I know IBM is in the midst of an annual budget planning cycle. While many
of the companies and governments we work for are going through a similar
process, it's important to plan ahead, just as we do for disaster recovery,
capacity upgrades, and new applications. IT talent retention and
recruitment also requires careful planning.
The ongoing knowledge and vitality of your IT staff is critical to your
companies' success. The ability to maintain and enhance core business
applications and systems is well worth protecting. That's why now's the
time to recruit and cultivate the next generation of talented IT
professionals. Many of them are enrolled in colleges and universities
around the world, and some of them need to work for you next summer. So
here are some suggestions:
1. Ask your management to hire two or more college interns in 2006 for a
zSeries/z9 experience.
2. Volunteer to become a mentor to one or more interns. (It can be
tremendously rewarding.)
3. Contact one or more universities and colleges now to let them know that
your company/government is eager to hire the most talented students as
summer interns. You can get more information on the colleges and
universities with zSeries/z9 programs by visiting:
http://www.developer.ibm.com/university/scholars/products/zseries/
If your favorite institution is not on the "Participating Universities"
list, don't panic. That list keeps growing, and you should work with IBM
and your preferred university to see whether they would like to
participate.
I suggest "two or more" interns to avoid the "lonely intern" experience.
Interns often need peer support. They also need real, challenging
assignments that will help them become excited about the field, and that
requires a great mentor like you. Mentors set reasonable objectives,
provide advice and coaching, and help clear bureaucratic obstacles that
might prevent an intern from a true work experience. I recommend NOT
hiring interns simply to move tapes, deliver printouts, or perform data
entry. The best summer experience encourages interns to contribute in some
meaningful way to your company's success, to gain access to a variety of
people, to work with customers (with reasonable supervision), and to learn
-- about your company and about the important work you do to keep the
business running smoothly.
Have a great summer!
- - - - -
Timothy F. Sipples
Consulting Enterprise Software Architect
IBM Americas zSeries/z9 Software
Phone: +1 312 529 1612
E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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