Many IT professionals mistake organic job progression for career management, but actively taking control of one’s career path is vastly different from passing time in a job. Keeping a close eye on what’s around the corner will keep you engaged and developing professionally.
Here are some basic approaches to keep your career developing, and progressing in the direction you want to take it:
- Research, and set goals
The first and most critical aspect of effective career planning is to think about what defines success to you; if you don’t know where you want to go, how will you know when you get there? What professional goals or milestones can you work towards? What technologies or methodologies are most interesting to you? What roles or responsibilities would be most fulfilling?
When prioritizing your goals and motivations, remember to include factors that impact (and are impacted by) your career. For instance, consider your personal life and interests, your health and personal growth. Your priorities will likely change throughout your career, but it’s important to be honest with yourself about what will actually provide satisfaction. Changing your mind is fine; you just have to remember to revisit your career path when your goals fluctuate.
- Take stock of your current situation
One of the biggest challenges with long-term employment is becoming comfortable. Make a point to pause and reflect on your role and responsibilities. If you aren’t learning anything new or taking on any new challenges, your marketability to other potential employers may be at risk.
Be realistic when considering the impact you’ve had on the company’s bottom line. If you feel like you may be stagnating, try volunteering to help out in new projects. If you can’t identify any opportunities to learn new technologies or skills with your current employer, you may want to explore new opportunities.
- Avoid obsolescence
In many industries – particularly in IT – people working with a specific tool or technology can lead to specialization, which in many cases can result in higher compensation and a greater range of career options.
Be careful, however, not to hitch your wagon to anything that has a limited shelf life. Too many great employees have become domain experts, only to have that domain disappear when the tool or technology becomes obsolete. Technologies, and the people who support them, are relevant only until the next tool comes along to replace them. If you’re working with a legacy tool, make sure you have exposure to next-gen tools to build your exit strategy.
- Identify your target markets
If you decide to specialize in a unique skill set, be aware of your marketability and growth potential within your local industry. As your focus narrows, so too does your base of potential employers. Becoming an expert in a rare technology can be a great way to demand higher rates, but be aware of where you will be able to take those skills.
Rare skills are generally in high demand for project work, so be prepared to travel. Hired guns can demand premium rates, but that can often come at the expense of routine – and possibly relationships.
- Certifiably strategic
Some certifications are required to be eligible for certain positions, such as a PMP for project management, CISSP for information security, or Cisco certification for networking. In many cases, however, certifications will be the icing on the cake – nice to have, but not really factoring into the decision-making process. In order to move from one role to the next, it is strongly recommended that you supplement your on-the-job experience with relevant courses.
Additional certifications and coursework will help solidify your candidacy for a step into a new role, but be strategic when selecting courses. Focus your self-development on shoring up areas that are directly relevant to your career trajectory –- learn skills that will be necessary for your next role. Also, be aware that knowledge gained through coursework is indispensable, but experience trumps theory every time; certification alone can’t be expected to get you to the next step along your career path.
- Seek outside advice
When considering the options available to you, it may help to seek the insight of an expert within your industry. A good agency recruiter will be able to share his or her experience in helping others navigate similar situations and will likely be able to identify career options available to you that you had not considered. Plus, a recruiter can introduce you to opportunities that are not publicly available.
There are countless factors that can impact your career arc – some that you can plan for, and some that you can’t. Be flexible, and understand that no road to success is a straight line. As long as you are working towards meaningful goals and objectives, your career will continue to progress. We invite you to reach out to the team of specialized IT recruiters at IT/IQ to discuss your career aspirations and goals; we help smart people find each other.
Formerly known as WPCG, IT/IQ is a specialized IT recruitment firm providing contract, permanent and payroll services to the top employers in the Vancouver area. For more insight into the IT employment industry, or to apply to any of the positions we are actively recruiting for, please visit our website at www.it-iq.com.
