Friday 18 July 2014

What non technical skills do local companies want in developers?

Employers are looking for more than technical expertise when hiring programmers, analysts, software engineers, solution architects, development leads and software development managers. In today’s job market it is important to have other skills other than your HTML, CSS, .NET, C#, SQL, and Java.  




More and more companies are looking for skills such as business and system analysis, project management, knowledge of software development methodologies (Agile/SCRUM) and tech strategy. We have analysed a number of Malta software vacancies published in the past twelve months and noticed there is a trend of skills that many companies are looking for. Having these skills will of course make you the prime candidate when compared to the competition.

Surprisingly years and years of experience are less important than you might think and if you have completed projects similar to what the employer has in mind than you are closer to getting hired. For this reason, depth of experience is not calculated in years but on completed projects.

Flexibility is another skill that employers relish with companies preferring a full stack developer rather than a specialist. This is also reflected in the increase of an average yearly salary for an experienced full stack developer which pays around €35,000. The typical vacancy requests the ability to code in 3 to 5 different languages, so in order to compete having more than 3 coding languages under your belt is a must.

The ability to migrate to mobile technology is also critical. As more business activity migrates from desktop and laptop computers to phones and tablets the IT workforce needs to be suited to build both functional mobile applications and manage the broad variety of hardware on which they are deployed.

Next comes the ability to manage a team and a project, meaning that leadership qualities together with a strong project management expertise are a prized skill for many employers. Needless to say an employee who is capable of planning, organising, motivating, and marshalling resources to achieve goals and see projects through to completion is a gem! However, even if you are managing a team you should never go for more than a month without testing your coding abilities. You never know when a project will need your direct intervention, and you need to keep up to scratch.

Of course , industry specific knowledge is still essential. If you want to work in Business Intelligence Systems, your skill set needs to go beyond the understanding of technology and also focus on an understanding of the user. Similarly when it comes to working in the financial industry, an understanding of ERP/accounting systems terminology and how they work is a must.

Finally, Business Intelligence Analytics skills are becoming increasingly important. From big data to Google Analytics, understanding the key metrics behind the business and making smart choices based on your data are critical skills even for software engineers who will need to be flexible enough to adapt their approach according to what the data is indicating. After all, employers do not want a code monkey but a programming ninja.

Our conclusion?

We have found that years of experience is less important than one imagines if you have completed a few projects that are very similiar to what the employer has in mind - and they always have something in mind, otherwise they would not be hiring. Depth of experience, therefore should be considered not in terms of years but projects completed, however this is obviously correlated.  

Malta: which companies employ software engineers?

It's currently quite difficult for anyone aspiring for a career in software engineering in Malta to get the full understanding of who their potential employers actually are.  Since the Muovo consultants work with these companies day in, day out, we decided to present this first-of-its-kind list of software and technology companies in Malta, sorted by the most popular industry.



iGaming / Betting

Betsson

Betsson are an online gaming site that offers the products such as Sportsbetting, Casino, Scratch, Bingo and Poker. They are known for offering a dynamic work environment which is fuelled by creativity and are always looking for passionate people who are great at what they do. 

Betfair

Betfair is known as the world’s largest internet betting exchange. With head offices in Hammersmith in London they are also have offices, and a gaming license in Malta. Betfair boasts to have more than 950,000 active customers.

Betclic Everest

A European online gaming site created which was launched in Paris back in 2007 Betclic has a unique portfolio comprising of 5 diverse and complementary international brands: Betclic, bet-at-home.com, Everest, Expekt and Monte Carlo Casino. Having a multicultural work environment, the company are always on the look out for technical excellence and enthusiasm. 


Web, Software & Application Development.

Uniblue

Uniblue is a PC optimization software company building software that provides effective and easy to use complemented by customer support you can rely on. 

6pm

A leading IT and software solutions company, 6pm deliver healthcare products, together with professional services and infrastructure to organisations in the bid to maximise efficiency. One of their main partners is the NHS in the UK. 

ICON

A web design and web development firm based in Malta developing web applications and results-oriented technology. From website design to e-marketing services to secure eCommerce applications ICON create bespoke solutions for SMEs. 


Enterprise Solutions  


GFI

A company developing IT solutions for small to mid-sized businesses. Serving more than 200,000 companies GFI offers two main solutions: GFI MAX™ enables managed service providers to deliver superior services to their customers; GFI Cloud empowers companies with their own IT teams to manage and maintain their networks via the cloud.

Alert

Alert is an IT consultancy firm specialising in business and commerce systems providing solutions such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Document Management Systems (DMS), Business Intelligence Solutions (BI), Customer Relationship Management Solutions (CRM) and Point of Sale Systems (POS).

Exigy

Bridging the gap between technology and business, Exigy provide the best-fit software solutions that will help clients reach their optimum performance. 

Finance


CCBill

A world leader in global payment solutions, CCBill offers a comprehensive set of proprietary backend and Web-based administration systems to effectively process transactions. Each year they process more than 1 billion dollars in transactions.


Vermeg

Specialising in Fund Administration and Securities Processing while at the same time promoting International Market Standard Practices Vermeg is a solutions specialist offering a broad range of systems modules all developed and implemented in an array of financial services firms.

APS

One of Malta’s local banks, APS has recently gone through a rending exercise and is looking to further expand its operations. Established in 1910, the bank has family values at its core as the majority shareholding is held by the Archdiocese of Malta and Gozo.

Technology Startups / SMEs


Papaya

A young and vibrant player in the electronic money domain offering E-Wallets and cards. Their products are aimed at providing the best operating and security conditions available. 

FORTYTWO Group

With a whole suite of services FORTYTWO Group offer corporate services, marketing, security and telecoms making sure their clients focus on their business while FORTYTWO Group takes care of the rest. 

Altaro

One of the fastest growing developers of user-friendly backup solutions aimed at SMEs and a  Microsoft BizSpark Partner with a special focus on data protection technology (CDP). 


Other (Gaming, Advertising, Printing) 


BRNDWGN

One of the better known agencies iin Malta, BRNDWGN is an advertising agency providing out of the box solutions for their clients. 

TRC Family Entertainment Limited

One of the newest and fastest growing video game developers on the island. TRC’s mission is to create new ways for kids to connect, play, and share with family and friends in the digital world.  

De La Rue

The world’s largest commercial banknote printer and passport manufacturer which is based in Malta and is a trusted partner of governments, central banks and commercial organisations around the world. 



We think it is crucial for all software developers to understand the local opportunity landscape, giving them the opportunity to hone their skills appropriately. If you are interested in getting a more comprehensive overview of via email, feel free to get in touch with us

If you are curious about any of the companies featured here, our team can help you figure out who to talk to and how to make sure you know what they need from a prospective hire. You can also visit our site or read our previous article to get an idea of what software developer vacancies in Malta typically consist of. 

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