- What kind of information can I get on the Virtual Career Centre and how can it help me in planning my infocomm career?
- What are the sources of the statistics available on the Virtual Career Centre, for example, the information on infocomm salaries and popular infocomm jobs?
- What kind of jobs are available in the infocomm industry?
- What are the infocomm jobs that are currently in high demand in Singapore?
- What are some examples of entry-level jobs that I can go into?
- I am interested in a career that is in line with my interest in “hard-core” technical skills. What are my options?
- I like working with technology but I am not a technical expert. I’m more inclined towards project planning and working with people to get the job done. Are there suitable career options for me in infocomm?
- I want to work as an infocomm professional in the healthcare sector, do I need any form of qualification in healthcare to do so?
- I would like to pursue an infocomm-related course of study at the university. Are there any scholarships or grants that I can apply for?
- What kind of funding support is available for working infocomm professionals, to help them upgrade their skills?
1. What kind of information can I get on the Virtual Career Centre and how can it help me in planning my infocomm career?
The Virtual Career Centre provides a one-stop source of basic information to help you get started in planning your infocomm career. For example, it has information such as: what are the entry level jobs in the industry and the career pathways that are open to you, what kind of salary packages can you expect for certain infocomm jobs, and the courses that are available at the universities and polytechnics.
From here, you will have a good feel of the options that are available to you, even before you embark on an infocomm-related course of study. It will help you zoom in on possible areas of interest that you could pursue.
However, we would advise you to find out more about these areas before making a decision. For example, if you are interested in computer networking, you may want to find out more about the specific qualifications that are needed for this field and the job-related competencies that you should develop.
Also, because the infocomm field is so wide and varied, the Virtual Career Centre is only able to give you examples of some of the key jobs and employment sectors that are pertinent to infocomm. You are strongly advised to do further research and talk to your peers or practising infocomm professionals to find out more.
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2. What are the sources of the statistics available on the Virtual Career Centre, for example, the information on infocomm salaries and popular infocomm jobs?
The statistics are culled from published reports by reputable agencies and are the most current available. For example, statistics on the top five infocomm jobs in demand come from the IDA’s Annual Infocomm Manpower Survey 2007 while indicative salaries are obtained from recruitment agencies and HR consultancies. The sources for the salary information include the Kelly Services Salary Handbook 2008/2009, the Hudson IT and Telecommunications Salary Information 2008, and Robert Walters Singapore Information Technology Salary Guide 2008.
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3. What kind of jobs are available in the infocomm industry?
There are very many jobs available in the infocomm industry, from generic management jobs to specialised technical roles.
These jobs could be available in “end-user” organisations – for example, companies in the financial services sector, healthcare sector, manufacturing and logistics etc – or in infocomm organisations such as IT hardware and software vendor companies and consultancies. According to IDA’s Annual Infocomm Manpower Survey 2007, about 44 per cent of infocomm professionals in Singapore are employed in end-user organisations and 56 per cent in infocomm organisations. You may want to check out the findings of the survey for a better idea of the range of jobs available.
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4. What are the infocomm jobs that are currently in high demand in Singapore?
According to the 2007 IDA survey, the top five jobs in demand, in terms of job openings available, are: Software Development (940), Sales and Marketing (Infocomm) (740), Infrastructure Support (420), Project Management (400), Education and Training (Infocomm) (340).
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5. What are some examples of entry-level jobs that I can go into?
Examples of entry-level jobs include Applications Programmer, Sales Executive, IT Support Analyst and Network Administrator. These jobs often involve working with a team to execute infocomm projects, and will give you an opportunity to specialise in your area of interest.
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6. I am interested in a career that is in line with my interest in “hard-core” technical skills. What are my options?
If your interest lies in honing your technical expertise, you may want to consider taking the Technical Track, which is the suggested career pathway for people like yourself. The Technical Track gives you the opportunity to tap on your expertise and your interest to explore new frontiers in technology and tackle the technical challenges of the digital environment.
For the Technical Track, you start off as a Specialist, in roles such as Network Engineer or System Analyst. As you progress, you become an Expert, where you not only deliver infocomm solutions but also help organisations to leverage on infocomm to create a competitive advantage. Expert level jobs include that of an Infocomm Consultant or a Solutions Architect.
The most senior level in the Technical Track is that of the Guru. IT Gurus have comprehensive IT expertise in his or her specific area of interest and often lead the international field in this area.
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7. I like working with technology but I am not a technical expert. I’m more inclined towards project planning and working with people to get the job done. Are there suitable career options for me in infocomm?
If you are good in project planning and have strong people communication skills, you may want to consider the Management Track. You can start off with Specialist roles such as Project Manager and Account Manager, where you oversee the development and implementation of infocomm solutions. The next stage up the managerial ladder would be roles such as Applications Manager and Operations Manager, which report directly to the senior management. The IT Manager is often the point person for key issues related to infocomm and how it is aligned with the organisation’s business goals.
The top level – Senior Management – includes roles such as the Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer. This is a boardroom function which plays a key role in shaping the business strategy of the organisation, using infocomm as an enabler.
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8. If I want to work as an infocomm professional in the healthcare sector, do I need any form of qualification in healthcare to do so?
As is the case with all infocomm professionals, business domain knowledge will be a strong advantage. Entry-level infocomm professionals should focus their efforts on understanding the business processes and operations of the healthcare industry, in addition to honing their technical skills. This business domain knowledge can be picked up on-the-job, especially by engaging end users in infocomm-related discussions.
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9. I would like to pursue an infocomm-related course of study at the university. Are there any scholarships or grants that I can apply for?
You can apply for the National Infocomm Scholarships, which are offered by the Infocomm Development of Authority of Singapore (IDA) and various leading organisations. The scholarship provides students with the opportunity to gain valuable work experience, industry-relevant mentorship and employment at any of the supporting organisations from both the private and public sectors.
Support under the NIS includes tuition and other compulsory university fees, annual allowances, hostel fees, one-time settling-in, living allowances and return airfare for overseas attachment, warm clothing allowance, medical insurance and visa fees, etc.
Other programmes which you may be interested in are the Singapore Management University (SMU) and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Fast Track Programme, which allows you to graduate within four to four-and-half years with both a Bachelor of Science (Information Systems Management) degree from SMU and a Master’s degree in IT from CMU, and the Service Science, Management and Engineering (SSME) Programme, which is developed by IBM to integrate multiple disciplines such as computer science, engineering, management and operations research, and educates students in a strong mix of technical, business and people skills.
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10. What kind of funding support is available for working infocomm professionals, to help them upgrade their skills?
The Critical Infocomm Technology Resource Programme (CITREP) is a training incentive programme to equip Singapore professionals with critical and emerging infocomm skills. It supports the course and examination fee for training courses and certifications in selected areas within Digital Media, Infocomm Security, IT Services, Networking and Telecommunications,Software and Applications.
Another funding initiative is the Techno-Strategists Programme (TSP), which aims to develop professionals with both technical foundation and domain knowledge of industry sectors such as Financial Services, Healthcare, Hospitality and Retail. The programme provides funding support for professionals to acquire domain knowledge through training courses, including examinations to attain industry-recognised certifications.
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