Al Kingsley is CEO of NetSupport, Chair of a multi-academy trust in the U.K, tech writer, speaker and author of multiple education books.
Working in the tech sector is, without a doubt, never boring.
Technology is constantly moving and evolving—opening up more and more opportunities and possibilities throughout all sectors of society. Think of the differences in technology between five years ago and today. Nothing stands still; there’s always something new happening in the wider landscape.
But to continue to ride that wave, maintaining our skills and expanding our capabilities is a must. Professional development is critical in our sector—not just for career development by opening up new opportunities and specialties but to contribute to our value and self-worth.
Take Control And Make An Impact
These days, it’s easy to take control of your professional learning. The hardest thing is deciding what to study first! You can follow your interests and develop the skills you use in the workplace, building your knowledge as you go. With so much online learning available, it’s easier than ever to carve out your niche and specialize in your chosen area without having to earn a degree, if that’s your preferred route.
As an employer, I can confirm that self-directed learning demonstrates much about a candidate’s character—that they’re motivated, proactive, curious and exhibit learning discipline and, above all, that they’re focused on the future. All of these are positive qualities for candidates and can play a big part in helping you reach your goal of getting employed or promoted.
Where Do You Start?
So, now that you’ve decided to expand your technology knowledge horizons, where do you begin? Start by assessing where you are now and what you want to improve. Plan out your objectives and how you’ll get there. You could consider using SMART goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound to bring clarity to what you want to achieve and help you focus your efforts without getting diverted or distracted halfway through—all too easy when studying online.
Soft Skills To The Forefront
Remember that, alongside your technology skills, soft skills are key. Employers welcome candidates who have been astute enough to purposefully develop their communication, leadership and organizational skills to enable them to stay current in the face of working landscape changes like remote and asynchronous work.
Showing evidence of these skills alongside your IT specialty will certainly put you a step above the rest in terms of progression. I recommend you consider these areas in particular:
1. Communication
This is one of the top skills required in IT after technical skills. There are many occasions when you need to talk about technology and explain issues to people with less technical knowledge than you—whether it’s someone using the technology you’re involved with or a senior manager in the company you work for whose specialty lies elsewhere. If you can summarize issues and offer solutions that people can quickly and easily understand, it makes you a good person to work with.
Communication takes many forms, of course. So, whether written or verbal, the ability to tailor explanations for your audience gives you a great advantage.
2. Leadership
Essential for leading an IT team, leadership skills also come to the forefront when your organization is changing things up, expanding, merging or contracting. Gaining the leadership skills that enable you to represent the interests and capabilities of your team in discussions with senior leaders, finance, HR and so on can elevate you from being a team leader to a department or division leader. You get the picture.
But what are these magical leadership skills? Active listening, without a doubt, is one area where, in our modern culture of self-promotion, so many people fall short. You need to hear the issues that people are telling you about, not the ones you imagine they’re telling you about. Being able to motivate and develop your team as a whole and as individuals creates stronger team bonds. Plus, being logical, fair and able to make good, evidence-based decisions are also great attributes. Add to this adaptability and empathy, critical thinking and problem-solving, and you’ll have a sound foundation you can build on as you progress throughout your IT career.
3. Project Management
With so many variables in every project, being organized is essential if you’re to manage the project life cycle and the associated documentation, along with coordinating stakeholders and communicating the agenda to everyone. There are numerous project management courses and qualifications on offer covering various methodologies such as WBS, CPM, Scrum and Kanban. And if you’re serious about career progression within IT, studying for an appropriate project management qualification is a smart move.
However, take some time to research and decide which one is right for you. There’s no point investing significant time and money into a program that isn’t a good fit.
Be True To Yourself
Taking control of your own professional development can recharge your motivation and, depending on your interest, help you carve out a niche within your sector or move up the career ladder. It’s not all about doing courses, however. You can learn so much from reading books, talking to peers, volunteering for different projects, asking for feedback or investing in mentoring or coaching sessions.
And if one approach doesn’t work for you, another one will. That’s the beauty of following your own IT professional development path. Good luck!
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