Hey,

I've been thinking about career direction a lot lately and thought it would be a good idea to hear other people's views in general.

I know I want to be an Enterprise Architect (EA) and have found out quite a bit about it but due to its relatively recent emergence as an area of the IT field there's no great sources of empirical knowledge about what it takes to successfully grow a career in that direction. Just pockets of info here and there, nothing extensive or in-depth.

So, do you have any experience in this area? Or any knowledge at all? I know a wide range of experience is necessary in order to function as an EA but does it take a mastery of all aspects of IT architecture to rise to EA level? Or is it just fine to focus on a specific area? Any useful resources?

It would be nice to establish links with contacts who are in the industry if there are any present on this board.

Cheers

1. Maybe you should start by sharing what you've gathered so far?

2. In your opinion, how does EA differ from Systems Integration?

Its a start

yamakuza:

2. In your opinion, how does EA differ from Systems Integration?

Well systems integration would be one of the objectives of EA. On the whole EA is less technical than it sounds and is more concerned with how things all fit together for business purpose using Information Technology, not just the technology alone. Its focus is on the alignment of the organizational utilization of IT with business goals, not just IT for IT's sake.

The easy and most common way to describe EA is its similarity to city planning. It is more concerned with the creation or evolution of a coherent and functional city [the enterprise] as a whole; and how its elements shall fit together, rather than the creation or development of its individual structures [applications, data, infrastructure]. And although EA contains many technical aspects, it is in general more strategic than technical.

The enterprise architect i know of is a software, really suprised to know it is a field in IT.

I currently work as an Enterprise architect, and I can tell you your technical skills are vital also business/financial analysis is part of your daily tasks. It's very high up in IT hierachy.

Tannamario:

I currently work as an Enterprise architect, and I can tell you your technical skills are vital also business/financial analysis is part of your daily tasks. It's very high up in IT hierachy.

So,

EA = Business Analysis + Systems Integration

?

Somethin close to because i have worked previously as software developer, business analyst and now as an Enterprise Architect. As an EA you operate at a higher pedestal than a solution architect. You are more like a Business/IT visionary within your organisation. Quite interesting position because you probably have be play office politics - not like we see in Nigeria, but a subtle one any way, highly diplomatic, be everybody's friend, know the oganisation like the palm, good knowledge of your organisation's Infrastructure, software, business process, procurement process, so many things. you just have to know practically everything! that is why the older you uget in this job the better you become and you are appreciated.

So basically anyone from within the field of IT can grow up to an EA position if they've got the desire?

Tannamario:

You are more like a Business/IT visionary within your organisation.

Your response appears to affirm my view that EA is a strategic role in many ways.

And am I correct to assume that EA positions would exist only in organizations esp with geographically dispersed locations? Wouldn't be logical to hire an EA for a one office company.

And tell me Tannamario, what's the pay like with your employer? I find its generally on the very high side 

More About Enterprise Architects


Job description:
An enterprise architect (EA) takes a company's business strategy and defines an IT systems architecture to support that strategy. To do so, EAs must understand a company's business and be able to dive deeply into technology issues. In recent years, the role has moved out of the banking industry to pop up all over the corporate universe as companies move to align business goals and the IT infrastructure that supports the business and helps achieve those goals.

Desired skills:
At least a BS, potentially an MS or a PhD. An MBA would be the icing on the cake. Degrees aren't generally offered in enterprise architecture, but some universities and other organizations provide certification programs focused on underlying concepts, best practices and tools. Other industry certifications are good to see on a candidate's resume.


Sourced from: http://www.cio.com/article/127751/Enterprise_Architect