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After half a century of small breakthroughs, Artificial Intelligence (AI), a term first coined by American computer scientist John McCarthy in 1956, is now sweeping the world. New programming techniques, such as Machine (ML) or Deep Learning (DL), make computer models able to learn, unlike the standard pre-programmed algorithms of the past.

For the financial services sector, this will translate into significant cost savings and a huge increase in productivity. Does this mean robots will take all the jobs? No, for employees in the sector, AI will make life easier and help them focus on what really matters: serve the clients’ needs better.

The new industrial revolution

Certainly, AI – an umbrella term that basically describes computers acting intelligently – could dramatically alter our working and employment landscape. Recent research by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) predicts that by 2025, adoption of advanced robots will boost productivity by up to 30 per cent in many industries.

“Deep Learning is now an integral part of the tool box needed to analyse big data and assist leaders in the decision-making process in a growing number of companies whatever their sector. Currently, it’s mostly large companies, for instance in the banking and insurance sectors that are adopting solutions using artificial intelligence, because they have the data and the capacity to invest in these innovative technologies” says Jean-Claude Heudin, an AI scientist and researcher who heads the Institute of Internet and Multimédia in France.

More personalized services in retail banking

Financial institutions have already started to adopt AI technologies. Many retail banks already apply them to customer servicing on the internet, by offering smart chat bots to assist online clients with their queries. This type of service is particularly popular among the new generation of consumers, as digital natives prefer digital servicing channels over physical branches or calling in. They also already have experience of AI in on their smart phones with digital assistants such as Cortana, Siri or Google Now.

In March this year, Santander claimed to be first bank in the UK to enable customers using an iPhone to talk to its banking app, SmartBank. Thanks its voice recognition technology, clients can tell their mobile phones to monitor and recount their spending habits, and make payments on the move.

Meanwhile RBS has been testing an AI solution called ‘Luvo’ among 1,200 staff who manage relationships with small businesses. It assists them by understanding their questions and then filtering through masses of information in a split second before responding with the answer. “Luvo is a really exciting new technology that brings artificial intelligence to life and will help our staff serve customers better by resolving their questions and problems much more quickly. Its potential is huge and we’ll be exploring if Luvo could talk to customers directly to answer straightforward questions, freeing up time for our staff to answer complex issues” said Simon McNamara, RBS Chief Administrative Officer. Amid a growing, and unmanageable amount of data – every day, we create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data according to IBM – AI will help financial institutions by quickly sifting through all this information, offering a more personalised service in real-time, at much lower costs.

AI in investment banking and AML Compliance

In investment banking, automated trading already accounts for about 75 percent of all financial market volume according to Reuters. The new generation of AI-driven trading platforms is now arriving, with Silicon Valley companies such as Sentient, Ayasdi or Vicarious, a company backed by Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, offering such technologies.

Unlike the current, traditional financial algorithms used for trading, AI systems can take a larger and more complex number of factors into account, and adapt accordingly. According to Eurekahedge, a survey of AI-driven hedge funds revealed they had increased about 7 percent so far this year, including a 1.8 percent gain during the post-Brexit uncertainty.

It therefore should be no surprise that the financial services sector is leading others in adopting AI. “Financial services, I believe, can and will lead the world into this era,” IBM Chief Executive Officer Ginni Rometty said at the Sibos conference in Geneva last month, adding: “The ultimate competitive advantage is being cognitive.”

Stephen Hawking once famously said that the “development of artificial intelligence could spell the doom and end of human race.” However, in the FS sector, AI could, on the contrary ensure a business’s survival.

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Jon Sampson
Jon Sampson, Managing Director, Hays Brazil

International mobility is on the rise. As the global economy recovers, company and job remits are continuing to expand across borders. There’s only so much that technology such as Skype can do to ensure the smooth implementation of a project overseas, and organisations recognise that they need feet on the ground.

What’s more, employees are jumping at the chance to expand their professional career in an exotic location, with a surveyed 71 per cent of people stating that they wanted to work internationally at some point

At Hays, we have an ambitious pool of internal talent to help provide leading recruitment services to 33 countries. My role as Head of Attraction and Mobility often involves moving these employees around the world in order to further their career within the company. I caught up with Jon Sampson, Managing Director – Hays Brazil, who has made several international moves at Hays for this very reason. During this interview, Jon provides us with some insights into the reality of international mobility.

Give us a brief overview of your career at Hays?

I began my career at Hays fourteen years ago in Australia as an Associate Consultant running a contract desk within the IT team. As a company we have evolved a lot since then, but many of the recruitment fundamentals I still believe in today were learned during that time. Since then I have worked with and led the Japanese business and am now part of the Americas team responsible for driving best practice across Hays Brazil as their MD.

Did you ever plan to work abroad at the beginning of your career?

The thought never really crossed my mind. However, as my career progressed I saw opportunities for development and experience that I wouldn’t have had access to if I had stayed in the one country. In an increasingly globalised world, international experience and understanding becomes invaluable.

What attracted you to your current role in Brazil?

A number of things. Firstly, the challenge of working with a business that has huge potential in a difficult market. Secondly, the opportunity to gain experience in the Americas region – this was particularly interesting given the plans we have for growth here – it’s going to be an exciting few years ahead and a great business to be a part of.

Do you have a family and did they relocate with you?

Yes, my wife and I moved here with our English bulldog and son who was five months at the time. We are also expecting a daughter any day now. It’s of course a big move for anyone with a family and it comes with its challenges but in reality it’s not that daunting, once you have made the move and settled in. Living in any major city means you need to be smart about what you do and how you do it. São Paulo is no different but not really any worse. It is a lot like LA in many ways – a sprawling city with great restaurants, high end shopping, valet parking everywhere and beaches an easy drive away. An hour out of the city and you’re surrounded by green countryside and fresh sea air.

What was the relocation process like?

Hays were extremely supportive in the process and understanding of our needs. We have global and local teams to support you every step of the way. It can seem endlessly complicated at times, but once you create a clear checklist it really becomes just about execution of small tasks one by one.

What have been the highlights for you in living and working in Brazil so far?

The people, the culture and of course the Caipirinhas. A trip to our Rio office involves a sunrise drive past pristine beaches overlooking the South Atlantic Ocean – a pretty good way to start a working day. The great thing for me about leading one of our developing businesses is the variety that every day brings. Being client facing is of course a critical part of the job, but so too can be working with the legal team on changes in local legislation that could affect our industry, developing new local marketing materials, running training sessions and refining our overall value proposition to the market. This breadth of experience enables me to keep growing and the variety makes every day an interesting one.

How have you found adapting to a new culture and living in a country, where the local language is different to your own?

It’s of course challenging and frustrating at times but that’s part of the enjoyment. Every weekend brings an opportunity for a new experience that pushes you out of your comfort zone. If you commit to learning the language, you can be really competent within about six months. Even if you don’t, you’ll be directing taxis and ordering a beer before too long.

Of course, there’s that sense of achievement that you never forget when you finally manage to order a meal correctly! While language is a great bonus, it’s definitely more important for you to have a strong foundation in your profession than be bilingual. Equally, I was surprised by the level of English spoken by the team here and how they are very happy to get some practice in by using it with me. At a senior level, virtually all of our clients are happy to conduct meetings in English and many of them are actually expats themselves which instantly creates some common ground to build a relationship from.

What effect has working in another country had on your career?

I would say it has been very positive. I now have a greater knowledge of different parts of the business that has helped me mature as an operator and build relationships that have enabled me to continue to develop as a person both professionally and personally. I’m now in my third country for Hays and every role has enabled me to grow hugely.

What would you say are the three most important skills to have to be a successful Country lead?

To start, an overwhelming belief in what is possible and a drive to get there. A sense of (grounded) optimism allows you to see where the business could be and create a path to achieving this. External factors always exist but we can control a lot more than not. Secondly, a disciplined commitment to what we set out to achieve in the short, medium and long-term. Finally, you need the ability to adapt your style to ensure you are effectively communicating the message you want to bring the people on the journey with you.

What advice would you give to other employees aspiring to progress to a senior position?

Make the most of the meritocracy and take advantage of the international leadership opportunities that may be presented through roles you hadn’t necessarily considered. The thought of moving overseas may seem too unfeasible, but when you break it down you’ll most likely have far more to gain than lose. Don’t be too quick to dismiss something new or different as at the end of the day, nothing has to be forever so why not?

Hopefully this blog has given you a true sense of what it is like to relocate to a foreign country for your career. If you would like to discuss anything related to global mobility, please get in contact.

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There are few industries that remain untouched by the tech jobs surge. Telecoms is no different, with a wealth of job opportunities available in the sector. The type of work you perform in telecoms jobs can be as varied as the different job titles available.

The comms industry incorporates voice, video, internet and other data and communications services. Whether you’re looking for a sales jobs or you want a job with more general duties, one of the top sector jobs will likely appeal:

1. Installers and technicians

Installing and repairing are two essential aspects of telecoms. There are two types of jobs in this area: equipment installers and line installers.

Equipment installers generally work with specialised equipment necessary to set up networks and connections in offices and buildings. They install, service, and repair routers, modems and other equipment used to connect the network.

In this area, you will encounter job titles such as field engineers, riggers, frames engineers and installation engineers.

A job as a line installer means you’ll acquire specialised, hands-on experience and knowledge of exterior telecom poles and terminals. You’ll be expected to lay wires and cables – sometimes underground – that connect to residential homes and communities.

Line installers and repairers also service the telephone poles when outages occur or new cables need to be fitted. This area includes typical job titles such as field engineers, riggers, frames engineers, PBX engineers, installation engineers and RAN engineers.

2. Customer service representatives

Customer service representatives constitute one of the larger segments of telecoms jobs.

These individuals often work in a call centre, answering inbound calls from existing customers of the company. Customer service representatives answer questions, as well as inform customers of new services, and tell them about changes to existing services. They also respond to complaints over the phone, via online support or through traditional mail services.

3. Telephone operators

Though not a major part of the industry by any stretch, individuals in these jobs assist customers with a variety of requests. For example, the operator may provide telephone numbers (such as a ‘111’ service), assist with reverse-charge telephone calls, or help the customer obtain emergency assistance.

Other specialised services performed by operators depend on the type of telecoms company for which they work.

4. Telecoms engineers

There are several different types of engineers in the telecoms industry, largely professionals with experience and qualifications gained in the areas of data and communications services. Engineers have a variety of duties. Some plan cable routes and equipment installations. Some are involved with R&D activities, designing new equipment and finding new applications for hardware.

A host of relevant certifications exists within the telecoms sector, ranging from fibre splicing and the New Roads and Street Works Act (NRSWA), to Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) and Juniper Networks Certified Internet Expert (JNCIE). Their importance in any given role is dependent upon the core structure the companies are using and whether they have a multi-vendor platform.

This area would include jobs such as design engineers, support engineers, and NMC and NOC engineers.

5. Telecoms specialists

These roles are varied, and can range from coordination to very specific niche expertise in operating support systems (OSS) or business support systems (BSS), data analytics or application development.

Telecoms specialists can coordinate, manage or support the design of service products and devices. Specialists may make customer appointments with installers or repairers to set up repairs or maintenance on systems, cables and other specialty equipment.

Individuals in these specialist telecom jobs also provide follow-up and expertise on specific issues. Project coordinators, for instance, assist other professionals and organisations in the delivery of projects.

These specialist roles would include, but are not limited to, architects, service delivery managers, and project and programme managers. This area would encompass specialist skills gained in telecoms, ranging from private branch exchange (PBX) – provided by companies like Avaya, Panasonic, Mitel – to mobile app developers and data scientists.

Other roles in this area include project coordinators, data scientists, network architects (including OSS/BSS), project and programme managers, mobile app developers and embedded developers.

6. Telecoms sales

These jobs involve marketing and selling products like phone, cable, or internet to either residential or business-class customers.

Individuals in telecoms sales jobs may undergo a specific training program from the company when they get hired. You’ll not only learn about the products themselves, but also sales tactics and tricks for use in communication with potential leads.

7. Telecoms managers and support personnel

You can also get involved in the sector as support personnel or as a telecoms manager, with a variety of job titles, positions, and duties on offer. Many of these roles are based in comfortable office environments.

In such a job, you could be performing administrative duties, managing a communications network and its related technologies, or managing call centre customer service representatives.

8. Marketing specialists

The telecoms industry needs marketing specialists. This is an area that is likely to grow within the next decade.

Telecoms marketing specialists produce ads for the company. They may write sales copy, survey the best radio stations and make other marketing materials, as needed.

All told, a variety of jobs exist in the telecoms industry. Whether you’d like to put your administrative experience to work, become an installation technician or work in telecoms sales jobs, there are roles to suit just about anyone.  Don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our local recruitment experts to find out how a role within the Telecoms industry could work for you.

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If you’ve read my recent ITC Made Simple series, you’ll know that a lot of work goes into becoming a successful IT contractor.  In my latest article I wanted to talk to someone who was already experienced in the contracting world to see what more we could learn about securing longevity in ITC.

Piotr Krzyżanowski began his IT career in 2005 when he joined telecoms giant Orange Polska on an internship. Graduating from the University of Warsaw with a Telecommunications degree, he found himself in the Quality Assurance (QA) department and has been in related positions ever since.

In 2012 he made the move to contracting and hopes to stay there for the foreseeable future. Here’s what he told me about his ITC experience when I spoke to him recently:

1. What first attracted you to contracting?

What first attracted me to contracting was the independence it offered, I am able to choose the projects I want to do and the clients I want to work for. In the past, Polish companies only really used to hire people on a permanent basis, but around 2012 (when I became a contractor) the situation began to change and they became more open to hiring contractors. This made it the right time for me to make the move. Of course it’s always nice to earn a bit more money as well!

2. Do you feel like your skills will be in demand in the future?

They will be in demand definitely. More and more companies are launching IT projects and as such this creates more opportunities for QAs and Testers.

Personally I try to keep up-to-date by reading books and blogs, participating in conferences or gaining new certifications. ISTQB provide a good path for progression, from foundation up to expert certifications. They have even started offering Agile Methodology courses – but from a QA perspective.

3. What are the IT trends affecting your area of work?

For me the main trends are Agile Methodology and automation. More and more projects are working on Agile Methodology and I’ve even seen Agile principles seep into general working practices, such as stand-up meetings and iterations. In my line of work more and more tests are becoming automated and I think automation engineers will be in high demand in the future. As such I am looking to get more confident in this area – as a technical person I like to keep up to date with the latest innovations.

4. What’s the most exciting and rewarding project you’ve ever worked on?

I worked on a very demanding project for a pharmaceutical company back in 2010. This was a migration project from an old system to a new one with three streams for the QA: 1) testing the graphical user interface 2) testing the migration data from the old to the new system 3) testing the interfaces between the old and new system in the company environment.

People from all over the world worked on the project: Australia, San Francisco, Poland, the UK, Switzerland and India. This made things interesting, with the different cultures and working hours in the mix. We had a team of 30 testers in Warsaw, which is massive! Of course the coordination of such a big team is always an issue-there was huge pressure on completing this project on time so there was lots of work, overtime and travel. The demands were great but these were matched by the rewards of the experience!

5. How do you deal with your taxes and personal administration?

To budget, each month I start with an estimate of how many days I will work and how many I will have off, taking into account possible sick or personal days. What’s really important for me in my current company is that even if I’m not in the office for a day or so my manager will let me do flexible hours so I can make up the time and maintain my pay.

You can pay tax quarterly in Poland and I use a Book Keeper to help me with this and other legal stuff. You need to understand how much you must save in your account each month to pay your taxes so there are no nasty surprises. Like with any pay cheque it’s tempting to spend all the money at once!

6. Have you ever taken a project outside of your home country?

I’ve never worked outside of Poland but I have worked on a number of projects that have involved multi-national teams. In all of these the working language was English – so it‘s clearly important to be proficient if you want to work internationally. I also speak a little German and there lots of offers for people in Poland to work in German/Swiss/Austrian companies if they are fluent. Sometimes they only require you to speak English with a view of teaching you German in the longer term.

7. How do you integrate yourself into a new team when you start a project?

The first and most basic thing is to get to know the system you have to work on and the business processes behind it. I ask more experienced team members to help me with this as they have the knowledge. The other thing is to get to know the team I will work with – what their processes are, rules, practices etc. Preparing before your start date is important but you do your real learning face to face.

8. How difficult is it to find your next project when you’re at the end of a contract?

The market is very strong for IT projects at the moment so I haven’t had any problems finding new ones. I’ve been lucky to work on multiple projects in the same company since I became a contractor and at this point in my career I would turn down offers if the company or project didn’t suit me.

Networking is really important and I would ask my contacts about a company and how innovative their projects were before I would accept an offer from them.

A lot of IT people have good technical skills but soft skills can really make a difference in getting recommendations and getting hired. You don’t work in a silo and need to be approachable and work with different non-technical departments to achieve results.

9. Have you ever used recruitment companies to help you find work?

I have worked with Hays since I became a contractor and using a recruitment company is a plus because if you’re turned down for a project or not selected from an interview they can easily find you a new opportunity. They have multiple offers available from many clients, so I always have options. If you’re looking for yourself, it’s not like this – you have to start all over again.

They can also act as a filter at times when there are too many offers on the market – picking the best one for your profile based on direct information from the client which you wouldn’t be privy to. This saves you a lot of time.

10. Do you think you will be a contractor for life or would you ever consider moving back to perm?

Right now I would be a contractor for life, but who knows in the future! Independence is most important for me and once you get the contracting experience and the great benefits it’s hard to go back.

11. Do you have any tips for someone looking to join the IT contracting world?

To be a good contractor you need to have really good skills. Be experienced and have lots of projects behind you before you make the move. Start your career in a perm role to grow your skills and take every opportunity to go to conferences, get certificates and work on different projects. When you’ve got the skills, just do it!

Feel free to connect with Piotr on LinkedIn to check out his experience to date. You can also get in touch with one of our local recruitment experts to find out how IT contracting could work for you.

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Have you spent weeks interviewing for a new role, learning more and more about the company ethos, imagining your future there, only to discover that another candidate has beaten you to it?
This can be extremely confusing, given that you had the right skills; you interviewed well and were invited back to the next stage. It could make you question “what did the chosen candidate have that I lacked?” These situations are also incredibly frustrating, given that you put so much effort into preparing, not to mention taking the time to actually attend the interviews.

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Have you been within the same job role or company for a while, and are starting to feel less motivated at work? You may feel like you are going through the motions and find every task very repetitive. You may feel like you haven’t learnt anything new in a while and cannot see any signs of progression. You could even find yourself questioning your purpose within the organisation. If so, then you are facing a mid-career slump.

In these situations, it is important to step back and think about how you got to this point and how to overcome it. Ask yourself questions such as; what were my passions and ambitions when I began my career? Have they been fulfilled? Have they changed, if so how? Now use your answers to create a list of goals.

Getting out of the slump

The way in which you pick yourself out of the slump depends on the nature of your goals. For instance if your ambitions surround career advancement-look at opportunities within your organisation that appeal to you. Set up a meeting with your manager and explain why you think you could be suited to that role, and how you can get there.

Your goals may be best achieved through various educational options, for example, you may want to make the switch from sales to marketing whilst remaining within your current company. Are there any relevant in-house apprenticeships within your organisation? Is there budget for external courses?

Perhaps your goals need to be realised through someone who has already achieved them. Is there anybody within your organisation who inspires you? What is it about them that you want to replicate? By speaking to the people who you look up to, you can gain some perspective and experienced advice. An estimated 75% of organisations use mentoring programmes for this very reason, so it may be worth finding out if your company is one of them.

Overall, in order to get out of the slump, you may need to communicate your goals to your organisation, and find out how they can facilitate them.

Getting out of the company

For whatever reason, your objectives may not be met within your current environment, be it through budget, lack of opportunity, or you simply want to move on. If this is the case, then consider the alternatives.

Talk to a recruiter or career advisor who can help you to navigate the range of roles available elsewhere, finding the best one for you and your career progression.

If your goals require education, look into cost effective and even free ways to up-skill yourself, be it via webinars, books or online training courses. Attend talks, motivational speeches and networking events- perhaps you will find a mentor here. You don’t have to rely on your existing organisation to lift your mid-career slump, the power is in your hands.

In summary, once you identify whether or not you have reached the mid-career slump, it is easier overcome it. You must firstly ask yourself some key questions in order to draw up a list of aims. The next step is finding out which strategies will achieve these, which may include a change of role or undertaking educational and mentoring programmes. Lastly, it is important to decide whether or not your current employer can help you implement these strategies and whether you want them to. If not, perhaps it’s time to look to yourself as well other companies who can.

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Tackling cyber crime has become one of the most important challenges businesses face. According to Symantec’s 2016 Internet Security Threat Report, the company discovered 430 million new pieces of malware last year alone. In the UK, two thirds of big businesses experienced cyber attacks in the same time frame.

New types of attack are being dreamt up with increasing degrees of sophistication, and organisations are particularly worried about ransomware – malicious software that locks or encrypts documents on a computer and demands a ransom to unlock or decrypt it. But what have these changes meant for organisations?
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