Our week at work, September 20-26

By Josephine Asher
IT will always be an ever evolving industry but corporate IT departments are on the edge of the biggest revolution since the personal computer, according to a technology expert.
Nicholas Carr spoke at the World Computer Congress in Brisbane this week, predicting that many organisations will be jumping aboard “cloud computing” within five years.
Cloud computing involves companies accessing a range of resources via the internet instead of developing them internally.
READ MORE: HR needs to get its head in the cloud
He likened the concept to Facebook, where users plug into a platform instead of generating their own applications and systems.
Carr says cloud computing would reduce the need for internal maintenance roles such as network administrators but would create new types of roles such as an “IT broker” to advise companies when to move into the cloud and how best to take advantage of the resources on offer.
CareerOne editor Kate Southam also attended the annual Young IT Professionals conference this week.
The event, organised by the Australian Computer Society, featured a
line up of 11 dedicated speakers including Gen Y entrepreneurs Ana Govan and AJ Kulatunga sharing their tips on creating your start-up business success.
READ MORE: Young ICT Professionals Conference: Young IT 10
Also on our site this week is some cautionary advice explaining 10 common mistakes that entrepreneurs make when starting a company.
READ MORE: 10 mistakes you can avoid
Kate was also asked some great questions that apply to every sector including: “What if I start a job and find it is not for me? Can I leave? What do I say at my next interview?”
Read her advice on her Ask Kate page below.
ASK KATE: Career tips and workplace advice with Editor, Kate Southam
Causing a stir this week amongst workers and families was a story about
recruitment experts from Julia Ross and Talent2 advising new mothers to sacrifice their maternity leave if they want career progression.
Talent 2’s NSW general manager Nicholas Tuckfield says workers “don’t get to the top doing s7 and a half hours a week”.
“On a logical level, if you’re out of the workforce for 12 months you don’t advance your managerial skills and, inevitably, everyone else does,” he says.
“It’s highly competitive, and if you’re an aspiring rising star and take a year out, your star won’t keep rising.”
READ MORE: Maternity leave ‘will kill your career’
Kate Southam’s blog on this topic ignited a constructive debate from readers over workplace discrimination, childcare and the changing family environment.
READ MORE: The dilemma of careers and pregnancy far from resolved
On the topic of work life balance, the Australian Work and Life Index 2010 has revealed workers would prefer to clock on for a 35-hour week instead of the traditional 38-hour week.
Dr Spoehr, a University of Adelaide associate professor, says good employers are distinguishing themselves as providing flexible workplaces by offering a nine-day fortnight, which equates to a 36-hour working week.
READ MORE: Striking the right weekly work balance
But companies in some fields may need to hire more staff to cover for lost working hours to achieve the same results.
Here are some tips to help you achieve a more recreational-friendly week.
READ MORE: How to have a 35-hour week
For expert workplace or career advice, visit CareerOne’s Advice Forums.
