In Pakistan we have all the talent available. But the question is, that why are we unable to create our own products. Why have we ended up in providing services only.

start thinking out of the box

After a massive survey everyone had a similar opinion, lack of exposure and lack of guidance are the main reasons why we lack development of innovative products in our Software Industry. 80 per cent of the talent ends up opting for jobs. Why jobs? because

1.        They have been conditioned in a way where job is the first and foremost priority.

2.        Lack of patience

3.        Lack of finances

4.        Lack of resources

5.        And most importantly lack of exposure

Here is what people have to say,

Mohsin Alam, a Software Engineer, working at a renowned software house of Pakistan said,

“I would disagree with your premise that we have ended in providing services only. LUMS-SEDC, Netsol, Rozee, Cricket Power, Facebook games, iPhone Applications and the list goes on … I would rather say we are warming up. Someone once said,

‘You have to follow in order to lead.’

We have some of the most hard working and dedicated software engineers in Pakistan; the only problem is of ‘scope’. We need to think out of the box, challenging the norms while keeping the target in sight.”

Junaid Sultan, working as an Associate Data Researcher, said

“No doubt Pakistan is extremely talented nation, but the main problem is lack of resources and weak infrastructure. Making new products require resources and capital. On the other hand, providing services does not require large sum of investment, it requires good skills. So providing services is an easy and cheaper way out.”

On the other hand, our friends from outside Pakistan did pose a valid solution as well,

“Maybe the focus can be on building a massive network of Pakistan Successful Professionals across the US/Globe. Once you have this network – then call for a summit and invite these key: CEO’s, Professors, Business Owners, Writers to the summit to speak. You can also turn it into a Career/Professional Development Fair or Business Expo – where Youth/Young Professionals that have not gotten exposure can display their craft, business ideas, inventions etc.” Natascha F. Saunders CEO, The Youth Career Coach Inc.

Adil Muhammad, Freelance iPhone Developer said

1. We lack exposure

2. We don’t have VC’s here

3. Universities and society teach us only to find another “job”.

Waqas Ahmad, Software Engineer, applauded us and said,

“Well! It is your good attempt to divert the attention of the Pakistani IT Professionals towards this issue.

I have worked with a product company for two years. While I was there, I critically analyzed their business model. We know that our own product is more beneficial for us in various aspects but the question is why we have failed in adopting this business model despite the fact that we have bright future in it. This is because as business men we don’t invest money and time without any promised profit.

Companies consider output before input. In case of services companies are secure (Risking factor is undersized). They don’t care about the success rate of the product once delivered. But in case of product companies, resources, time and man power needs to be invested for a specific period of time. They don’t really know the end result.

Some companies are following this particular business model, they are getting stronger and popular in the global market. I would like to conclude ,by saying that we need to change our attitude and should invest resources in products.”

Many gave their own comments in accordance with their own perspective. Some agreed while others disagreed. We have the talent, we have the exposure and we have the resources and there are places where these are being utilized and exceptional products are being developed. Our aim should be to create and not to depend. Because it is high time now that the world should know about the real talent which exists in our country.

Contributed by Syed Awab Hasan

Actually, rather than waste your time, I would cordially like to inform you that the only thing you should have known before you became a software engineer is that you shouldn’t have worked towards becoming one. You just wasted your time. Just kidding!

When we human beings exist at the level in which our studies are at the Secondary school level, we have many aspirations about our careers, know a lot about it and generally believe in a lot of myths

Google is freaking easy. I’ll make one. For software engineers with an aptitude towards the internet and web development, a common misconception is held. This misconception states that making web applications that are highly successful, like Google, or even simple websites are really easy (heck, kids do it – you know that Zucky kid who made Facebook…). Believe me, it isn’t. Web development or programming is, in some cases, even more difficult than normal software development. What’s more a large number of other issues and disciplines arise here as opposed to mainstream software programming. You just cant create an overnight Google. However, if you learn, dedicate yourself, work heard, be creative and come up with innovative ideas you may just become the next ‘Zucky’ kid. The conclusion; software engineering involving the internet is just as hard or even harder than the usual non-internet development – it encompasses marketing, and a good number of other disciplines (even psychology!).

