary basis to allow them to switch that resource on and off as needed. In the current climate it's a certainly a trend we've seen developing.

For those considering a move into contract work there are certainly benefits. For permanent staff, many employment niggles lie with a lack of variety of opportunities available. For many contractors the freedom and flexibility of their work allows them to focus on a specific project and remain 'psychologically distant' from company politics, moving on to new opportunities when the occasion arises or according to their own circumstances.

For the uninitiated - on a typical contract, you'd spend around 8 hours a day, for 5 days a week working on a specific project, with your roles, responsibilities and goals outlined in your contract description. Typically your work would be overseen and monitored by a manager within the organisation. However as jobs tumble, contractors and temporary staff are often the first to feel the effects.

One of the issues people have with moving into contract work is the very cutthroat nature of the business. As competition increases, we've also seen contract pay rates decrease over the last few weeks, so there are a number of reasons to weigh up the pros and cons of such a move before diving in. For those IT staff currently working on contract the expectation of going from one role to another in quick succession has been tempered, forcing contractors to be much more pragmatic about their work.

The overall feeling remains optimistic; as organisations seek short-term measures to offset a period of instability, opportunities will be there. It's for those with the right skills, determination and confidence to go out and take them.

For IT staff the City has always been a popular destination, with attractive salaries on offer, advanced technology at your fingertips and employers eager to snap up the cream of the IT crop. Yet with the shake-up in the City and jobs foundering, IT workers may have fresh thoughts about the importance of job security. With their confidence in the City dented, IT professionals could be forgiven for thinking a role in finance might not be the most secure career path.

 

However no one can ever predict what the future holds for any industry sector and despite the economic downturn there is still demand for IT professionals in the City. IT remains at the core of most businesses, and improving efficiency, boosting customer experience and often helping organisations remain competitive. As such, few businesses would be willing to cut corners by sacrificing their IT, or the staff that manage it on a daily basis.

 

Currently the banking sector has shown the same level of demand for IT professionals as before the credit crunch, as many organisations are now keen to set up systems that manage risk more effectively. Middleware, Java and transaction processing specialists all are examples where demand remains high. 

 

Though IT and the City have had a turbulent relationship over the past year, there are still opportunities available out there for the taking, for those who know to look for them.

As a web professional, I've found myself in both full time positions and in freelancing roles - and most IT skills-led jobs can be fit to either pattern. While the majority of people working in IT are in more conventional permanent (or at least, semi-permanent) roles, freelancing can prove to be a lucrative and challenging type of career move.

While the economic climate may be a little bit discouraging at the moment, if you fancy going freelance it's probably not a bad time to bide your time and make plans for the day that you do decide to go it alone. The freedom you gain from working for yourself can be most rewarding, although you do lose much of the comfort of a regular 9 to 5 position.

It is important, then to hedge your bets and be prepared - and there are a few things you might just need to consider. The first - and most immediate - is your finances, particularly on day one.

Savings & Finances

You can't just dive straight into freelancing work - inevitably it will take time to build clients, and during this time you'll still have all your usual expenses. It's typically recommended that you about 6 months worth of your salary - at least 6 months living expenses - in reserve, before you even start thinking about heading out on your own.

You also need to seriously consider cutting down costs - pay off any extraneous debts, be sure you're not paying too much on a car loan or mortgage, and generally cut back as far as you can without it infringing on your ability to do work. Low expenses and a healthy amount of capital to fall back on will both help get your freelancing career off the ground. If things get rough, you'll need a cushion until the situation improves.

A Good Portfolio

A portfolio is vital for those working in an area remotely creative or production-based - from designers to programmers, web-oriented or otherwise. If you don't have the means to show off the things you can do, you'll struggle to sell yourself.

It doesn't necessarily have to be of epic proportion - just a couple of strong examples of your work should suffice to impress, but it is this proven ability that will close deals. If you're looking to freelance, get a portfolio and make it available to as many people as possible. Solid examples of your own work that are demonstrable are invaluable.

A Means of Client Acquisition

Important one, this - you need to think long and hard about exactly how you plan to snare work. When you're first starting out, this will take up the bulk of your time, so it's important to be aware of the avenues through which you can get work.

Simply putting together a quick website and printing some business cards won't be enough - you'll need to take a more proactive tack if you are to succeed. The traditional means - endless telephone calls to prospective clients - can work, but the internet opens a few more doors in terms of hooking up with those people who might require your services.

Freelance job sites, viral marketing, blogging, participation in social media, forums, etc. Are all good ways of increasing awareness and getting contacts - some are better than others, and can be dependent on specific situations, but the internet does provide a lot of good ways for getting work. The trick is to be flexible, try new approaches - and with a spot of luck, you might just be able to get a steady stream of new clients.

Pre-Existing Clients

Even better than a plan to get new clients is a pre-existing set of clients. There's no reason why you can't start to dip your toes into the world of freelancing whilst remaining in full-time employment - and if you can slowly build up a client base in your spare time, you'll find the transition to freelancing full-time much more easy.

It can be a bit of a chicken/egg type conundrum, as working full time can hamper your ability to get clients, but it's certainly not impossible to take on smaller jobs in your spare time, get some good contacts, and a little spare cash in the meantime. It does, of course, mean a little extra stress and a few more hours to the working week in the interim.

