There’s no denying it, information technology is the future and most jobs in the future will be based on this industry. That said, technology is an industry that’s driven by constant change and innovation, so it’s very important to constantly up your game and improve your skills in order to remain competitive in the workplace, and to really take your IT career to new heights, here are a few clues on the top 10 best resources to use if you want to boost your IT career:
- Take a Course
A great way to get ahead in any career is to take a relevant course that’ll broaden your skills and give you training in some of the latest tech developments, which will in turn increase your value and what you have to offer. Take advantage of courses like Open University’s Cisco Network Administration course to Cambridge University’s Computer Science degree.
- Improve your Communication Skills
As you get more comfortable in your role, start taking on more communication based responsibilities like doing presentations or taking the lead in important strategic meetings. This will put you in the lead when management roles are being doled out, and it’s a great way to stand out as an accountable and highly committed team player. Also, if you feel you’re too shy to put yourself out there, learn techniques on how to overcome that fear so that you can do what’s best to get ahead in your career.
- Join Relevant Newsletters
Newsletters are a great way of gaining new insights and staying abreast of the latest changes in the IT industry. Receiving relevant daily newsletters may also be a great way to gain inspiration and spark new ideas as well, especially when you feel as though your career is in a rut. In fact, you can literally learn just about anything from daily tech newsletters, including advice on working in start-ups, improving your design skills, learning to code and even advice on how to start your own tech start-up.
A few popular and really good tech newsletters include; The Muse, The Freelancer by Contently, My Morning Routine, the One Woman Shop, HMML5 Weekly, Hacker Newsletter, CSS Weekly, Think With Google, Alert Box, Copyblogger and Sarttup Stats to name but a few. All of these newsletters offer different daily insights, from keeping up with the latest start-up news, to learning about the most interesting and effective morning routines of some of the most successful tech entrepreneurs out there.
- Read the Right Books
IT professionals that specialize in data science expertise are some of the most sought-after in the world, thanks to the high demand of experts in this particular field of the industry. A great way to expand your knowledge of big data creation and management is to read relevant books like Python Machine Learning by Sebastian Raschka, Data Analytics Made Accessible by Dr Anila Maheshwari and Data Smart: Using Data Science to Transform Information into Insight by John W. Foreman, to name but a few. Also, information technology jobs demand that you stay ahead of the game, so expanding your knowledge base is tantamount to making yourself a better asset to the company.
- Head Unwanted Projects
Sometimes a certain project will come along that seems so doomed, that most people in your office will run away from it like the plague. While these projects are seemingly destined for failure, volunteering to turn them around into a success story can be a great way of showing your superiors that you’ve got the leadership skills and initiative needed to take on more senior and demanding positions.
- Get a Mentor
Some of the most gifted and innovative minds in the IT industry are often generous with their time and will gladly share their knowledge and experience with newbies in the industry. Plus, learning from a pro is usually the best way to perfect your skills quicker than you would in any other way, because they’ll help you to avoid common mistakes before you make them, as well as teach you valuable skills that you won’t be taught in any institution.
- Up Your Security Skills
As cyber-attacks become more sophisticated by the day, highly competent individuals with the right cyber security skills are becoming increasingly sought-after. A good way to improve your IT auditing and security skills is to enrol yourself in a comprehensive course like Security Essentials by Global Information Assurance Certifications or ISACA’s Certified Information Security Manager and International Information Systems Security Certified Information Systems Security Professional courses.
- Do Some Networking
As the popular saying goes, ‘your network is your net worth’, so the more you get out there and mingle with like-minded people in the industry, the better your chances of getting recognised for your skills and overall performance. So, get your name out there with the right exposure, which, when paired with great performance will ensure a bright future.
- Learn to Manage Mobile Devices
I today’s day and age, we do most of our work on our mobile smartphones, tablets and mini-laptops, which might pose a security risk when it comes to keeping certain corporate information secret and protected. A good way to ensure data safety in shared and interlinked networks is through the use of Mobile Device Management or MDM for short. MDM enables companies to effect some sort of control on the private devices that workers use to do some of their work, and becoming an expert in how to use these tools is a great way to add value to your skill set and advance your career.
- Go the Extra Mile
Go the extra mile to make the user experience more pleasant and stress-free, because happy customers make for better performance results. And if you work on successful projects more consistently by committing to delivering more than expected on each project, you’ll be sure to attract more leadership positions as well.