The worst paid jobs on the planet. Pakistan and other South Asian countries are famous as Outsourcing havens. Outsourcing may be the one reason why our software industry is alive today. However, it is highly competitive and sometimes pays little. Local, non-outsourcing work is even harder than that – that is if you manage to find a job. People don’t exactly consider software engineering as a credible discipline sans medical or even mechanical engineering. However, you should understand that if you work hard at university, involve yourself in hobby programming and stay in touch with the software industry and get good marks you may not have such a problem with pay or finding a job. Still, all engineers to be should be prepared for initial bad pays or lack of jobs.

Coding is not a mystic or mythical art. That’s right, to put it bluntly. Forget the movies in which programmers are continuously tapping keys on the keyboard (there are graphic user interfaces now for Linux that rival the designs of the Mac such as KDE and GNOME). It involves the writing of a lot of lines of code (and, sadly, no pictures) and then reading these lines again and again. A lot of boring rudimentary work particularly if C is what you are working on.

C. The Horror. This is more and more important in Pakistan. C (and in some cases languages even more primitive than C) are the introductory jumping point of programming. And C is difficult, tough and somewhat primitive. But it is important and if you don’t have the stomach for it, you won’t be able to proceed. But don’t worry – once you move on to Java, you’re interest will be elevated.

Code never ends. Software usually contains a large number of lines – good sized software have 100, 000, 000 lines of code (don’t worry, you wont have to write it alone). In short, there is a lot of code behind software. Why is this important? You should understand that a single misplaced word or statement results in a ‘bug’ that may have wide scale repercussions to the software. Furthermore, coding is a process that goes on and on. Software is updated. Updates are created and then checked for compatibility with the software. New concepts, languages and standards are introduced on a frightening scale. Coding never ends (unless you kill the software – discontinue it like Netscape Navigator).

Hacking isn’t what you think it is – that’s cracking. Some guy in some movie hacked into a government’s server and stole important secrets. Someone else crashed the traffic system. Someone crashed a website and added an offensive picture on the site. And the most common one, someone cracked the password of an email address. This is NOT hacking. It’s called cracking – and is not even programming. Good programmers frown at it and it is a form of ridicule. Plus, it’s highly illegal. In some cases it may be easy to install some software or script and crash someone’s computer but it is very difficult to destroy traces of your activity. And if you’re caught, it’s a prison cell for you. And no, all such ‘crackers’ are hired by some intelligence agency like CIA (only the very best and that depends).

Hacking is NOT easy. Hacking for programmers is better termed as Ethical Hacking and it more or less defines the actual problem solving process of programming – done in a challenging and satisfying way to overcome one problem after another. Think of ethical hackers as the scientists of programming. To reach such a level a lot of hard work is required. Years of sweat and more sweat. And it is enjoyed by some and not all.

Not all Software Engineers are geeks who wear glasses and stay in their rooms. Many software engineers, before going this way, assume that many good programmers are like this. That isn’t true. Many programmers look like the average person (although there are programmers whose descriptions fit these). Therefore, programming isn’t just for geeks – it’s for anyone with an interest in problem solving.

The, possibly, most boring job on this planet. Believe me, many engineers expect software engineering to be like a breeze of fresh air. It is if you don’t put your mind and soul into it. A large amount of work is boring, hard and repetitive. In fact, the truly challenging and interest part of programming is the problem solving, architecture and designing process – which accounts for some portion of programming. Otherwise, be prepared for a good amount of time doing boring work unless, as mentioned above, you actually like coding. If you do, consider yourself lucky.

Bugs, Bugs and more Bugs! I will kill you, you Virus. This will be the most annoying and brain eating part of software engineering. Debugging to remove vulnerabilities and fortifying your code to prevent attack of vulnerabilities or loopholes in your code. Prepare yourself for a good amount of time spent on this – to the point of giving up. Heck, after this, all those who may have entered into software engineering to create viruses or malware will detest the creators of such.

Bonus. In Pakistan, ‘Archaeological’ (primitive) programming is taught. Think about it.

Contributed by Staff Writer

This week’s Employment Index has been formulated in order to show a complete comparison between Job Trend Analysis of the previous two weeks. This week we will focus entirely on the first two weeks of August 2010, i.e.

