Technologist Ray Kurzweil says we’ve got 29 years left until technological progress outstrips humans’ ability to comprehend it—the Singularity. After that, we’ll be working for the machine. Until then, it’s your job as an IT professional to keep the machine well-oiled. Here are a few ways you can stay sharp on the ultra-competitive IT job market.
Get off on the right foot
Some pragmatic thinking right at the start of your career can go a long way to making it a happy, healthy one. For example, if you’re entering into tech from another field, consider not straying too far afield. Were you a physical therapist before? The learning curve for a tech job focused on healthcare won’t be nearly as steep as if you completely switch fields.
Also, think about how you want to work—and live. If you prefer a reasonable tempo and a family-friendly environment, tech giants are more likely to give you the structure you need. If you value learning new technologies at breakneck speed and having a say in business decisions, start-ups may be more your game. More on this last point in a minute…
Make a point of staying up-to-date
Nearly every IT professional faces the challenge of trying to stay abreast of new technologies—whilst doing a job that only requires a very specific skill. What to do?
Start by reading blogs, subscribing to industry publications, joining user groups and going to local tech meetups and conferences (or following the tech casts). It doesn’t hurt to be proactive here: Find training opportunities that make sense, price them out and present them to your boss.
Volunteer when a new project comes up, particularly if it’s one that helps you get a handle on new technology that’s important. It may take you out of your comfort zone, but that’s partly the point.
To keep the skills you have honed to a sharp edge, why not try teaching? Whether in a formal, educational setting or within the workplace, nothing helps you solidify your knowledge like explaining it to others.
Step away from the keyboard
Soft skills, networking, marketing yourself, being well-organized in your interactions with others…These things don’t flow directly into the code you write, but they’re no less important to your career success.
The fantasy football league you play in may be a good chance to do some networking. Keeping your LinkedIn profile current and your CV updated never hurts. Not telling the guy in the corner office making three times your salary (for doing nothing, right?) that he’s a pompous suit (check out dice.com if you must) may also be beneficial.
The thing is, what you’re doing is probably a cool and complicated and well-respected thing. Why not enjoy the opportunities you get to talk about it?
Mean business
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to disentangle IT from business. More often than not today, IT drives business rather than just supporting it.
With that in mind, strive to understand your company’s business. Think about the pressures that shape your market and how they apply to your tasks. If you see yourself as someone who is part of a business unit—who also just happens to also understand technology—others will see you that way, too. And as IT and business continue to converge, your value within your organization will skyrocket.
YAGNI your career
YAGNI stands for You Aren’t Gonna Need It. It’s a mantra developers recite to remind themselves not to go crazy coding in features that may never be useful to anyone.
You can YAGNI your career by not trying to be a backend developer, 3D artist, iOS guru, data scientist and system administrator all in one. Attempting to be a jack of all trades in IT will almost certainly make you a master of none.
What you can do is try to find the sweet spot between your interests, your needs for work/life balance and the trends that will drive IT forward in the future. Occupy that niche. Definitely spread out within it when opportunities present themselves. Don’t hitch your wagon to a single product. And be prepared to change with your field as its technologies evolve.
Follow these five simple rules, and 2045 will be here before you know it.
Get off on the right foot
Some pragmatic thinking right at the start of your career can go a long way to making it a happy, healthy one. For example, if you’re entering into tech from another field, consider not straying too far afield. Were you a physical therapist before? The learning curve for a tech job focused on healthcare won’t be nearly as steep as if you completely switch fields.
Also, think about how you want to work—and live. If you prefer a reasonable tempo and a family-friendly environment, tech giants are more likely to give you the structure you need. If you value learning new technologies at breakneck speed and having a say in business decisions, start-ups may be more your game. More on this last point in a minute…
Make a point of staying up-to-date
Nearly every IT professional faces the challenge of trying to stay abreast of new technologies—whilst doing a job that only requires a very specific skill. What to do?
Start by reading blogs, subscribing to industry publications, joining user groups and going to local tech meetups and conferences (or following the tech casts). It doesn’t hurt to be proactive here: Find training opportunities that make sense, price them out and present them to your boss.
Volunteer when a new project comes up, particularly if it’s one that helps you get a handle on new technology that’s important. It may take you out of your comfort zone, but that’s partly the point.
To keep the skills you have honed to a sharp edge, why not try teaching? Whether in a formal, educational setting or within the workplace, nothing helps you solidify your knowledge like explaining it to others.
Step away from the keyboard
Soft skills, networking, marketing yourself, being well-organized in your interactions with others…These things don’t flow directly into the code you write, but they’re no less important to your career success.
The fantasy football league you play in may be a good chance to do some networking. Keeping your LinkedIn profile current and your CV updated never hurts. Not telling the guy in the corner office making three times your salary (for doing nothing, right?) that he’s a pompous suit (check out dice.com if you must) may also be beneficial.
The thing is, what you’re doing is probably a cool and complicated and well-respected thing. Why not enjoy the opportunities you get to talk about it?
Mean business
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to disentangle IT from business. More often than not today, IT drives business rather than just supporting it.
With that in mind, strive to understand your company’s business. Think about the pressures that shape your market and how they apply to your tasks. If you see yourself as someone who is part of a business unit—who also just happens to also understand technology—others will see you that way, too. And as IT and business continue to converge, your value within your organization will skyrocket.
YAGNI your career
YAGNI stands for You Aren’t Gonna Need It. It’s a mantra developers recite to remind themselves not to go crazy coding in features that may never be useful to anyone.
You can YAGNI your career by not trying to be a backend developer, 3D artist, iOS guru, data scientist and system administrator all in one. Attempting to be a jack of all trades in IT will almost certainly make you a master of none.
What you can do is try to find the sweet spot between your interests, your needs for work/life balance and the trends that will drive IT forward in the future. Occupy that niche. Definitely spread out within it when opportunities present themselves. Don’t hitch your wagon to a single product. And be prepared to change with your field as its technologies evolve.
Follow these five simple rules, and 2045 will be here before you know it.
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