Category Archives: Career Advice

Issue 2.7
February 2005

Carnival 2K5

If you were lucky enough to be in Trinidad for Carnival (February 7th and 8th) then I know you had a wonderful time. Sorry to all those who missed “the greatest show on earth”.

Here are a couple of CRS staff “freeing up” over Carnival.

Check www.playcarnival.com and www.playyuhself.com/galleries.php for some more pictures of Carnival in T&T.

 

Returning to Trinidad to Work

Are you a Trini living abroad, perhaps somewhere cold? Have you dreamed of coming home one day for the warmth (people as well as climate), the food, the fun and the good life? Maybe you are married to a Trini and want to experience these things.

Despite some of the alarmist reports that are circulated abroad, there’s something about Trinidad that makes people want to be here. I know many ex-pats who became desperate to find a way to stay here, even proposing marriage to anyone who would listen, so that they could continue to work in Trinidad when their contract expired.

So what do you have to consider before taking that big step of leaving your well-paid, career-enhancing job in a first-world country?

1) Are you really ready to give up the big bucks and your material wealth in exchange for a quality of life that has little to do with how much money you have? What about your family? What are their needs and expectations?

It’s tempting to always convert TT$ to your current currency and then be outraged at how small the salaries are here. It’s better to work out what level of lifestyle your Trini salary will buy you here. I made that move from England over 10 years ago and I was horrified when I could only land an I.T. contract at half my English permanent salary. I later found out that my contract salary was nearly 3 times that of the equivalent permanent staff that I worked with. Although my income is a fraction of what I could be earning in England, I have never regretted my move for a single second!

However, if you have financial commitments that have to be paid in a foreign currency, then you have to make sure that these are covered.

2) Don’t want to give up your current job until you’re offered a good job in Trinidad? You expect to be relocated at your employer’s expense?

In my experience, you will never be offered a job unless the employer can interview you in person and be confident that you can start work within a month or so of the offer being made. There are good enough skills available in Trinidad so that the employer will take the easy route of hiring someone from right here. They never want the expense of hiring someone with high expectations or requirements.

My advice is to take the plunge and relocate before you start looking for a job. Be prepared to manage for up to a year without getting employment as employers here tend to move slowly with their recruitment processes.

3) Want to use your excellent skills and experience gained in a foreign land to help out our wonderful country?

The truth is that your mind-blowing résumé could scare the pants off the I.T. Manager. He may feel intimidated that you are more skilled than he is! In any case, there is no need for these “fancy” skills here just to work on fairly ordinary projects. I know of some highly skilled Oracle people who took a year to find jobs here. They were not stretched by the work and when they returned to Canada, they found that their time here hardly counted as useful experience. I hope that this situation will change by Research & Development companies setting up operations here, perhaps encouraged by the creation of the Wallerfield Industrial & Technology Park.

My suggestion is to tone down your résumé to suit the companies that you are applying to.

I you are considering a move here then drop me a line and I’ll be happy to advise and assist you. If you are not a Caribbean national and not entitled to citizenship, then I warn you that it’s very difficult to get a job here because companies do not want to deal with work permit issues.

Tell Us What You Think

Letters to the Editor:
I noticed you mentioned C++ as the programming language potential employers will be looking for [in the January issue]. I however have been thinking that java may make me more marketable. What are your views on this? …… Dirk

Funnily enough, we have hardly ever been asked to source Java skills. I know it’s used out there for web development and if you are freelancing in that area, then it’s a “must have” skill, along with HTML, ASP and PHP. C++ is more used in backend web application development and good experience in that area is much harder to find and so companies will pay a premium rate for this. C and C++ are often required by companies developing software for specialist products such as smart cards, identity management systems, electronic devices, and so on. The development of these types of applications is not commonly done in this part of the world but this may come in the future (if we can find the skills here) …… Ed.

We would love to hear what you think of this issue of CRS News. And of course, if you have any suggestions for upcoming issues that you would like to share with us, please send those too.