Week 1- 9th August to 15th August 2010.

Week 2- 16th August to 22nd August 2010.

On the other hand, we came across a very interesting fact. the job trends of the previous two months we have come to the conclusion that every once in a month there is one week in which the number of job openings available rise to double the amount of those available during the other three weeks.

Focusing on the number of jobs available we saw how the numbers went up high during Week 1(9^th August to 15^th August 2010). Lahore was on the top of the list with 127 job openings in the IT sector. But during Week 2 (16^th August to 22^nd August 2010) the numbers dropped down to 65.  Similar was the case with Islamabad. There the numbers dropped down to 36 from 65.

JOBS BY AREA

Week-1

9th August to 15th August

Week- 2

16th August to 22nd August 2010

Jobs by Employers

If you have a dream of working in Netsol and still are unemployed then you definitely need to consider the job vacancies available there this month. From the past three consecutive weeks Netsol remains on the top of the list. This week their demand went up high to 27. While logicose stood right behind with 20 job openings.

Week- 2

16th August to 22nd August 2010

JOBS BY TECHNOLOGY

Similar to all the previous weeks the demand for PHP Software Engineers remained high throughout the previous months. Same was the case with the previous two weeks as well. So those who are still not sure which area to jump in, we advise you to go for the PHP world.

On the other hand, .NET engineers are also high in demand. Week 1 provided us with 13 job openings while Week2 took us towards 57 job openings. Number of SQA engineers and graphic designers also remained high in demand.

Week-1

9th August to 15th August

Week- 2

16th August to 22nd August 2010

Tell us how  can we make this section even better than before. Write to us if you find anything that bewilders you, because from this week onwards we will be right here.

by Sara Waqar Khan

Khurram Rana (former Human Resource Manager at The Resource Group) is known among his peers as an individual with exceptional intelligence. He is an outstanding Human Resource professional who has the ability to bring creativity and uniqueness together in his work. Khurram Rana holds a diverse academic background. He entered University of Windsor, Canada, for B.Sc. (Hons) in Software Engineering in 2000. But later, in 2001, he went off to York University in order to complete his degree in the same field. Recently, in 2009, he completed his MBA (Executive) in Human Resource Management from the University of Central Punjab. Despite being a Certified Human Resource Professional, he also holds great interest in art and anthropology.

CodeWeek: What is your opinion on the talent we have in Pakistan? And how far recruitment firms have been successful in reaching out to them?

Khurram: Pakistan has extreme amount of talent which needs to be channelized. One thing I believe we need is to canvass human psyche. If you are from United Sates of America and watch their television programs you will always observe them airing Somalia’s famine, Pakistan’s political and Afghanistan’s terrorism. Social welfare programs of other countries are hardly broadcasted. Why? Because they want to show to the world, cultures of countries which are way behind theirs. The main reason for such an attitude is that they want their people to be thankful for the system they have.

As a result, our responsibility as a nation is to show the world the extensive talent which exists here. People should come back home after completing their studies and settle here.  It is also the responsibility of recruitment department to make employees realize the importance of his fact. Many professionals from TRG are offered employment opportunities from foreign organizations.  Yes they do offer good payments but it is a fact that foreigners do not permit Asians on higher positions, thus we lack opportunities outside Pakistan.

When it comes to reaching out to that talent Software professionals are really well connected. Before we advertise jobs, we have 100 CVs already in our inbox. People are always on the lookout for applying at high profile companies. We hold a very strong place in the market and advertising is quite extensive. But when it comes to networking and references, advertising takes a back seat. We go through at least 1000 to 1500 candidates per month. Out of which 90 per cent are referred through our own employees.

CodeWeek: Is there any difference between MBA and Human Resource professional course?

Khurram: There is a major of difference between the two. The courses which are taught remain mainly a guide line. At the end of the day it depends entirely on the individual on how he applies and utilizes these guidelines in his work. There practical application is the responsibility of a professional.

Human Resource as profession and is professional degrees do not give experience and exposure. They are merely guidelines for a newbie. In a profession where there are individuals involved everything boils down to practicality. There are many tests where you can judge an individual but at the same time these tests do not hold much weight. Because it is extremely easy to dodge a psychometric test and thus it is not exactly a reliable tool. At the end of the day it boils down to an individual’s understanding and experience.

