Recent hiring trends data released by leading IT staffing and services firm, TEKsystems, shows continued strong demand for architects, and surging demand for architects with cloud experience.
We spoke with Tania Lavin, market research manager at TEKsystems to get more insight into the trends surrounding the demand for Enterprise Architects and highly-skilled IT professionals. Lavin spelled out good news for architects; employment demand for EA’s increased 35% year-to-year, and not unexpectedly, as more and more IT organizations grapple with massive cloud transformations, demand for Cloud Architects surged 320%.
Courtesy of TEKsystems proprietary data
About the surge in cloud architects, Lavin told us that “Cloud architects need additional expertise in areas like SOA (service-oriented architecture) and will be experts in public, private, and hybrid cloud technologies, including, IaaS, PaaS and SaaS. An equation we’ve seen that defines/describes cloud architects is: Cloud architect = EA + SOA architect + cloud technologist.”
She went on to say “cloud architect and enterprise architect are related because in order to be a cloud architect you need a fundamental understanding of enterprise architecture and the competencies that come with aligning business strategy with IT strategy. Yes, cloud architects typically come from an EA background, but not all enterprise architects can be cloud architects.”
These thoughts were echoed in a recent InfoWorld blog post about the impact of a shortage of cloud architects.
In our discussion with Lavin, she also pointed out that EA positions are extremely difficult to fill. Why? She outlined the following four reasons:
- Pay: EA’s are compensated well. Average salaries range from $110,000 to $150,000 per year, depending on the geography.
- Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing: Due to pay and the interesting challenges the job offers, lots of Developers claim they are an EA. Unfortunately, there is a big difference in having done some level of architecting for a project and being a true Enterprise Architect responsible for defining an IT systems architecture that supports a large company’s business strategy.
- Hard (if not impossible) to Train: While training and certification programs exist for EAs, you really can’t become an EA after taking a course. While these training efforts will highlight the underlying concepts, best practices and tools of the job, on the job experiences is critical to the development of this unique skill set.
- Unique Profile: Good, high-quality EAs have strong business and IT skills. The job requires that the individual play many different roles within the company. Communication skills and self-confidence are crucial.
On that last point, we ask Lavin to elaborate. She said, “EA’s demand ‘top dollar’ because they bring specialized skill sets to the table. The ability to talk to both business and IT is unique and highly desirable. EA’s are interesting and exceptional people. They need to be challenged.”
Lavin said there is always something new in IT, “cloud and mobility are adding some new complexity but that’s not different than what’s been handled before. There is always new territory in IT.”
To thrive in this environment, Lavin shared this advice for EA’s: “Keep your skills fresh. One great way to stay on the cutting edge is to explore what other organizations are doing. Read blogs such as Troux’s’ and go to industry conferences where you can learn from your peers, seek out new assignments and experiences.”
It’s a tougher nut to crack for new EA’s; jobs are plentiful but most employers are looking for experience. Those interested in EA as a profession can also seek out one of the new University level programs being offered, such as the ones described in this recent article in Architecture & Governance.
Finally, Lavin noted that “it won’t happen overnight and patience is required. EA’s typically learn ‘on the job’ but again, to be successful they must combine technical expertise with the ability to talk to the business side of the organization.”
