IT professionals club careers with classes
G. Naga Sridhar

In order to upgrade their skill sets and move up the value chain, many IT professionals are actively acquiring degrees relating to their core competencies from reputed institutes.

CAN a geek drawing over Rs 80,000 per month with a happy family, want more? Perhaps, a little education!

It appears the current buzz in the IT companies is ‘go- back-to-school’ as many Information Technology (IT) professionals prefer to study at reputed institutions after putting up considerable years of service.

“Yes. The fad for studies is now catching up,” Progress Software India Technical Director Ramesh Loganatham says.

Degree of growth

It is because of two things. One is the need for a branded programme to significantly increase career prospects, while the other reason is serious academic interest, some just want to get a higher degree, he adds.

“More importantly, the ability to constantly learn is extremely valuable in a highly transient IT technology environment. And in the long term, there will be instances where a PG degree comes in handy in organisational roles—there is a soft perception that with a PG degree in engineering the person is more technical,” Loganatham says.

As many ITians join the industry at a relatively young age, they are also seeking a break from the hectic work schedule by preferring to study for a while.

Value addition

“After working for over three years, I thought studying in a premier institute would be great,” says K. Rao who worked for a US multinational in Texas before joining the ISB, Hyderabad.

“I learnt a lot. It was like rotation of crops to improve fertility of soil,” he adds.

According to industry sources, IT professionals are actively considering upgrading their skill sets and moving up the value chain by acquiring degrees related to their core competencies from reputed universities/institutions.

For example, a person with ME/M.Tech may look towards field such as Software UI Design as an opportunity for differentiation. Likewise, a degree in management is seen as highly rewarding after a technical degree plus a couple of years experience in a company.

IT works

The most sought after are the IIMs, ISB, Hyderabad, and also NID, Ahmedabad, say analysts.

Company managements, on the other hand, are not too worried. “In a way, this comes under a type of attrition for us. But we are encouraging this on a limited scale. We also consider sponsoring candidates on a case-to-case basis, provided they would agree to come back and work for us,” says a senior vice-president (HR) of a city-based global IT major. — PTI