Thus, when I hire someone, I go for a person who is honest, sincere and empathetic. One who is understanding, and who can easily realize what the others issue is. One who can easily perceive reality from an entirely different and unique perspective.

CodeWeek: What makes TRG an attractive employer for job seekers?

Khurram: There is the strong bond which exists between the employees. It is the culture of The Resource Group, TRG, which transforms it into an extremely attractive employer. The organization works on two sides. We have a very strong presence in the Call Centre industry and a Dominating presence in the Software Industry as well. Whether they are in Pakistan, or anywhere in the world it is the professional bond which sets us apart from other such organizations.

CodeWeek: Is there any concept of Employer branding in TRG?

Khurram: The Resource Group actively follows employer branding. We do not believe in advertisement. We have a very innovative Marketing and a Sales Department. HR does internal branding, team activities. When we hire people we try to hire those who are fit for this culture and environment. Many qualified individuals unfortunately do not make it, as many cannot fit here. We generally want people who are tolerant upon people. It all in the end depends upon the human resource department. The way they hire the way they judge despite cast and creed.

CodeWeek: Do you think HR is still being confused with personal/admin dept. in Pakistan? Why have they been unable to overcome this change?

Khurram: Human Resource has a very large scope. Universities are churning large number of Human Resource graduates every year, but even then it is not making any profound difference on the mindset. The main problem here is that mind set needs to be changed, we need to leave old habits far behind and move forward with time. Here people still think that only admin has authority. They believe that only admin is responsible for hiring and firing employees.

Companies are hiring consultants and professionals in order to introduce Human Resource in their companies. But on the other hand, some people at excellent seats and positions condemn and criticize the existence of such a department.  Reluctance to accept change is what keeping Human Resource from rapid growth. There are hurdles; there are very successful professionals who are persistent in making positive change in attitudes. This, Human Resource has a long way towards maturity in our country. We cannot change mindset in a fortnight, it takes time.

CodeWeek: In your opinion what is the scope of Strategic HR in Pakistan?

Khurram: A company cannot achieve anything until and unless the people who are working in the company are not on board with company’s philosophy. We do include a lot of things in our strategy. Two years ago we made a plan at TRG.  We were 5 percent strategic in HR, while 95% of the work we did was mostly clerical and administrative. By now we are 35% strategic and in the next 4 years our aim is to go for 50 per cent. Considering current market dynamic 50 percent strategic is the best number. It is considered as a fantastical dream, but we will achieve it.

Most of the call centers in Pakistan have based their entire system on what TRG is doing. We train people, we groom them. We have had individuals at junior posts that moved off to smaller startups and were promoted to managers overnight. And that is mainly because we trained them well.

CodeWeek: Tell us about different corporate social activities carried out by TRG?

Khurram: TRG is always very active as far as its corporate social responsibility is concerned. At the moment we are working for Indonesian flood victims. In the past we also participated in various such relief programs. The TRG volunteers went with food and required goods along with financial support. This time we are working with the Red Crescent and Edhi foundation in Karachi. On the other hand, we also organize blood banks. Every couple of months we also work with Thalassemia foundation for the younger ones. Thalassemia foundation in Lahore and Karachi also works with Fatimid foundation

CodeWeek: Any Parting Words

Khurram: Choose your words and steps wisely; you never know who will quote you later.

Compiled by Ayesha Asghar

HIGHLIGHTS

TOP 3 EMPLOYERS

1. Royal Scribe International     (45 Openings)

2. Tricastmedia Pvt Ltd             (10 Openings)

3. Gamma Logics Solutions      (10 Openings)

TOP 3 CATEGORIES

1. .Net Development

2. PHP Development

3. SEO

AREA WISE RANKING

1. Lahore        (109 Job Openings)

2. Karachi       (63 Job Openings)

3. Islamabad   (29 Job Openings)

JOBS BY AREA

JOBS BY EMPLOYER

JOBS BY CATEGORY

TREND REPORT

Note: These figures/data have been extracted from Rozee.pk and specific company website.

Note: The data gathered is from online records starting from 19th April to 25th April 2010.

