Welcome to the latest edition of our ‘Under the Hood’ blog series, where we meet the people who make New Zealand’s amazing IT industry tick. In our last blog we took a look at the life of a Finance Business Analyst, with Finance Business Analyst and Chartered Accountant, Michelle Rawbone.
In the latest episode, we’re sitting down with Fred Macedo, an experienced Web Developer currently working as a Solutions Architect. To find out more about the role, Fred’s career and his advice to others in the sector, read and watch on below.
A Unique Role
Fred is currently working as a Solutions Architect for a distributor of innovative retail technology and mobility products. Fred says that the role of a Solutions Architect is mostly around assessing and solving a problem for an organisation. Although Software Architects mostly fulfil this role for software, Solution Architects are more centred around the greater IT function.
Solution Architects are often bought in to fix what a business sees as the last mistake that happened, however, Fred says that more often than not the problem is caused by a greater run of decisions and mistakes that lead to the final thing breaking. To find out more about the Solutions Architect role, what Fred does and how it differs from being a Software Architect, watch the video below.
Sharing the Knowledge
Fred says that the key advice he’d give to people who want to become Solutions Architects is to know how to filter the proper information. “You can search for everything on Google, but that doesn’t mean necessarily that you’re finding the right thing for you.” Fred says, “When you try to put it all together, that’s when you understand what fits where.”
The same goes for the technologies you use in the role. Fred says that although there are many different frameworks and tools to be used, picking the right one for your situation is key. As well as the key skills and base technologies with the role, Fred also speaks on the benefits that you can get from working overseas. For more of Fred’s insights, watch the video below.
Thank You
A huge thank you to Fred for participating in the series and sharing his knowledge and insights with us. We’re sure they will be of great value to many looking to pursue a career in IT.
Check back in soon for another edition of Under the Hood, where we’ll be putting the spotlight on another key role in the IT industry. In the meantime, if you would like to be featured in this series or would like to discuss how you make the next step in your career, feel free to get in touch.
If you enjoyed this blog, make sure to check out some of the previous industry insights covered throughout our Under the Hood series:
- The Life of a Finance Business Analyst
- Searching for the Future of Online Marketing
- A Global Career in Project and Programme Management
- CRM Consultancy – Customers and a Journey of Understanding
- The Future of Project Management
- A Career as a Security Specialist
- Sales in the Technology Industry
- Contracting Your Way to Success in the IT industry
- Not Just a Desk Job – Business Analyst
- How to be Successful in the IT Industry – Executive Insight