Career As IT Professional: Q&A
- TSM
- Jul 5, 2020
- 3 min read
In my interviews, I'm trying to portray a little different perspective. As interviewers, we are searching for uniqueness in our questions since the answers for them are what makes most of our content. I take inspiration from every single individual I have the opportunity to question, In Shaa Allah you can take something from it for yourself as well.
Have you asked yourself during lock downtime: Is my job remoteness enough? Is the digital area going to overtake it?
Let's right into the interview with Akhtar the CEO - BluePi Solutions, part of the Integrity Consortium.
Q: Is it relatively easy to get into the field you’re in?
Akhtar: I am in the field of IT. Usually, people enter my profession after graduating through a graduate scheme and then work their way through a guided career path. Sometimes it may also be someone who works for an end client like a council which undergoes a transformation and this presents the person with the opportunity to get to be involved with an IT transformation project and then they never look back.
More recently though freelancing is becoming the route by which people are entering IT. Those with a passion for programming and IT choose to self learn technology and then court clients through portals such as Fiverr etc. It has become a lot easier to be an independent IT freelancer.
Q: How do you feel your field is connected with the teachings of Islam?
Akhtar : I believe depending on the sector it is applied to it provides for halal earning. It is a field that requires expertise to be obtained through experience and hard work. We know that it is a Sunnah to apply ourselves to the best of our ability - We hear it every jummah when the khateeb says innalaha wa'muru bi adhli wal ihsaan - Indeed Allah commands justice and excellence (in everything you do).
Q: Was it important for you before choosing your career path according to them?
Akhtar: Absolutely. For me, halal income was very important which is why I avoided invest banking and working in industries such as weapons and defense etc.
Q: Should Muslims always consider aspects of their faith in job they do?
Akhtar: Yes. Always remember Allah is Al Razzaq and your rizq has already been written for you. You only choose how what is already ordained comes to you.
Q: Do modern technologies take the Islamic finance aspect to another level?
Akhtar: Yes it does. Much like disruptions to other industries, it enables better connectivity, access and democratization. You can now for example do crowd fundraise directly from the community using crowdfunding platforms. This kind of thing was not possible only 5 years ago.
Q: Are there any new problems emerging that didn’t exist before connected to it?
Akhtar: Of course the usual cybersecurity concern or the nonscrupulous individuals defrauding others. But I guess that is nothing new, there will always be criminals amongst us. This needs the use of technology for better control and vigilance.
Q: Actually I also think the more appropriate question would be how’s the importance of your field viewed from the Islamic perspective?
Akhtar: Any beneficial Knowledge is the lost treasure of a Muslim. In other words, we should seek to learn all good and beneficial knowledge to spread goodness.
Q: Do you need to start young to grow big in it?
Akhtar: No, as I said earlier there are now provisions available for people to self learn and gain regular work through an online portal.
Q: Do this career path requires planning years in advance to take a path in it?
Akhtar: Depends on how you want to apply it. It is advisable to be adaptable as technology changes and updates very often. So definitely as agile mindset is required. If you are working for a large firm then it pays to do long term planning and execute against that. Whatever the case, as a technologist you always need to re-train and upgrade your skills.
Q: Is it easy to switch the career paths in your position?
Akhtar: IT provides for varied transferable skillsets to be gained so I suppose you learn so many things that you can change career paths. I have ventured into so many things I now find it difficult to classify myself under one box - I am a SAP consultant, An Enterprise Architect, A Data Architect, an Entrepreneur, a Management Consultant all at the same time interchangeably. The only constant in my title is IT/Technology.
Q: Is it flexible enough and remote for your needs?
Akhtar: Yes Alhamdulillah. I work from home in London managing my company BluePi solutions based in Dhaka and also contract for a large multinational company.
From the author: Jazakallah Khayran for the interview and for your attention! With help of Allah may we all achieve greatness in worldy affairs and in the hereafter. Walaykum Salam!
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