Freely subscribe to our NEWSLETTER

“While the overall unemployment rate remains relatively high, my sense is that the economy is doing reasonably well and companies are making money,” said Weinman. “Certainly, we have seen a strong rebound in the market for IT audit; security; and governance, risk and compliance (GRC) professionals.”

In fact, according to a March 2012 survey by ISACA—a global nonprofit IT association of more than 95,000 IT and business professionals—more than half (52%) of the 3,700 respondents reported that their enterprises do not have enough IT staff and 44% of executive teams in the US are planning to increase their IT-related investments over the next 12 months. This need for employees opens doors for candidates. However, Weinman cautions that while some candidates will have multiple companies competing for their talents, others will find a tougher job market.

“It is clear that companies are raising the bar for production and contribution, and candidates need to change their mindset to be successful in this competitive environment,” Weinman explained. He shared three perspectives he suggests today’s workers need to understand:

1) There needs to be a paradigm shift—a new way of planning for life and career. In the past, most Americans tended to assume that they would continue to earn more each year of their career until retirement, and that it was unlikely that they would face any periods of protracted unemployment. These assumptions are no longer accurate, and they necessitate a different type of planning around life and career.

2) Building and maintaining a personal network is of critical importance. Today’s destabilised economic environment and the ensuing lack of long-term job security with any organisation have greatly heightened the importance of building and maintaining one’s personal network, both digital and face-to-face. Many individuals don’t start to think about building their network until the economy crashes and they are out of work. By then, it is too late.

3) It is no longer acceptable to be average. Companies are looking for a different caliber of employees. In addition to strong educational credentials and certifications, companies are also seeking individuals with tangible accomplishments, a history of adding value and a passion for and dedication to the profession.. If you cannot clearly articulate the value you (and your projects) bring to an organisation, you could be vulnerable over the long haul.

Weinman and other INSIGHTS speakers will meet with attendees in interactive discussions of the latest business and technology issues facing enterprises today. Speakers include:

· Pat Howard, chief information security officer (CISO) for the Lockheed Martin Antarctic Support Contract in support of the National Science Foundation’s U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP), through SecureInfo, a Kratos Company

· Michelle Finneran Dennedy, vice president and chief privacy officer, McAfee

· John Bumgarner, chief technology officer, US Cyber Consequences Unit

· Hironori Goto, deputy operation head, AXA Technology Services Japan

· Kevin McCabe, chief audit executive, Wells Fargo

· Sanjay Singh, vice president internal audit, Starbucks Coffee Company

· David Foote, chief executive officer, Foote Partners

· Udo Helmbrecht, Ph.D., director, European Network Information Security Agency (ENISA)

· Ron Ross, Ph.D., senior computer scientist and information security researcher, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

· Stephen Ibaraki, advisor to Global Board, Global IT Community Association (GITCA)

· James Golden, Associate Partner IT Governance and Cyber Security, IBM

· Peter R. Gleason, managing director and chief information officer, National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD)

“What makes this particular conference fascinating is the fact that, in addition to participating in high-value networking opportunities, every attendee is able to actively participate in every session, debate and conversation; share their own experiences; ask questions of the experts and the audience; and take away interesting points of view for further review and action,” said Marc Vael, CISA, CISM, CGEIT, director at ISACA and chair of the association’s Knowledge Board. “The key to this experience is being there in person to interact with attendees and panelists.”