IT pros must 'sell themselves'

12:45 6th November 2008

IT professionals should look to improve their presentation skills as the credit crunch deepens, because they are increasingly likely to have to sell themselves, a HP user group has claimed.

Connect has suggested that fears of a worsening financial climate are driving IT investment decisions in many businesses, providing technology firms with an opportunity to put forward their ideas.

These issues are set to form a key role in Connect's first global HP user conference in Manheim, Germany from the 10th to the 12th of November.

Nina Buik, Connect president, told Computer Weekly that every business is looking at ways to "save money or generate new business".

She said: "Technologists typically overlook the need for public speaking and presentation skills, but in today's environment they are always going to have to sell themselves and their ideas."

Earlier this week, the president of EMC's security division, Art Coviello, suggested that the lack of trained IT security professionals is a global problem.