The IT industry is in a constant state of change, progression, and development. Skills that were commonplace five years ago may now have become completely superseded, and new knowledge is needed on an almost perpetual basis to keep up with advances in the industry. The IT industry is quite unlike any other, and for people with the right mindset, it can offer careers that are characterized by highly competitive salaries and rapid advancement. If you are currently in the IT industry and are hoping for a next major promotion, or an opportunity to diversify your skill base so you can apply for more specialized roles, then this article will be of great benefit. Three key ways in which you can improve your chances of rapid progression in the industry and land a top job will be discussed in detail.
Understand Your Career Path
The nature of the IT industry is full of an immense range of roles and specializations. No other sector has an enormous variety of occupations within the broad term of “IT,” and it is important to fully understand the intended direction of your career at an early point. For example, if you wish to develop enterprise-level software and rise to a senior position in this field, there will be numerous skills and techniques to master. In the beginning, you will be expected to be competent with coding languages such as HTML, Java, and C++, and build your knowledge and expertise so that progression opportunities become more viable. As you progress, it will be time to consider getting a recognized togaf certification to demonstrate that you can distil complex software systems into managed steps and budget for the time and tasks accordingly. This high level of skills and knowledge can help to highlight your suitability for well-paid senior roles in this field.
Commit to Lifelong Learning
Working in the IT industry should go hand in hand with the full recognition and commitment that lifelong learning is required. Put simply, if you are not willing or are unable to subscribe to this philosophy, then a career in IT is not for you. Daily, in a wide variety of IT roles, you will be required to solve problems that you may not have previously encountered and identify skill or knowledge gaps that should be filled. One key trait that many successful IT professionals share is that their CVs are filled with a diverse range of projects undertaken, training completed, and qualifications gained.
Have a Professional Presence Online
Professional networking sites, such as LinkedIn, are great places to build your online presence and to keep an eye out for new job opportunities in your chosen field of IT. Today, networking is an integral part of achieving a rapid career progression. By demonstrating your skills, knowledge, and qualifications to a global audience, the chance of getting headhunted by other firms increases, and this can be a prime route to improved salaries and greater responsibility. It is good practice to build a large network of similarly minded IT professionals and follow key specialists whose scope of practice aligns with where you see your career progressing. Regular meaningful activity on such networking platforms can lead to finding out about new roles and by building your online profile you may even be searched out for job offers.
