Review what's in demand first

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Q. I am an electronics and communications engineer who has worked in an IT company for three years as a software tester. Now I want to learn about IBM Tivoli storage management through CEIS (Career Education in IBM Software).

Also, I want to switch my career to storage management and to complete the certification.

Is this the right career move for me?

Are my education qualifications and professional experience okay to step into storage management?

Career advice from Richard Talbot, general manager of IT recruitment specialist, Sapphire Technologies Singapore:
Without specifically reviewing your resume it is very hard to comment on how your background and experience would fit in to your new desired choice of role. However as a general rule, moving from a testing role and into a position in the storage management area is a smart move.

Storage management is one of the key challenges facing the IT world today. It is a common problem facing almost every customer we engage with. The majority of key customers either have a major storage solution in place or are looking at one currently, and as a general rule, experts in this field are well paid and in demand.

My advice before choosing a vendor or training provider in this space would be to review your local marketplace and the demand for specific products. IBM may be the biggest player in this field but it may not have a presence within your local area.

A good way to check demand is to review the job boards and see how many people are looking for people with IBM storage management experience as opposed to experience from other vendors. It may be a basic (but effective) method of assessing what is "in demand" for you locally before you spend your time and money on training.

Good luck with your career move.