Issue 2.5
December 2004

Compliments of the Season

Christmas is in the air (and in the malls) and, in Trinidad at least, that’s another excuse for partying. Normally, that means that this is a quiet time of the year for recruiting, but we are receiving many new job requirements so clearly, people are busy and businesses are growing. There’s an increasing demand for contractors and we rarely get to advertise these jobs as they are filled very quickly from our database. So, if you are registered with CRS, now is a good time to send in an updated résumé to us.

The staff at CRS would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best for the holiday season.

 

Are You in the Right Job?

Have you ever considered using a personality test to determine where your talents lie? How about using the results to enhance your résumé?

When the personality and work style of a person is critical to the success of his/her role in a company, e.g., management, sales, business analysis, project management, etc., then more and more companies are using psychometric testing to gain an insight to a candidate’s suitability for the job. If you are looking to move into such a role and don’t have a track record to prove your capability, then you could enhance your chances by attaching the results of such a test to your résumé.

·A lot of science and psychology goes into developing an effective psychometric test, and the results are mind-blowing in their accuracy. CRS has aligned with a UK company that offers a simple, quick and very cost effective test that you can do online and pay for via a secure credit card transaction. This test is based on the time-tested DISC method that measures Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance. It only takes about 20 minutes to do and the results are immediately available online. You also have an option to match your profile against a number of built in ones to see how well you are suited for these roles.

To find out more about the myDISCprofile test, click on http://www.crsitjobs.com/psychometicTestCandidates.htm and scroll to the bottom of the page to click on the link to see samples of the 2 types of reports (Classic and Enhanced) as well as sample questions.

If you are an employer, click on http://www.crsitjobs.com/psychometicTestingEmployer.htm to get instructions on conducting the test for your employees/candidates. Alternatively, CRS can carry out the tests on your behalf should you wish, for example, to profile your top employees and identify key success traits. The results are totally confidential.

All of the staff members at CRS have done this test and everyone has been amazed at how accurate the results are. I have done the test 3 times over a period spanning 15 years, and of course each time I must have answered differently, but my true personality (in the workplace) always comes through clearly in the reports. I find it useful as it offers suggestions for improving and developing my management style and other traits, and it correctly stated that an ideal role for me is a technical one, i.e., in I.T.

So give yourself a Christmas present of a professional psychometric profile to help you with a New Year resolution to move your career in the direction that capitalizes on your skills and talents. I am sure you won’t regret it.

 

Tell Us What You Think

We would love to hear what you think of this issue of CRS News. And of course, if you have any suggestions for upcoming issues that you would like to share with us, please send those too.

Editor’s Note

Time is going by so fast – this is our third issue of this version of our newsletter already! As there was a gap of a couple of years between this version and the previous, we had to prune our mailing list drastically because of out-of-date email addresses. If you know anyone who may have signed up previously but changed email, then please suggest that they re-subscribe as indicated below.

Although I have spent most of my I.T. career in permanent jobs, I loved the adventure of working for many different companies when I was a salaried consultant for a consultancy company in the UK. Later, I became totally freelance in the UK and in Trinidad. So, this month I thought I would share the benefits of consulting as a way of life.

Contract vs. Permanent

Have you ever thought of being your own boss, walking away from the security of your permanent job to manage your career as you wish? Imagine life without office politics, no waiting in line for a promotion, and not having to work on jobs you dislike!

For many I.T. professionals, this is a reality. The trend here in T&T is increasingly for companies to bring in consultants for high-cost specialist work such as Database Administration and Network Installation. Software development projects usually require expertise that is needed only for the life of the project. Companies may outsource to I.T. service companies, who in turn hire consultants to carry out the work.

There is great potential for skilled people willing to “chance it” out there. The lack of job security (what job is secure these days anyway) is not for everyone. You need to have a good business sense so that you can estimate and price work effectively. You have to keep your skills up to date by investing in training. You have to keep accounts, invoice and collect payments, and manage your taxes, though these functions can be outsourced elsewhere too. You need to be prepared to market your services to get the work. Signing up with agencies like CRS will help your chances here! You need to have a professional attitude, i.e., you do not walk out of a contract, leaving your client in the lurch, for a better opportunity elsewhere. The market is too small for a bad reputation to remain hidden.

If you are interested in reading more about how the demand for Contractors/Consultants is developing in Trinidad, click on www.crsitjobs.com/contracting.htm.

