At the 'bleeding edge'

By VIKKI BLAND

They call it the "bleeding edge", a term used to describe the latest breakthrough technologies in the IT sector.

But while no one doubts the rate at which technology progresses, IT job candidates struggle with jumping this particular train.

How can you prepare yourself to work with technologies you haven't been trained in? And what qualifications and experience are sought by companies that specialise in bleeding edge technologies like wireless applications, digital media, 3D and virtual reality, and new generation networking?

Roly Rogers, managing director for the wireless application developer Econz, says the skills needed to work with new technologies tend to be grown from within organisations at the forefront of developing those technologies, rather than bought in.

"Pretty much everything we work on is new; if the skills are not available in New Zealand they won't be available offshore. So buying in skills [for new technologies] is not really an option."

Rogers says Econz employees tend to be trained internally from graduate status and are predominantly in their 20s with a technical computing degree or qualification in business computing. Econz scans candidates by looking for areas of high achievement and interest.

"For example, [computing] courses have a number of subject options. We look at the options taken. We may be looking for one or more programming languages. Increasingly Java is important to us. We've also been employing people with a Linux/Unix interest which fits with development [trends] in the handheld device market."

Ken Goodwin, HR manager for TelstraClear, echoes Rogers, saying most of the skills needed for working with new IP networks, software products and services are grown internally.

"Such skills are not readily available in the market. We get help by tapping into the knowledge base provided by our parent [Australian company Telstra Corporation Limited] but they also tap into us because we can do things so much faster than they can."

Goodwin says TelstraClear searches for candidates through advertising, staff referrals and a recently launched graduate programme.

"Academically we don't care about [exact] qualifications. We're interested in outcomes, not inputs. We are looking for people who can do the job and have the right attitude. That's so important in this company."

Miranda Hogan, marketing communications manager for the Christchurch-based research organisation the HIT Lab [Human Interface with Technology], says such labs exist to develop new technologies and take them from academia to industry for commercial benefit.

"For example, we developed the Magic Book for the America's Cup campaign. When a person puts on a head display and looks through it, they see the real world around them at the same time as the virtual world with 3D images. But then they can flick a switch on a handheld display and fly into the pages of the book in full virtual reality mode."

She says overseas projects have included virtual retina display technology, which uses a beam of light to scan images directly on to the retina of the human eye, and augmented reality systems for police, airlines and military units.

The HIT lab is connected to Canterbury University and began in 2002 with three fulltime staff. It now has around 30 people in fulltime, part-time and voluntary research roles. "[In 2003] we had five fulltime staff, one part-timer, eight post-graduate students, eight undergraduate students and seven or eight [Canterbury University] faculty members," says Hogan.

Eric Woods, head of computer and multimedia services for the HIT Lab, says 3D development is big. "Video and software has gone 3D and [IT job seekers] should know being able to manipulate things in 3D is going to be very, very popular."

IT job seekers who want to work on the bleeding edge take note: many of today's newest technologies will be "very, very popular" tomorrow.

IT areas to watch

Advanced security applications.

Linux application programming.

Wireless local and wide area networking: using a range of new wireless networking technologies.

XML/ web services.

Wireless telephony.

IP telephony.

Advanced 3D animation.

Virtual and augmented reality systems.

Global positioning systems.

Smart cards.

Speech recognition.

RFID (radio frequency identification) tags, readers and antenna.

Grid computing: the ability to access computers, databases and experimental facilities transparently, without having to consider where the facilities are located. Commonly used in financial analysis and medical research.

* Based on local interviews and international research from Pricewaterhouse Coopers.