Tag: IT Industry

Discovering Your Ideal Career Path: A Breakdown of the Self-Assessment Survey

Living in a world full of choices and opportunities, we are often influenced by others when making decisions. But are we truly making the right choices when it comes to important matters? I wanted to create a self-assessment survey to help people figure out the ideal career path tailored to them. This is specifically designed for individuals looking to make a choice in the IT field.

For the initial version, I’ve kept it ultra-simple. The survey consists of just four multiple-choice questions. If you’d like to try it out, here’s the link: https://itpro.lk/mypath

Logic Rules to Map to Career Pathways

The first question gathers input about the user’s preferred tasks, while the remaining three validate the initial choice. Based on their answers, the survey suggests career paths best aligned with their preferences.

Recommending Software Development:

  1. Task: A (Building software).
  2. Skills: Intermediate/Advanced programming.
  3. Motivation: High earning potential, Opportunities for creativity.
  4. People/Tasks: Prefers technical tasks.

Recommending Data Science/Analysis:

  1. Task: B (Analyzing data).
  2. Skills: Intermediate/Advanced programming.
  3. Motivation: High earning potential, Job stability and security.
  4. People/Tasks: Prefers technical tasks.

Recommending UI/UX Design:

  1. Task: C (Designing visuals).
  2. Skills: Beginner/Intermediate programming.
  3. Motivation: Opportunities for creativity.
  4. People/Tasks: Prefers technical tasks.

Recommending Cybersecurity:

  1. Task: D (Solving security challenges).
  2. Skills: Intermediate/Advanced programming.
  3. Motivation: High earning potential, Job stability and security.
  4. People/Tasks: Prefers technical tasks.

Recommending Quality Assurance:

  1. Task: E (Testing and improving quality).
  2. Skills: Beginner/Intermediate programming.
  3. Motivation: Job stability and security.
  4. People/Tasks: Prefers technical tasks.

Recommending IT Academic:

  1. Task: F (Teaching IT concepts).
  2. Skills: Beginner/Intermediate programming.
  3. Motivation: Helping others, Leading and organizing teams.
  4. People/Tasks: Enjoys working with people.

Recommending IT Management (Project/Product):

  1. Task: G (Managing teams and projects).
  2. Skills: Beginner/Intermediate programming.
  3. Motivation: Leading and organizing teams.
  4. People/Tasks: Enjoys working with people.

Recommending to try different paths

If the answers provided by users don’t align with any of the options, the system suggests exploring different paths to discover the most suitable career for them.

That’s all for now, folks! 🙂 I know it’s a very basic tool, and its recommendations shouldn’t be taken too seriously. I just recommend giving it a try for fun. I’m working on a more advanced version to share with you in the future.

The Dual Challenge of Skills and Jobs in Sri Lanka’s IT Sector

Many countries are facing two major problems:

  1. Not enough skilled people for skilled jobs (Supply).
  2. Not enough skilled jobs for skilled people (Demand).

Which do you think is the bigger problem in Sri Lanka?

This is a question we asked our users a few months back. We received different answers. Some said the problem is a lack of skilled people, while others said it’s a lack of skilled jobs. Some even said we have both problems simultaneously.

Personally, I believe both problems exist in Sri Lanka at the time of writing this. Narrowing this question down to the IT industry, there is a significant challenge in finding skilled jobs for entry-level job seekers and a challenge in finding qualified workers for senior-level positions.

Why These Problems Exist?

Growth in the Academic Sector

The growth in the academic sector, both public and private, has led to a significant increase in the number of IT graduates. Universities and technical institutes are producing a large number of graduates each year. However, the market is not expanding at the same rate to absorb these fresh graduates. This imbalance results in a surplus of entry-level job seekers struggling to find appropriate positions.

Impact of COVID-19 and the Global Economic Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting global economic crisis have significantly slowed down the growth of the IT industry. Many companies have had to cut back on hiring and even lay off employees. The uncertain economic environment has also led to fewer opportunities for fresh graduates, further exacerbating the mismatch between the supply of skilled workers and the demand for skilled jobs.

Experienced Professionals Leaving the Country

Another critical issue is the brain drain. Many experienced professionals are leaving Sri Lanka for better opportunities abroad. This exit of talent leaves a gap in senior-level positions that are hard to fill. The lack of experienced mentors and leaders within the country also hampers the growth and development of junior employees.

Moving Forward

Entrepreneurs are key to solving these problems and taking advantage of opportunities in the IT sector. They can create jobs, drive innovation, and build strong networks to support the industry. By offering good salaries, career growth opportunities, and remote work options, they can attract and keep top talent, reducing the loss of skilled workers to other countries. Despite these challenges, there is always hope.

Do you have anything in your mind? Feel free to share in the comments section, and let’s discuss!