I would love to hear your views, pro and con, for contracting as a way of life. My own experience as an I.T. Consultant has convinced me that the freedom of being my own boss is the way for me!

Tell Us What You Think

Letters to the Editor
Working in the Caribbean

About the ‘so called’ Certificate of Recognition of Caribbean Community Skills Qualifications, I would suggest that your readers not get too excited.
I applied last year (December 2003) for a Certificate in Trinidad & Tobago, and as of today (September 2004) I am still waiting to hear from the committee.
On two separate occasions, I have provided them with additional documentation (extensive employment history, detailed resume etc) and still no word. The High Commission (in Canada) has been helpful, but their aide is limited to suggestions as to who to contact (which usually only results in an expensive telephone bill as the contact usually have no useful knowledge of the process much less your application).
Good luck to anyone who actually expects a response in six weeks …… CA

I hope this is not a typical scenario. Has anyone else had similar or different experiences? ……….. Ed.

We would love to hear what you think of this issue of CRS News. And of course, if you have any suggestions for upcoming issues that you would like to share with us, please send those, too!

Happy Independence Day!

For those us fortunate enough to be born in or associated with the lovely islands of Trinidad & Tobago, happy T&T Independence Day (August 31st). I celebrated with my family with wine and good food and a miniature T&T flag.

If you have been unfortunate enough to experience one of our recent hurricanes (Charley, Frances, Ivan) then I hope you weren’t too badly affected. Once again, Trinidad escaped though Tobago suffered damage.

Thank you for all the kind words sent to me on the re-launching of the CRS newsletter. We will feature emails discussing topics mentioned in previous newsletters in the “Tell Us What You Think” section.

This month I am highlighting the CSME and how it will affect IT people in the Caribbean.

Working in the Caribbean

There has been quite a bit of publicity recently about the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) which is expected to come on stream in 2008. The CSME comprises the 13 member states of CARICOM and will facilitate the pooling of the region’s financial, human and natural resources so that we can effectively respond to globalisation. The Single Market is already in operation and allows for free movement of certain categories of person throughout the CSME member states.

This means, for example, that if you are a CARICOM national and a University Graduate and you wish to work in another CARICOM state, then you do not have to get your prospective employer to apply for a work permit for you any more. Now, you just apply yourself for a Certificate of Recognition of Caribbean Community Skills Qualifications from your appropriate ministry (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the case of Trinidad & Tobago), a process which takes about six to eight weeks, and off you go! You can even become a resident of that country eventually.

For more information see http://www.caricom.org/archives/csme/freemovementskills_socialsecurity.pdf

Additionally, Self-Employed Service Providers can work in other CARICOM States by setting up an office in the particular country, where managerial, technical and supervisory staff can relocate for the life of the business in that country.

Also, if a Self-Employed Service Provider wins a contract in another CARICOM State, then he/she may work there for the period of the contract.

All this is great news for our regional I.T. consultants. Now, it seems you can work in any CARICOM state without hindrance from immigration officials. I would love to know of your own experiences with this. CRS gets job requirements from around the Caribbean so keep checking our job vacancies if you would like to travel.

Tell Us What You Think

Letters to the Editor

It’s good to see that there is some consideration being given to the Legislations which are evolving in present eCommerce. As you have discovered the legislation from the US, similar Acts exist in Europe and the UK governing from Data Protection to Distance selling regulations.
Has the T&T government made any steps toward these issues or are they adopting a wait and see attitude?
It would be good to think that some effort is being made in the Caribbean as a whole to address these issues, since whether they like it or not they will be forced more and more into the position of eTrade. It is always better to be prepared! ………….. Perry

I am not aware of any movement to legislate against unsolicited emails in the Caribbean. Can anyone else comment on this? ……….. Ed.

What a pleasure to see the newsletter out again. I am very impressed. The look, layout and format is very good. In a way all things turned out for the good, as I am sure you value what you had to learn to make this work. Keep it up! …………… Allan

Thanks for your support. I will keep striving to bring quality and value. …… Ed.

We would love to hear what you think of this issue of CRS News. And of course, if you have any suggestions for upcoming issues that you would like to share with us, please send those, too!