1. Determine what success means for you and set some goals. First,before you begin registration for tech meetups and tech bootcamps, take some time to consider where you want to be, as well as the amount you want to be earning in a few years’ down the line. If you do not make clear goals, you will face challenges drawing up a career roadmap and may end up wasting time acquiring skills and qualifications that do not add value to your CV. The exact way you need to up-skill will depend on the career path of your choice. It has been noted that in today’s technology world; you will need to be constantly upgrading and developing your hard skills if your desire is a technical role such as software developer. Whereas, for positions like IT project manager, IT business analyst or helpdesk consultant, employers desire candidates with highly developed soft skills — communication, time management, and calmness under pressure. This does not to say that engineers will not benefit from improving their listening skills, or that project managers will be wasting their time learning the finer points of cloud architecture. In fact, it is extremely valuable to be able to demonstrate that you have acquired skills outside your comfort zone. Inquire from your manager, colleagues, and career coaches for advice on the kind of technology roles that would suit your skill set. Then, explore about the experience and educational requirements for the necessary roles. Like you desire to be a data scientist, for example, you may need to spend time obtaining a new qualification. When setting your goals, pay attention on things you can measure (salary, for example, or the number of open positions in any given field) and do not plan too far ahead. Bring your long-term goals into realistic, short-term milestones. This will keep you motivated and make it easier to define a different set of goals if things do not go to plan.
2. Request for feedback - and act on it and learn from where you got it wrong. Successful people are known to be learning from their mistakes and making themselves better from where they failed. They also learn from their successes, analysing their performance so that they can do even better in future. This kind of mindset is particularly important in tech, which is a fast-paced, competitive industry where simple errors can have business-critical consequences. Even the best software engineers, for instance, benefit from peer code reviews, in which one or more teammates check your work. Not only does this make your work better, but it also helps you with collaboration and relationship building, which are vital soft skills for advancing your tech career. If you work in a non-technical role, on the other hand, the feedback you receive might be more subjective. Either way, by asking managers and peers to assess your communication, leadership, and other soft skills, you will gain valuable insights into the areas you need to improve upon.
3. Failing to constantly developing your professional skills may lead to stagnancy or failure, you need to be prepared to learn something new daily. The moment you stop putting efforts to learn is the moment you start to lose value as a prospective candidate. Always do research on the most sought-after skills based on your choice of tech profession. The following are three methods you can update your technical skills and stay on top of emerging trends: Attend a tech bootcamp, lasting three to six months and taking place both in-person and online, these intensive courses are not just for beginners, focused bootcamp can provide you with job-ready skills to help you transition to a new role, some bootcamps even offer career advice services and coaching. Take an advanced degree. Maths and statistics-heavy fields like data science have high barriers to entry, usually in the form of a postgraduate degree (either a Master’s or a PhD.) If you are not sure how you want your career to develop, you could also consider a degree like an MBA, which will strengthen your business knowledge. Learn by doing. Not everyone has the time and resources to pursue an advanced degree or even attend a bootcamp. A good alternative is to ask your manager to assign you challenging or even experimental assignments in your current role. If your career plan involves moving from a technical to a leadership role, reach out to a project manager and ask if you can shadow them.
4. Develop and upgrade your soft skills, some few people are actually “born communicators” or “born leaders.” Those described by such terms have usually spent years honing their skills, learning from their mistakes, and listening carefully to feedback from their managers and peers. One of the best ways to improve your soft skills is to ask your manager for stretch assignments that take you outside your regular routine and job description. If you are a software developer, you might request for assignments outside your day-today job role that places priority on communication skills and empathy, such as delivering a presentation to a client or joining a cross-functional team created to solve a difficult problem.
5. Create your brand, and try networking because networking is another must-have skill required of a tech professional - note, it is not just about contacting or increasing your follower count. You can have tons of connections on LinkedIn, but if you never update your CV or engage in discussions, you may not likely be noticed or get the attention of a recruiter or potential employer. Here is how you can leverage your digital channels to advance your career: update your LinkedIn profile as often as possible, adding skills and qualifications that add value to your brand and deleting the ones that do not. Search for and follow industry influencers and experts in the areas that interest you. Share or re-post their content and inquire about tips on how to emulate their success. Engage in discussions on niche forums. There is no programming language so complex that it does not have its own subreddit or Facebook group. These forums attract passionate, highly engaged experts who can pass on valuable insights and insider tips. Finally, do not be afraid to take a risk. Tech talent is scarce right now, which means employers are more willing to take a chance on candidates who lack certain skills and qualifications but have determination and passion to start with.
