Salt’s Specialisms in Enterprise Architecture
• ERP Enterprise Architecture
• BI Enterprise Architecture
• Infrastructure Enterprise Architecture
• CRM Enterprise Architecture
• Security Enterprise Architecture
Demand Vs Offer
Enterprise Architects are highly in demand as large organisations tend to have one or two architects, who are asked to work on big projects. Some technology-focused companies have several Architecture divisions with different specialists in each division. Consequently, there are many roles offered in this industry. Some of the roles are for specific technologies, such as Windows or HP, while others are more general.
Popular Industries
The most popular industry for Enterprise Architecture jobs is the information technology and telecommunications sector. Most of the businesses within this industry are corporate organisations and consultancy communities. Most positions offered by the IT and telecommunications industry are permanent and full-time roles. Other industries, including the sales, strategy, consulting, engineering, and accountancy sector are also on the lookout for Enterprise Architects.
Recent Changes
In a world with constantly evolving technologies, Enterprise Architects are expected to regularly improve their skills and to stay on top of the latest industry trends. As the speed with which technologies evolve gets faster and faster, the requirements on Enterprise Architects become higher. Besides the technical competencies in the field that you are specialised in, employers often expect you to take additional qualifications, such as the
e-skills Professional Programme, which should help experienced Enterprise Architects to improve their skills and capabilities.
Future Prospects
What almost all Enterprise Architects enjoy about their job is that throughout their career, they never stop learning. Some stay within the same organisations for many years as they are confronted with new things on a daily basis and rarely get bored. As Enterprise Architects progress in their career, they also learn more about business strategy and how to link it to their field of specialism.
Employers’ Requirements
Nowadays, employers not only expect Enterprise Architects to be experts on a technical level but also to have relevant soft skills. Among those soft skills are leadership skills, ability to work in a team, communication skills, talent for management decision-making, and the ability to negotiate. Decision-making and communication skills are particularly important as Enterprise Architects are often required to make decisions, which has an impact on the entire business, and then communicate these to the company’s most important stakeholders.
CV Requirements
The skill set on every Enterprise Architect’s CV should make it obvious to the hiring manager that the applicant has four main attributes: passion for technology, love for analytics, leadership skills, and patience. While taking on a leadership role is crucial for Enterprise Architects in order to bring forward innovative solutions, a love for analytics helps them to consider a problem from different perspectives. Patience is an important attribute for Enterprise Architects as they often have to explain complex technical concepts to a non-technical audience.
Interview Preparation
As business planning processes are getting faster, the number of stakeholders is increasing and the working environment for Enterprise Architects is overall more chaotic. Professionals in this field need to show more than just their technical capabilities in a job interview. They also need to prove that they are adaptable, creative, influential, have leadership skills, and are collaborative. Some questions which help to assess if you have the above-mentioned attributes are:
1) Did an organisation you have worked for change their objectives while you were working there? How did you react to it?
2) Could you give me an example of a creative idea you had for one of your past projects?
3) What do you think is the best way to convince someone else of your opinion?
4) How did you convince your team to work on an unpopular project?
5) Describe a situation in which you worked with people from different countries and departments.
Educational Requirements
One way to become an Enterprise Architect is to do an undergraduate degree in Enterprise Architecture. However, the degree can also be replaced by a prestigious non-university qualification, such as the TOGAF (Open Group Architecture Framework) and the ITAC (Open Group’s IT Architect Certification). Both confirm that Enterprise Architects have the necessary skill set and knowledge to conduct their roles.
Looking for Enterprise Architecture jobs? Check out our current opportunities on our job page.
