Welcome to the next episode of our ‘Under the Hood’ blog series, where we meet the amazing people who make New Zealand’s IT industry tick.
In this edition, we sit down with Jason Agnew, CEO of Belton IT Nexus. Jason is an entrepreneur by nature, having started his own IT company at a young age and growing it to be a leading Auckland technology service provider.
Jason provides us with an overview of his career, discusses the changes impacting the technology service sector and also his advice on how technology job seekers can make themselves more hireable, below.
Jason’s Career
Jason started out in roles that weren’t related to IT, but used this time to learn about working in a customer-centric business where the focus is always on customer satisfaction. He then decided he wanted to work in technology and it wasn’t long before he decided that he wanted to establish his own business. You can read more about his story here.
A Rapidly Changing Industry
Jason talks about the significant change he has seen since establishing Belton IT Nexus in 2004. Previously it was acceptable to have a team of people who had simply worked in IT, however client expectations have now evolved. As an IT service provider it is now essential to be able to provide advice around everything relating to technology, from hardware through to industry specific software. This means the people being hired into the IT sector are now expected to have a far broader knowledge base.
Advice to People Entering the New Zealand Technology Sector
Jason highlights that people entering the sector or looking for their next role need to be able to demonstrate their broad knowledge base and that they have the ability to constantly evolve their skills as technology changes. He also highlights the importance of communication skills in every aspect of the technology sector, but especially service based businesses.
His advice to interviewees is to be prepared to clearly demonstrate the skills listed on your CV in an interview setting. If you have skills listed that you can’t comfortably demonstrate, leave them off. Employers prefer people who are honest about their shortcomings but show a willingness and ability to learn.
What IT Jobs are going to be in-demand?
Jason says the biggest shortage in the Auckland IT jobs market at present are people who can lead technical teams. He refers to these people being the ones who take new cloud technologies and put together new training plans to help technical people upskill and develop. Jason believes the reason for the shortage is that he finds IT people love to be technical and stay within a comfort zone. So, if you’re prepared to push yourself out of your comfort zone and show leadership traits, there are lots of opportunities available.
Keen to See More?
This is just one video in a comprehensive series where we follow individuals who are making a stamp on the IT Industry. For more insights and advice on various roles in the IT Industry from thought leaders and experts in the field, check out more of our Under the Hood series below:
