Lisa Knott

Lisa Knott – A Summary of Business Intelligence & Data Analytics In Melbourne

October 12, 2011No Comments

My area of specialisation is Business Intelligence and Data Analytics in the Melbourne area. I have around 5 years’ experience working in this space.  I work on anything to do with Data  – this can be anything from building a Data Warehouse to Statistical Modellers who use SAS software to analyse large data sets.  My candidates can come from an IT background, but may also have Maths, Statistics, Physics or Business degrees.

The types of roles I work on are BI Developers, Data Warehouse Consultants, SAS Modellers, MI Analysts,Data Analysts, Marketing Analysts, Campaign Analysts, Credit Risk Modellers.  The types of technologies I look for are things like SAS, SQL, SPSS, Cognos, SQL Server BI – SSIS,SSRS,SSAS, Oracle BI.

I work  across all industries – Banking, Telco, Insurance, Marketing and more as these specialist candidates can work in area department in any industry.

A number of my clients in Banking and Telco are looking for SAS Analysts and I am ALWAYS interested in seeing any candidates with SAS experience who are looking in Melbourne from junior to senior level.  I am currently looking for a Head of Data Analytics who has experience looking after a team of SAS Statistical Modellers.  This role is paying a $250K package and will be based in Melbourne CBD.

Market Trends:

Data Analytics is a very niche and candidate-driven market and there is a growing demand for candidates with SAS/SQL skills who can use data to add value to a business.  I can see continual growth in this space, all major companies are investing in these teams and are even seeking candidates from abroad due to a shortage in the market. On the flip side, the trend does seem to be for people with 2-5 years experience and Senior Manager roles are extremely rare.

Business Intelligence: Although it is still a very niche area, there has been a flood of strong candidates from abroad which has made it much more competitive for candidates when they are applying for jobs.  I have noticed that some BI Consultants have been in the market for a while before finding the right job and have had to travel interstate to find the top end contracts.

What trends are you noticing?

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Categories: Business Engagement, IT Tags: No Comments

Money, Money, Money!

June 29, 2011No Comments

Australia has one of the strongest economies in the world and with that comes some of the highest salaries in the world, particularly in the technology field.

Having recently arrived from the UK, what I have realised is that IT professionals are getting paid substantially more here for the same job.  Graduates are commanding salaries which even Senior IT professionals would struggle to get in some parts of Europe.  I appreciate there is a slightly higher cost of living here, but the difference outweighs that by far.

Taking that into account, I have been surprised at how demanding and inflexible some IT professionals are in terms of their salary requirements.

I can totally understand that we all want to get a pay rise and that we have mortgages and families to consider.  However, I have known some IT experts to refuse to move unless they get a $30K pay rise – irrespective of the job and career prospects on offer.  Others I know that have been out of work for months with and have turned down offers in fantastic companies and great working environments – because it means taking $5K less than they were on previously. When you are earning upwards of $140K and around $40K more than you would in any other country, I can’t quite believe $5K here or there would be a showstopper. Read more…

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Cloud Computing – What’s the big deal?

April 7, 2011No Comments

Have you sent a Hotmail recently? Used Google Maps on your IPhone? Spoken to your friends through Skype? If so, then you have been a part of the Cloud Computing Revolution.

Cloud computing seminars are selling out globally and there is no sign of the enthusiasm dropping.

Whilst researching this topic I found a wealth of information and a fair amount of sensationalism:

  • Cloud Computing will revolutionise IT!
  • Cloud Computing will save your company Millions!
  • Cloud Computing will be the death of IT Support!

So what is the ‘Cloud’ anyway?

Cloud computing is to your office computer what your mobile is to your landline.  Simply put the term “Cloud” is a metaphor for the internet. So you could call it “Internet Computing” but that doesn’t have the same marketing ring to it.

There are a number of different definitions to what constitutes the Cloud and they do indeed vary; Wikipedia says … “Cloud computing is computation, software, data access, and storage services that do not require end-user knowledge of the physical location and configuration of the system that delivers the services.” Read more…

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