Title: CIO and executive vice president for customer operations
Company: Direct Energy, Toronto
Kalia is this month's , answering questions about education, mentoring, skills, ethics and more. If you have a question you'd like to pose to one of our Premier 100 IT Leaders, send it to and watch for this column each month.
Throughout my 18-year career, I've always been aggressive in furthering my education, learning new technologies and generally staying up to date. I think I have a breadth of knowledge that surpasses anything those 10 or 15 years my junior have. But when new projects like virtualization come up, I'm not being tapped for either the initial evaluation or the implementation. How can I broadcast my abilities without coming off as a braggart? I'm afraid of being typecast as old school and not making the cut in some future round of layoffs. You can draw attention to your accumulated knowledge and wisdom in many ways. For example, writing a blog or commenting on online tech boards will show that you have contributions to make. Volunteer your services as a helping hand on projects where you know you can add something, but start by doing this during lunchtimes or after hours so that people see you as someone who is passionate, interested and willing to go the extra mile. Take on mentoring or coaching duties for your younger and less-experienced colleagues so that you are seen as a go-to person for advice. There are numerous ways to establish yourself without having to resort to shameless self-promotion!
With the economy in deep trouble, what can you say to encourage me to ? At 26, I'm thinking about returning to school and studying accounting, but it's technology I really love. Better knowledge of finance is good for IT professionals who want to make significant contributions to business success, especially if you aspire to be an IT manager. So studying accounting doesn't have to mean leaving the technology field, but you do have to think about what you love about technology and how you want to contribute. Tech professionals are always in demand, even in recessions, but you may have to relocate to find suitable opportunities. If that is not attractive or possible, then spending time at school to improve your marketability to companies could also be a productive use of your time. But don't let your tech skills get too rusty!