Consultancy mindset for IT engineers is key nowadays
The Romanian IT market is in a bit of a pain recently. A large number of companies present in the local market are restructuring, releasing people: FintechOS, Endava, Cognizant, NTT Data, Playtika, Deloitte (tech center, not Deloitte Romania) and many more.
The current ask for junior roles is close to zero. The ask for senior/expert roles heavily increased. There’s an inbalance between the highly skilled demand and the available skills, therefore there are more people looking for a job in IT vs the current open roles. The people getting released these days are either bench for some time or lower skilled (either technically or soft skills / consultancy).
This was driven mainly by lower demand coming from industries which are currently suffering and down-prioritizing digital transformations vs their core business priorities, more companies internalizing their IP, increasingly higher cost of Romanian workforce, therefore relocating to even lower cost countries, and so many other global and local factors.
If we take a deeper dive into the local factors, we’ve experienced massive hiring efforts during the C-19 pandemy and shortly after.
With everyone working from home, companies realized that local physical presence is not necessary after all, thus pushing more and more roles to working remotely and to lower cost countries, Romania included. This created a pressure in the local market and lead to a lower quality of the skills hired, just to fill in the roles.
With everyone working from home, Romanian IT engineers (and not only) discovered in mass duojobbing and freelancing. Having multiple contracts in parallel is not necessarily something bad while we have the end goal in mind: adding the right value to the end client for the money they pay. But when people are just lowering their effort, lacking pro-activity, ignoring ownership and just doing the bare minimum in their job … this is when the market needs to react and shift.
The Romanian IT market is the victim of its own success. Just waiting for outsourcing demand to come here for the high engineering skills and lower cost is not enough anymore: https://lucianpopovici.com/2024/03/04/the-romanian-it-industry-beyond-outsourcing
In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, the role of programmers has moved beyond just coding skills. Today, the demand is moving to delivering comprehensive solutions that address client needs effectively. In this paradigm shift, the consultancy mindset has emerged as an indispensable asset for programmers, distinguishing them as value-adding partners rather than mere executors of tasks.
The days when programmers were confined to their coding cubicles, disconnected from the broader objectives of the projects they were working on are now gone. The modern programmer is expected to be more than just a technical expert; they are now entrusted with understanding the intricacies of the client’s business domain, recognizing underlying challenges, and proposing innovative solutions that go beyond the client’s initial requests.
The consultancy mindset requires programmers to adopt a proactive approach towards client engagements. Rather than simply executing what the client asks for, they need to delve deeper into the client’s requirements, critically evaluate them, and offer insights and suggestions for improvement. By challenging the client’s assumptions and proposing alternative approaches, programmers can add substantial value to the project and contribute to its overall success.
One of the key aspects of the consultancy mindset is effective communication. Programmers must possess strong interpersonal skills to engage with clients, understand their needs, and convey complex technical concepts in a clear and understandable manner. By fostering open and transparent communication channels, programmers can establish trust and collaboration with clients, ultimately leading to better outcomes for the project.
Furthermore, embracing a consultancy mindset entails a commitment to continuous learning and self-improvement. Programmers must stay updated with the latest advancements in technology, industry trends, and best practices to provide informed recommendations to clients. By investing in their professional development, programmers can expand their skill set and offer innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of clients.
Another crucial aspect of the consultancy mindset is a focus on delivering value. Programmers should strive to understand the broader objectives of the project and align their efforts towards achieving tangible outcomes for the client. This may involve identifying opportunities for optimization, streamlining processes, or introducing new features that enhance the overall user experience. By consistently delivering value-added solutions, programmers can solidify their reputation as trusted advisors and strategic partners to their clients.
This leads again to education and the education system needs to change to align more to the increasingly changing business environment. Unless this happens, the Romanian education system will continue to produce highly skilled engineers. But though high skilled, these engineers will not be best fit for the new economy and new ways of working given lack of consultancy mindset.
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