Blog

Nonprofit organizations are particularly vulnerable to breaches, mainly due to inconsistent security policies and the large amounts of sensitive data they collect and use in their daily operations. Often considered “soft targets”, cyber criminals increasingly go after nonprofits and other small businesses, which makes the situation even worse for these organizations. Hyper-focused on their missions, nonprofits often direct their limited funds toward serving their constituents. Unfortunately, this sometimes means that cybersecurity takes a back seat, and employees and volunteers are left in the dark about cyber best practices.

Hartman Executive Advisors are senior executives with advanced business and technology skills. We asked what advice they have for students and young professionals pursuing a career in information technology. Their advice focuses on ways to stand out in the field and start along a path to long-term success.

When an organization works through a significant change, like a software upgrade, or a leadership or cultural change, clear and strategic communication helps ensure employee understanding, buy-in and adoption of the change, all critical to a successful change management initiative.

For many small and mid-sized companies, accessing data is typically more about backward-looking report writing – last month’s sales, quarterly financials, 13-month trailing reports – than forward-looking business analysis. These reports are critical to senior management as a performance gauge, but they only tell half the story. What executives really need is the ability to look ahead, analyze trends and predict future performance.