As we leap headlong into the new year, the outlook for IT leadership and career opportunities is bright -- albeit not entirely certain.

Brian Gillooly, Content Director, InformationWeek

December 23, 2020

3 Min Read
Image: Dilok - stock.adobe.com

When we began 2020, the outlook for careers and leadership opportunities in IT was as hopeful as ever. Traditionally, opportunities in IT haven’t just been plentiful -- think of perennial openings in certain IT sectors like security and data analytics -- but for the most part they’ve also been lucrative. However, with the global pandemic, the situation in the industry was catapulted forward as IT projects were accelerated and the need for leaders to step forward was paramount. In many cases we’ve seen the need for CIOs and their direct reports to reengineer entire enterprises in a matter of weeks, if not days, which has prompted a need to reexamine their roles within the organization.

In addition to taking on new responsibilities in 2020 and moving into 2021, CIOs have been tasked with putting more of a focus on customer experience and employee experience. The pandemic has changed the way companies reach their customers and support their workers and improving that experience will be an important priority.

For a lot of industries, the demand for such changes in such a short period of time can have difficult consequences. But in IT, this is presenting leaders with new opportunities and new areas of focus. Sure, they also require adding some new skills, which is why we’ve compiled these articles for you to better understand where things are headed and how you can be prepared. At InformationWeek, we look forward to 2021 with anticipation, and we promise to be there providing valuable information and insight every step of the way. Here’s to a happy new year!

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About the Author(s)

Brian Gillooly

Content Director, InformationWeek

Brian Gillooly has spent the past 30+ years establishing a trusted and significant presence in the business technology community. One of the most recognized personalities in IT media, Brian has built valuable relationships with the most influential practitioners in the technology industry. He counts among his closest contacts the CIOs of a range of organizations – from Fortune 50 companies to small businesses.

As the Content Director for InformationWeek, Brian is responsible for developing a vision that provides both the audience and the client with clarity and insight into today's most challenging business technology issues.

Previously, as Editor-in-Chief of Optimize and Editor-in-Chief of InformationWeek events, Brian not only engaged the people who helped shape the direction of business technology – notables like Jack Welch, Rob Carter, Malcolm Gladwell, and Michael Dell – but also shared trusted opinions and ideas through his CIO Nation blog and weekly columns. He has offered hands-on insight through presentations at numerous live events and one-on-one meetings.

In his career in generating event content, moderating discussions, and giving presentations, Brian has developed a unique rapport with his audiences by eschewing the staid lecture style, and establishing a comfortable, often fun, always informative approach.

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