Success
A successful IT career is the holy grail of the job world – it’s stable, it’s secure, and you know companies will always seek good talent. There are a few things you can do to ensure that you develop your IT career into a successful one…
1. Focus on continuous education. Even when your employer doesn’t require it, and especially when you’re between jobs. More than any other career today, the IT career path is changing. From a couple of shelves in the bookstore fifteen years ago to entire rooms, IT books alone have increased in numbers. From running a few key systems to running almost everything a company does, computers have taken over the business world. As long as you can prove yourself valuable, companies will see value in you. You need to be constantly updating your skills on new systems and techniques.
2. Keep your old skills sharp. In 1999, the shortage of IT personnel wasn’t caused so much by a lack of manpower as a lack of software developers who understood Y2K issues in mainframes and could make the crucial changes. Surprisingly to many, that workforce was found in Asia, where most of the systems in use were several years behind those of the US. As a result, many Indian computer engineers found lucrative positions. The lesson is, if you remember your legacy systems while you’re learning your new skills, you may be surprised when they come in handy.
3. Just don’t focus on hot trends. Every new trend of today becomes tomorrow’s overstaffed area. Instead of learning the hot trends, look for surprising trends. Always ask yourself can I find something to learn and master that will become a hot trend in 9 or 12 months.Understand opportunities in global context, focus on technologies that will grow in importance over time.
4. Specialization may be the key to success. Try to find your own niche. A niche that’s so unique that there is less competition yet a greater demand. An example of this would be: you can easiily find an Oracle certified DBA with 10 year experience in the market, yet you will have tough time finiding an Oracle certified DBA who has 10 year experience just with Peformance Tuning,. When you specialize, you make yourself stand out among others. You reduce the pool of applicants who directly compete with you as well, and you give yourself a particular area in which you can excel.
5. Generalization may also be the key to success. No, this is not a contradiction to #4! Generalized, good IT skills are exactly what smaller companies are looking for in an IT guy – they need someone who can run the enterprise applications, the networking system, – and maybe even be able to fix and upgrade desktop PCs as well as maintain the phone system, too. If you prefer smaller companies where you would be the star, then generalization may be a more satisfying career move than specialization. But if you generalize, do it right – learn everything you need to know. Remember “half knowledge is dangerous”
6. Discretion may be the key. As either a consultant or an internal IT professional, your client(s) are almost certain to have trade secrets that they want to be kept internal to the company. It is absolutely vital in your career that you show yourself able to keep secrets and to stay out of data that is none of your business. For instance, it’s no fair peeking at what the vice president makes, and then it’s really not good to blab it at the water cooler. IT personnel have access to very sensitive, very confidential information due to the nature of their positions.
In fact some established companies are now forcing to rotate consultants every year due to compliance reasons. Be smart, and keep it confidential.
7. Learn to listen. Listening, like speaking, is a rare skill, and one you probably need to learn. When someone is telling you their problem with any system, you need to not only be able to assimilate it in a professional manner, but reassure them that their problems are understood and will be addressed. If you listen and then respond in a customer-oriented manner, you are certain to impress your co-workers and clients, and that will always work in your favor.
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