re: The Changing Role of User Groups

wcraddock — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 06:55:50 GMT

Great article and perspective on the industy, the place of a user group within it!

Will Craddock

Regina IT Pro UG

re: The Changing Role of User Groups

Philip Elder — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:34:40 GMT

Ping back for you:

http://blog.mpecsinc.ca/2008/03/user-groups-and-pedagogy-for-smb-it.html

Some thoughts on developing the UG as a pedagogical tool.

Philip

MPECS Inc.

re: The Changing Role of User Groups

Philip Elder — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:40:03 GMT

Pingback:

http://blog.mpecsinc.ca/2008/03/user-groups-and-pedagogy-for-smb-it.html

Some thoughts further to utilizing the UG as a pedagogical tool.

Philip

MPECS Inc.

re: The Changing Role of User Groups

Stephen Ibaraki — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:18:42 GMT

There's much here in Graham's piece. A few weeks ago, I was invited to give the keynote to the National Council of IT Deans and then stay for 2-days of meetings on many of the issues noted by Graham. So they all very much resonate with me. In fact, connecting with Community for support was part of my keynote and the role Community can play.

Good piece Graham!

Thank you,

Stephen

re: The Changing Role of User Groups

Graham Jones — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:31:55 GMT

As a follow-up to my post I decided to "put my money where my mouth is" and volunteered to be a Mentor for SUCCESS (www.success.bc.ca/cmc). Having "passed" my own interview last week (phew), today I met my first Mentee. This person has been in Canada now for about 3 months, which admittedly, when job hunting, isn't a long time. However, her background is interesting and relates well to the problems that I described in my post.

She is originally from Hong Kong but has spent the past 8 years working in the US, very successfully as far as I can tell in positions of some responsibility. She has travelled extensively in the US and Asia on business. She understands the business culture in China which is very useful. She simply wanted to move to Canada and likes it here but is still adjusting to the differences between here and the US.

She is personable. Her written and spoken English is good and she speaks both Cantonese and Mandarin, which is a definite employment advantage out here in the Lower Maninland of BC. For the past 6 years she has been working successfully in Business Analysis in IT for a major company. So what is the problem?

I asked her where she was meeting the "hurdles". Apparently, because she has neither a ComSci or Business degree (she has a Batchelor's in Journalism from HK and a Master's in Communications from the US) her resume usually doesn't even get considered. She has experienced this regularly at Job Fairs and has been told point blank by HR people that she doesn't meet the job specs. Whatever happened to the "...or equivalent experience"? This lady has 10 years of solid experience and that doesn't count at all. Give me a break.

How can the industry on the one hand be concerned about an IT skills shortage and on the other hand be so asinine as to reject such people out of hand? She is more than willing to further her education on a part time basis but in the meantime she has to survive. She is clearly disillusioned by her experience so far and knows several friends (IT, Engineering, Medical) who came here with expectations and are driving cabs to make a living.

It is understood that qualifications can matter and that qualifications from other countries may have less value than some of our own. However, it is solid experience that makes us who we are and defines our value. A degree is simply a piece of paper that says you have a "foundation" to learn.

Besides education in some of the better Chinese Universities is very good. When you have people who come here with MCSD and MCSE accreditation and good experience but still cannot get work it is a total waste of talent. Unless we change our attitude we will get what we justly deserve; "a black eye".

You can be assured that I will be doing my best to assist this lady. I believe that she has the skills and experience to contribute to Canada, which is what she wants to do. If money was the sole issue she could have stayed in the US and probably done better. Making a meaningful contribution is very central to this person and her well being. That was easy to tell. Unfortunately, my instincts tell me that she is probably one of many. Shame on us!

Graham J