Compiled By Ayesha Asghar

HIGHLIGHTS

TOP 3 EMPLOYERS

1. Amco IT Systems     (08 Openings)

2. Strategic Systems      (07 Openings)

3. Loxvo Technologies (06 Openings)

TOP 3 CATEGORIES

1. PHP Development

2. .Net Development

3. Graphic Designing

AREA WISE RANKING

1. Lahore        (104 Job Openings)

2. Islamabad   (48 Job Openings)

3. Karachi       (37 Job Openings)

JOBS BY AREA

JOBS BY EMPLOYER

JOBS BY TECHNOLOGY

TREND REPORT

Note: These figures/data have been extracted from Rozee.pk and specific company website.

Note: The data gathered is from online records starting from 12th April to 18th April 2010.

Compiled by Ayesha Asghar

HIGHLIGHTS

TOP 3 EMPLOYERS

1. DreamWorld Solutions   (04 Openings)

2. ArhamSoft Pvt Ltd         (04 Openings)

3. Black Stone Technologies (04 Openings)

TOP 3 CATEGORIES

1. .Net Development

2. PHP Development

3. Graphic Designing

Area Wise Ranking

1. Lahore        (95 Job Openings)

2. Karachi       (82 Job Openings)

3. Islamabad   (21 Job Openings)

JOBS BY EMPLOYER (5th April to 11th April 2010)

JOBS BY CATEGORY (5th April to 11th April 2010)

JOBS BY AREA (5th April to 11th April 2010)

TREND REPORT (By Job Categories)

Note: These figures/data have been extracted from Rozee.pk and specific company website.

Note: The data gathered is from online records starting from 5th April to 11th April 2010.

Compiled by Ayesha Asghar

HIGHLIGHTS

TOP 3 EMPLOYERS

1. DreamWorld Solutions   (09 Openings)

2. FutureNow Pvt Ltd         (06 Openings)

3. Nextbridge Pvt Ltd         (05 Openings)

TOP 3 CATEGORIES

1. PHP Development

2. .Net Development

3. Graphic Designing

Ares Wise Ranking

1. Lahore           (83 Job Openings)

2. Karachi         (46 Job Openings)

3. Islamabad   (11 Job Openings)

JOBS BY EMPLOYER

JOBS BY CATEGORY

JOBS BY AREA

TREND REPORT (By Job Categories)

Note: These figures/data have been extracted from Rozee.pk and specific company website.

Note: The data gathered is from online records starting from 29th March to 04th April 2010.

Compiled by Ayesha Asghar

HIGHLIGHTS

TOP 3 EMPLOYERS

1. Nextbridge (Pvt.) Ltd   (12 Openings)

2. Strategic Systems         (7 Openings)

3. Viberant Solutions       (6 Openings)

TOP 3 CATEGORIES

1. PHP Development

2. .Net Development

3. Graphic Designing

Ares Wise Ranking

1. Lahore        (73 Job Openings)

2. Karachi       (41 Job Openings)

3. Islamabad   (35 Job Openings)

JOBS BY EMPLOYER (22nd – 28th March)

JOBS BY CATEGORY (22nd to 28th March 2010)

JOBS BY AREA (22nd to 28th March 2010)

TREND REPORT (By Job Categories)

Note: These figures/data have been extracted from Rozee.pk and specific company website.

Note: The data gathered is from online records starting from 22nd March to 28th March 2010.

HIGHLIGHTS

TOP 3 EMPLOYERS

1. Nextbridge (Pvt.) Ltd   (7 Openings)

2. Future Now Pvt Ltd      (6 Openings)

3. Tricom Pvt Ltd              (5 Openings)

TOP 3 CATEGORIES

1. .Net Development

2. PHP Development

3. Graphic Designing

Ares Wise Ranking

1. Lahore        (67 Job Openings)

2. Karachi       (41 Job Openings)

3. Islamabad   (33 Job Openings)

JOBS BY EMPLOYER (15th – 21st March)

JOBS BY CATEGORY (15th to 21st March 2010)

JOBS BY AREA (15th to 21st March 2010)

TREND REPORT (By Job Categories)

Note: These figures/data have been extracted from Rozee.pk and specfic company website.

Note: The data gathered is from online records starting from 15th March to 21st March 2010.