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Northern Virginia Technology Council Report Review

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Northern Virginia Technology Council Report Review

The report, “Greater Washington Workforce Needs Assessment,” provides insightful

information with which to guide and set career goals in the technology industry. It employs a

traditional gap analysis and combines employer interviews and surveys to provide highlights

regarding positions that are most in-demand as well as their associated required skills. From

the report, I have identified some areas of interest regarding opportunities that are currently

trending in the job market, and it has also helped uncover some of the areas that I must

improve before graduating.

Part I – Surprises

The report has an array of surprising things about trends in the field of information

technology. First, it is surprising that a significant number of graduates still lack the required

competencies and skills with which to work well and deliver the purports of certain jobs.

According to Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) (2018), applications and

computer programming, and software development are two of the five identified occupations

that are difficult to fill. It is surprising that many people graduate with undergraduate and

even graduate degrees in these fields but not all can successfully deliver what working in

these fields require, an indication of a substantial gap in the skillset of graduates and job

demands. Secondly, it is also surprising that there is a demanding gap in the job opening

compared to the number of qualified workers that the region creates annually. NVTC (2018)

notes that annual job openings in software development average 800 compared to just 600

qualified workers that the region creates. Therefore, the region could be suffering from an

arguably high rate of unemployment but it is largely because of a significant mismatch

between the available job openings and available skills.

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It is also surprising that soft skills are part of critical when seeking to secure a job in

the technology field. I have always regarded critical thinking and problem solving as perhaps

two of the main skills that a graduate must have to secure a job in this field, but the report

reveals that many job seekers fail not because they are not because they do not have the

academic background required but they lack the soft skills necessary to collaborate and

coordinate within the workplace. NVTC (2018) argues that soft skills, particularly in

communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving are the most important skills

considered during the hiring process. The report reveals a lot of surprising insights into the

technology job opportunities and ways to secure them. I currently do not have a Security+

certification or any others, but I plan to take the exam and validate my skills; validating

baseline skills would open the door to my cybersecurity career.

Part II – Jobs of Interest

The first job opening that I have located and would interest me is being an IT

Specialist at INFOSEC. It is a full-time job opportunity that pays between $89,834 to $138,

868 a year. Conditions for employment include verification of employment eligibility,

obtaining a Top-Secret Security clearance, and being a United States (US) citizen. However,

one must also be attentive to detail and possess strong customer service, oral communication,

and problem-solving, all of which reflect the information in the NVTC report. It also requires

at least three years of experience in matters of information technology life cycle management

concepts, computer systems and software for enhanced tactical and strategic planning, IT

management and enterprise architecture, and the management of IT resources, including

assets.

The second job opening for which I would consider applying is being Cybersecurity

Analyst Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The job opportunity requires at
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least a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or any other related technical

field, and the degree must be from an accredited university or college. The candidate must

also have at least 2 years of experience in information systems security, cybersecurity, and

other related technical fields. However, unlike in the previous job advertisement, the current

opportunity does not talk about soft skills and problem-solving capacity as determinants of

securing the job.

Part III – Areas to Improve

I look forward to improving my soft skills as I continue to learn and acquire technical

skills. The world has rapidly changed recently, and workplaces now feature diversity as part

of their cultures and norms. I recognize that performing well in such an environment requires

a high level of capabilities at intercultural levels. In this regard, I intend to not only better my

technical skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving, but I must also improve my

intercultural communication capabilities to ensure that I do well in a diverse workplace.

Therefore, before graduating, I would like to improve my communication skills, both written

and verbal, especially toward meeting the intercultural demands of the world today.

Secondly, I will also improve my portfolio regarding employability and competency in this

field. I have discovered that narrowing my line of expertise would limit my opportunities

upon graduation thus, I intend to broaden the scope of my skills to also include other areas

such as management and leadership to strengthen my employability and capacity to secure

leadership roles in the field of technology.

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Reference

Northern Virginia Technology Council. (2018). 2018 Greater Washington Technology

Workforce Needs Assessment. McLean.