I think we can all agree that we need more professionals working in ITAM. If we increase ITAM’s profile, which is one of the Forum’s key objectives, this will attract more people into our profession. With more people working in ITAM, more business value will be delivered by ITAM practices. This in turn, will raise ITAM’s profile.
People take different paths into ITAM careers, with many, as we all know, simply falling into it. Do you know any other profession that offers so many rewarding opportunities and shares a similar low profile as ITAM?
After I graduated from the University of Texas, I went to work for Deloitte in its Advisory practice, specializing in Software Licensing and Asset Management with a focus on migrations to SaaS and emerging technology. I feel fortunate to have been exposed to ITAM early on in my career. Many professionals typically take a less direct route to ITAM in their careers. Whichever was your path, this is a great time to be in ITAM.
The recently published Deloitte ITAM Global Survey 2021 shows that ITAM is securing an increasing level of board-level support, which will naturally lead to increasing investments in ITAM both in terms of programs and head count. The same report shows that ‘inadequate staff’ is a challenge for getting more value from ITAM.
How can we help? How can we draw more people into our profession?
Here are some ideas.
Talk about ITAM outside of the ITAM community
Justine McSweeney, who won the Rising Star award at the 2020 ITAM Review Excellence Awards, created a stakeholder map that she refers to every time she writes an email or attends a meeting. This helps her to evangelism ITAM and to showcase how ITAM can help others to achieve their goals. You can listen to a recent podcast with Justine to find out more.
Similarly, Lance Giles, whose team won the 2020 Implementation/Project/Team of the Year award, views his ITAM team a bit like a marketing department. He knows his team needs to sell in who they are and what they do. He also knows they must get their points across quickly, be precise and communicate well. You can listen to a recent podcast with Lance to find out more.
Outreach to people you think would do well in ITAM
If you have colleagues working in other industries who you think would do well in ITAM? Do you know a professional considering a role in ITAM? Do you know someone just starting out in their career? Send them a link to our new eBook, Why ITAM is a Great Career Choice. It contains quotes from our Trustees about why they find their work so rewarding and why they think ITAM is a great career choice.
Speak with your team and/or HR department to see how ITAM can be included in apprenticeships and graduate schemes
Did you see the recent news that ITAM Review Learning has partnered with GK Apprenticeships to incorporate ITAM training into certain UK-based apprenticeship programs? Now, that’s exciting and a step in the right direction.
Participate in a company, community or college/university mentoring program
This is a great way to help someone develop and progress in their career. They may not be initially interested in ITAM, but by connecting with you, they’ll learn about the practice and its benefits.
Celebrate the upcoming ITAM Excellence Awards
Members of the ITAM Forum are serving as judges for this year’s Awards, and they’re thrilled. These awards present a great opportunity to help raise ITAM’s profile and promote the business value ITAM delivers. This year’s ceremony will be held on the 28 September. Please keep an eye out for news about the winners.
Do you have any other ideas? If “yes”, please share them with us.
– Melody Ayeli, Chair, ITAM Forum Board of Trustees
NOTE: All trustees of the ITAM Forum have joined in their personal capacity. Unless stated otherwise, any comments made by the trustees on behalf of the ITAM Forum do not represent the views of their employers, nor does their membership as individuals imply endorsement of the ITAM Forum by their respective employers.