As the US Information Technology (IT) services market is booming at an estimated $218.47 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow to $319.56 billion by 2028, it highlights the imperative for continuous skill advancement and knowledge sharing to remain competitive. Technical quality advisors like Fnu Ruqia Maihveen are crucial in addressing an organization’s growth and skills development needs.
Maihveen, an alumnus of the Executive Master’s in Information Technology at the University of the Cumberlands, Kentucky, and holder of a Master’s in Engineering Management from St. Cloud State University, Minnesota, as well as a Bachelor of Engineering from Osmania University, India, brings a wealth of experience to her role. Her expertise in leading Azure Developer support teams and her innovative methodologies are crucial for a workforce adept in current technologies and ready for future advancements. She sees learning as a continuous journey and knowledge as a community asset.
A Closer Look at the Skills Gap in Tech
The IT industry’s rapid growth, driven by cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) advancements, has made it imperative for companies to upskill their workforce to keep pace with the technological evolution. However, Maihveen mentions that the challenge is in acquiring new skills and effectively integrating them within existing frameworks. Her insight underlines a significant aspect of workforce development – the need for a seamless blend of new competencies with established systems and practices.
Maihveen elaborates, “Mastering new technologies is just the beginning. The greater challenge lies in integrating these advancements with our established systems and workflows.” Her approach prioritizes not only skill acquisition but also their strategic application, fostering an agile and adaptable workforce. Her role as a quality technical advisor is central to this mission.
Bridging Skills Gap with Collaboration
Maihveen strongly advocates for collaboration as the key to bridging the skills gap in IT. For her, collaboration isn’t just about working together but leveraging collective expertise to pinpoint improvement areas and develop necessary skills. Though theoretical, this philosophy is also deeply rooted in her extensive practical experiences.
Working closely with diverse teams, Maihveen has been instrumental in gathering feedback, pinpointing technical gaps, and spearheading initiatives that elevate the service quality of Azure PaaS Services, with expertise in Microsoft Azure technologies. Her collaborative strategy extends to training programs, where she partners with various teams, including the PG team, internal teams, DP, manager, and Supply Delivery manager, to ensure holistic skill development.
“When individuals from varied backgrounds and expertise come together, the solutions are innovative and comprehensive. In turn, they create an environment where excellence and customer satisfaction are prioritized,” Maihveen shares.
Advocating for Internal Mobility in Tech
Maihveen champions the idea of internal mobility or encouraging employees to explore new roles or projects as a key strategy in addressing the tech industry’s skills divide. For Maihveen, exposure to such complex and challenging projects is a gateway to personal and professional growth. Her seven-plus years of experience in managing various projects at a leading tech company attest to this approach’s efficacy.
Her involvement in projects like Azure Developer Support, Azure Customer Service Support (CSS) for Azure PaaS offerings, MS Teams, and Azure Hybrid DaaS, among others, has sharpened her skills and identified personal growth opportunities. These practical experiences, ranging from automating service configurations, deploying infrastructure, SQL queries, PowerBI reporting, and creating virtual machines and templates to troubleshooting in complex environments, underscore the value of involvement in project handling in fostering a versatile and skilled workforce.
The technical advisor’s journey demonstrates how tech leaders can effectively leverage internal mobility to enhance their team’s capabilities while providing valuable growth opportunities for their employees.
The Human Element in Technology
Maihveen stresses that while technical skill is crucial, it must align with user needs. “Technology should be a tool for people, not a constraint,” she states. Her focus is on developing robust yet user-friendly solutions. This approach reflects a deeper understanding of technology’s role – as a facilitator of human activities and an enhancer of user experiences.
Her philosophy underscores the need for technology to remain grounded in human-centric values, ensuring that technological advancements stay relevant and beneficial to their intended users. For Maihveen, the true measure of technological adaptation lies in its sophistication and alignment with and enhancement of user experiences.
As the tech industry continues to grow and evolve, the insights and practices shared by tech leaders like Maihveen offer valuable pathways to navigating its complexities. She envisions a future where technical teams are not just repositories of knowledge but dynamic entities capable of adapting and evolving in real time. This vision, she believes, is not just idealistic but essential for the sustained growth and innovation in the tech industry.
Maihveen concludes, “Technology innovation is as much about people and processes as it is about products. The future belongs to those willing to bridge the gap and can seamlessly integrate these elements into practical aspects of using technology.”
