5 IT Career Resolutions that You Need to Make Today
Posted September 23rd, 2013
Even if you are happily employed, there is a chance that you might need to start looking for a new position. Changes in management, reorganizations, failed product launches, lack of funding are all reasons that fully capable IT professionals may have to begin the job search.
In addition, people today simply do not retire from the same company that they started working for right out of college. Today, less than 10% of workers have been with their same employer over 20 years, but nearly 23% have been with their employer for less than 12 months. The average tenure for a worker today? 4.4 years.
With that new knowledge, here are 5 career resolutions that you need to make today:
- Understand your industry – the entire industry. Employers are looking for IT professionals who understand not only their little niche but the business side of things as well. Knowing what is going on in your industry as well as being able to grasp how everyone’s roles and responsibilities impact each other is invaluable.
- Build a career map. If you are wondering where you want to be in the next couple of years, but really do not have an action plan on how to get there…create one. A simple three step process includes
1) Figure out your goal – ask yourself the question “what do I want to be doing in 5 years? In 10 years?”
2) Decide if you can get there – ask yourself if you can achieve these goals based on your current skills and knowledge.
3) Create a plan – Devise a plan to bridge any/all skill gaps.
- Keep your resume up-to-date. You will never know when opportunity will strike, and, when it does, you do not want to have to create an up-to-date, compelling and persuasive resume on the fly. So take out your resume every couple of months and review it. If your job title or level of responsibility has changed, make the appropriate modifications.
- Build a network. Look for opportunities to get your name out in the marketplace in a positive way – both offline and online. Connecting with others is still one of the best ways to locate new opportunities. Attend local technology meetings, become active in LinkedIn groups…talk to people…specifically related to your areas of expertise.
- Improve your communication skills. Your resume may be chocked full of accomplishments, skills and experience, but if you cannot communicate the importance and benefits of those to the right people, you will be hindered. Focus everyday on improving all your communication skills – verbal, listening and writing – and you will gain enormous control over how you are perceived and what you can achieve.
No one will take as much responsibility for your career as you, but Bayside Solutions can help. If you are looking for technical jobs in northern California, contact Bayside Solutions today.
