Do you enjoy what you do in IT? An IT career is just like choosing any other career. If you have no talent for it and no interest in it, don’t bother with it. IT is not for everyone. The course, degree or certification you take is of no effect if you are not excited about what you do. You will find it easy to motivate yourself when you enjoy what you do. When you have a passion for IT, you find it easy to learn and to make yourself better at what you do. Consider the nature of the job, stress factors and work environment, as well as work requirements. You must love what you do to reach high levels of achievement.
4. Don’t Build Your Career on Unrealistic Expectations
The “get rich quick” belief is the most unrealistic expectation of many who opt for IT careers. If money is your sole aim, you won’t last under the intense workload and incredible rate of change. IT is professionally and financially rewarding if you focus on acquiring practical skills and building your career rather than on immediate benefits.
Also, don’t confuse training and certification with a career. Education and certification will give you skills and knowledge, but you still need experience and attitude. Building a career as a DBA is not the same as completing a certification in a database product. Certification, training and experience have different roles to play. It is your responsibility to know which form of expertise you require as you progress on your career path.
5. Do Focus on Gaining Useful Experience
While training and certification help you acquire relevant skills and knowledge, there’s no substitute for the experience of solving real-world problems. Much of the skills and knowledge of an IT professional is gained through practical experience.
However, experience is not just about the number of years you’ve spent on the job. It is about job effectiveness and capability. The quality of your experience is reflected in your ability to provide solutions quickly and creatively.
One of the biggest challenges facing those in the IT profession is getting the necessary practical experience. Getting yourself in the door, however, requires initiative. Sometimes you may need to volunteer or take less than what you feel you deserve to get the experience you need.
It is important not to keep job-hopping all in the name of gaining experience. What has the new job got to offer you in terms of your career?
6. Don’t Burn Bridges
When you change jobs, don’t burn bridges you might need tomorrow. You need to manage your job change carefully without leaving bad blood on your trail. Despite any misgivings you might have, make sure you are leaving on a positive note. Be professional in handling issues such as notice of disengagement, hand-over of work and relations with your colleagues and ex-employer. You never know where your paths might cross in the future. It also helps to build up your track record by having good references from ex-employers. Additionally, when you don’t burn bridges, you’re able to build your own personal network of individuals on whom you can rely for advice, job leads, technical assistance and other helpful support.