I wouldn't recommend forgoing the above point regarding the acquisition of further clients - new customers are always a benefit (assuming you have spare capacity to handle them) - and there's no guarantee that today's clients will return tomorrow.

'The Right Stuff'

Freelancing can be very hard work if you're not cut out for it. You need to be equally strong on all the fronts required - you need to be technically competent, a self-motivated and quick worker, boast great communication skills and politeness with your clients, and take a more direct, brash approach to selling your skills.

It's a heady mix - and not everyone can pull it off. You have to be sure you can make it work, else you might find yourself in a position where you can sustain yourself but naught more - a stalemate between paying the bills and excelling in a freelance role.

You also may have to accept failure - sometimes there simply isn't the market for a specific skill set in any given area - or it could be the case that there's an oversaturation of your skills. In either case, you may have to try a different approach.

Get it right, though - and you'll be laughing. An unfettered work schedule, no boss and the potential for unlimited riches? It might not always work out quite as planned - but with freelancing there is always potential for such opportunity, given that you're motivated enough and can cope with the strain of working for yourself.

For years the South East of England has been the Mecca of the UK's IT community, with swathes of IT companies setting up camp along the M3/M4 corridor. Of course the region's status as an IT hub has rarely been questioned and seldom challenged until now.

 

With councils and development agencies ploughing money into local business schemes, and larger corporations setting up shop in the region, the north of England has recently started giving London and the South East a run for its money on the IT scene. After years of lagging behind in terms of opportunities, benefits and technology, northern cities such as Leeds and Manchester have firmly established themselves as the new hot spots on the IT map; something both businesses and IT professionals are beginning to take heed of.

 

Research conducted last year showed that just under 90% of IT workers in the South East are considering relocating in the next five years; a huge percentage which seems to imply a growing realisation that opportunities can and do exist outside the Southern counties. What's more in the last few years even well known organisations such as The BBC, The Bank of Scotland and the Bank of New York Mellon have embraced the idea of migrating north as rising costs in the capital and advances in mobile and wireless technology make relocation an increasingly attractive and viable option to big business.

 

For IT workers, the main concerns in relocating often revolve around both the opportunities available to them and the sacrifices they'd have to make to their salaries, with the north-south pay divide playing a significant role in the decision not to move outside the South East. Also in the current housing climate a move north that doesn't quite work out in the long run may hamper chances of finding and buying a home if and when you decide to head back south.  On the plus side however the pay gap is undoubtedly narrowing, as salaries grew by 4.8% in the north of England last year, compared to just 3.7% in the capital. Northern IT workers can now expect to earn an average of just over £30,300 per annum.

 

In terms of skill demand, the North of England has seen a need for IT support staff with .net and Oracle skills over recent months, as well as some of the more niche skill sets such as business intelligence, as companies look to cut costs by analysing their own performance internally rather than through engaging with outsourcers. As with the South, the Northern IT market is still fairly buoyant with demand for staff still relatively high. If the hectic pace of London or the tedious queues on the M4 don't really appeal to you anymore then the answer may lie due north.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm at Microsoft's Professional Developer's Conference (PDC) in Los Angeles, where we've heard a ton of stuff about Microsoft's forthcoming technology. A lot of the press has focused on Windows 7, and that's understandable since Windows is what many of us stare all day. I've been running Windows 7 myself since Sunday, in an pre-beta build, and I'm both impressed and unimpressed.

The good bit: Windows 7 is better than Vista in every way I can think of. Even in the pre-beta, it is fast and stable. Even better, Microsoft has worked on making Windows "quieter" - reducing the number of distracting dialogs and notifications, and giving users more control over them.

Too much "toast" popping up in the system tray? Just choose "Customize", and you can turn off notifications from applets that are annoying. Too many prompts from Vista's User Account Control, the thing that flashes the screen and asks, "Did you really want to do that"? Now there's a simple slider that lets you minimize the prompts. Provided that you avoid the lowest level, security is not much compromised.

There are other user interface changes, but the nagging question is whether Windows 7 really merits a full new version number. In fact, Microsoft says there are no core architectural changes, which is great for driver and application compatibility, but reinforces the impression that this is just Vista done right.

The biggest innovation (if you have never seen an iPhone) is the multi-touch control, which lets you use your fingers instead of the mouse. You can scroll windows with a flick of the wrist, and pinch the screen to zoom or rotate what you see. Impressive; but whereas this works well on the iPhone which is designed from scratch with this in mind, there are a couple of problems applying it to Windows. First, most of use don't have touch screens, and while that might change, it's also possible that the technology will go the same way as the current Tablet PC, into a small niche. Second, how many application developers will make the effort to support touch properly? Watch this space; but I guess it is possible that mouse and keyboard will remain by far the most common way to control Windows.

The more interesting themes at PDC are outside Windows itself. There's cloud computing, there's Visual Studio 2010, there's news on the future of C#, which as its architect Anders Hejlsberg pointed out, is now a decade old, and plenty more. I'll post separately on some of these topics.

Nevertheless, Windows 7 will be a welcome upgrade when it comes. Which is when? Microsoft won't tell, but I'm guessing we may have it in our hands by this time next year, probably earlier. OEM vendors will want it for the Autumn. To hit that date, Microsoft will need to be complete the OS by the summer. Given the lack of major changes under the hood, that strikes me as plausible.