The First IF Workshop that ever Job SAW

Introduction and Background to IF workshops
First off, we hope you like the Yoda-style heading to this blog!!

Indeed, the intention of doing that is to announce the force that we are seeking to bring together for helping 7C Alliance members – and UK’s independent IT contractors and IT consultants at large – better understand what is happening at an industry level with IT.

To start with, on Thursday, 10th September 2009, 7C Alliance ran its first pilot of an Industry Focus (IF) workshops as part of its new Job Search Analysis Week (Job SAW) event concept.

First Industry Focus (IF) workshop

So what was the first one about?
The first workshop was presented by Johnny Walker, the CEO of Magnus Walker – a leading recruitment business in Banking and Financial Services – and was about his observations of what software applications banks have been seeking for trading and risk management, as well as what expectations these businesses have for contractors who have skills and experience with these.

He also provided some honest and very valuable insights on networking for work in the Banking and Financial Services sector.

The feedback received so far from those who attended is that it was great to meet an honest recruiter as Johnny (and, in fact, just to meet a recruiter in person!!), as well as to find out about how IT contractors, with exposure to Banking and Financial Services industry, might source contracts through clever and extensive networking.

The insights Johnny shared included:

- how to engage those who might not be involved directly with trading and risk management solutions – but still give good feedback on a contractor’s capability that will help with getting a contract; and

- to look at ALL contacts, not only Banking and Financial Services, but also ones who might be relevant beyond that. In short: “leave no stone unturned” – however, be careful or clever about how you turn those stones!!

Future IF workshops
Johnny’s workshop was intended to be an example of a more regular style of IF workshop.

Going forward, Job SAW events will be ones where there are many more different types and ways of presenting an IF workshop that 7C Alliance hopes will not only:

- introduce a contractor to what is happening and what to know about an industry; but also
- to enthuse and inform IT contractors about what is happening with IT in different industries – including who is doing it, and why, as well as how best to understand and engage with the most relevant and key people in each industry.

A follow-up blog will explain different types of IF workshops, the ways we are looking at presenting them as well as who may be likely to present.

Acknowledgements of Presenter and Attendance at the first ever IF
It was great that we had full attendance at the first trial of an IF workshop – and so thank you very much to all those who attended.

A very special thank you goes to Johnny Walker, our guest presenter from Magnus Walker, for agreeing to be the first presenter of this type of workshop and for sharing his experience of recruiting IT professionals for trading and risk management solutions – as well as sharing his honest views about his fellow recruitment professionals and colleagues (and percentages of which is one, or which is the other!). We therefore dub thee “Honest Johnny”!!