How To Advance Your IT Career

In our modern-day landscape, it’s no surprise there’s an increasing demand for information technology services. That means more career opportunities for IT professionals. However, the job market is fierce, and simply “being there” isn’t enough to set most IT professionals apart from the rest of the competition. 

Just like the companies they work for, the most intuitive technology consultants have a vision of what they want from their career, accompanied by the goals, strategies, and the tactics to drive success.

Over the course of this article, we’ll delve into the main strengths of the best IT professionals, and highlight where skills can be honed to allow for future career growth.

Your Education

There’s no question, education serves as a strong foundation when looking to advance your IT career. There are many degrees and certifications which may enhance your career path. If you’re currently a project manager, business analyst, or quality assurance specialist, your career can benefit from continuing education in these areas:

• Computer science / computer engineering
• Business management / finance / marketing

Although it may be tempting to enhance a resume with as many degrees and certifications as possible, most recruiters and IT hiring managers will agree that is not an effective strategy. 

Instead, IT professionals should focus ask themselves “Will this particular training translate into real world experience?” That’s  because, ultimately, employers want to know how knowledge and skills gained through education will translate into on-the-job success.

Your Experience

When it all boils down, there simply is no substitute for job experience. Career advancement possibilities improve dramatically with at least 2 years of experience in a given area. And the most sought-after candidates have 6-10 years of focused experience. 

Given the nature of rapidly evolving trends in information technology, experience based on the number of years doesn’t necessarily translate into career advancement. IT professionals must be able to demonstrate that they’re staying current on emerging technologies to increase their overall value. 

For instance, ten years of experience with legacy technologies is only going to be desirable to a narrow segment of potential employers, whereas experience within emerging technologies or critical skills are essential.

The IT skills in highest demand are currently: 

• • AI/ML
  • Cloud Development
  • Cybersecurity
  • Python
  • Data Management/Data Engineering
  • Java
  • DevSecOps Skills
  • Automated Test Engineering
  • Data Science and Analytics 

Using these critical skills in a results-driven, team-oriented environment and pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone to acquire new skills and experience will ensure you’re doing everything in your power to achieve career advancement within the IT industry. 

Your Power Skills

No matter how skilled you are technically, if you don’t possess quality power skills (which are sometimes referred to as soft skills), you may have a difficult time finding your path toward career advancement.

The most important power skills to master for any IT professional are:

• Communication: Written and verbal ability to effectively communicate ideas.
• Business-Tech Liaison: A subset of communication, this is the ability to speak in the language of both business and technology.
• Presentation Skills: Another subset of communication, the ability to present well to a group can open up the doors of advancement.
• Team Skills: Working well with others, both leading and following well, and the ability to add value to the team.
• Work Ethic: Possessing a strong motivation to get the job done.
• Focus and Vision: The ability to focus on the details without losing sight of the big picture.
• Positive Attitude: Optimistic, energetic, good-willed individuals make better team members.
• Time Management: Taking a “Getting Things Done” approach to IT work.
• Self Confidence: Believing in your own ability and not being afraid to ask tough questions.
• Positive Response to Criticism: The best learners respond well to and actively seek out criticism for self-improvement.
• Flexibility and Adaptability: The ability to be a generalist when required.
• Handling stress: The ability to perform well under the pressure of tight deadlines.
• Etiquette and Punctuality: Things like returning calls, being on time, table manners and saying "thanks" really do matter.

Your Goals

Goals, both personal and professional, are an important part of any IT career advancement plan. 

Goals should be SMART, that is:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-sensitive 

When breaking down your SMART goals, there are two different sub-categories. Personal goals and professional goals. 

Personal goals may include:

• Financial
• Developmental
• Health
• Relationship

Ultimately, personal goals will drive your professional goals. 

To develop your professional goals, you must:

• Understand where you are professionally at this moment
• Visualize where you want to be professionally in the future
• Create the steps you must take to get there

Taking the time to define and pursue professional goals goes hand in hand with career advancement. Without them, you may have no clear path to advancement, and your employer may very well be content keeping you in a relatively static role.

Your Networking 

For IT professionals who are intently focused on software code, tools, the technology stack and project deadlines, networking may seem like an afterthought at best. However, networking can become an integral part of a successful career advancement plan. The operative word here is “plan.”

If networking is to become a useful part of a career advancement plan, it needs to involve more than simply connecting on social media or going places and talking to people. You need a plan for successful networking, which includes doing your homework ahead of time and building a strategy to foster those new relationships.

To Recap

Luckily for IT professionals, the IT industry can provide many opportunities for career advancement, as long as you’re willing and able to put in the work. Remember the following points  when you’re looking to advance your IT career:

1. Education can serve as a solid foundation and, when used as a springboard to acquire new experience, can be a viable long-term advancement strategy.
2. There is no substitute for experience, especially critical skill experience in a team environment.
3. Power skills, particularly communication skills, are essential even for the most highly technically skilled individuals.
4. Personal and professional goals can be key drivers and send a signal to employers that their investment in your career advancement will pay dividends back to them.
5. Having a sound professional network can make a huge difference, whether you need a reference for your resume, a mentor for professional development, or just someone to with whom to bounce ideas.

In the end, IT professionals should not just sit back and wait to see if career advancement happens. They should craft and execute a plan to make it a reality.