Tag Archive for: Team Swami

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Mainframe Skills in the Heartland

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Greg DeBo shares information on how we continue to build awareness of mainframe technologies in the heartland.

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Transforming IT Operations: Embracing Automation for Enhanced Infrastructure Support

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If you are responsible for managing and supporting IT Infrastructure, you know and understand the complexity involved in ensuring systems are available and stable.  Many organizations continue to manually manage their infrastructure but there are opportunities to automate repetitive tasks. Everywhere we turn, we hear about how artificial intelligence will impact so many aspects of our lives going forward. Enabling automation to manage your infrastructure will position your teams to absorb the changes AI will bring. Read more

Raise your hand if you’re hiring

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Recently I had the pleasure of attending my first ever SHARE Conference, and not only attend but led a panel discussion on how companies can find the mainframe skills to keep your company running for the next several decades as baby-boomers that built the critical infrastructure and applications are retiring.  It turned out to be quite the hot topic, as there were several other sessions addressing the same mainframe skills gap, and how companies can get a leg up on attracting and retaining talent.  As many companies are still limiting travel to conferences, I thought I would try to summarize what I heard to share with companies that were not able to attend and share some of the programs that might help. 

What Education is necessary? 

One of the common discussion items was what are you looking for in a mainframe employee?  Is a four-year degree a requirement?  A four-year degree specifically in an IT major?  Do they need to have mainframe training as part of that four-year degree?  COBOL?  I’m a huge advocate for universities teaching mainframe, that’s still where most companies recruit, but not every company has a university in their backyard teaching mainframe, and not every person has the desire or opportunity to get a four-year degree.  Many companies now use online profiling tools that weed out candidates before even having a chance to talk with a human.  In the environment that we are in, that practice seems to really eliminate some great candidates.  I talk about some options below where you can look for candidates if you are open to considering non-traditional routes. 

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TeamSWAMI turns one: reflections on the past year and 3 goals for the future

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Wow! I can’t believe an entire year has gone by since I launched TeamSWAMI! I am naturally an analytical person, so I spent a lot of time talking with mentors and others before I made the decision to launch my own firm. I researched the market, secured funding, created a business plan, and forged connections with current business owners who shared the joys and challenges of owning a small business. Bottom line:  I knew my journey was going to be challenging but also had the potential to be very rewarding.

Leaving a stable job to start a company is not for everyone, but I know I made the right decision for me. Prior to starting TeamSWAMI, I spent my career working in consulting and corporate America. I “grew up” around structure, process, rules, filling out approval forms, and the politics that accompany corporate leadership positions. I can’t explain the freedom that has come with starting this business. I can try different things and see what works, meet people from all kinds of backgrounds and organizations, continue to mentor students and technologists, and most importantly, provide value to our clients. Read more