IT career advice

In last week’s blog post I discussed the importance of being generally knowledgeable of technologies outside your specific technical expertise. As promised, this week, I’ll be expanding on this topic and providing various suggestions on how to gain this general understanding.

We all know that teaching others is a time honored activity. Parents teach their children about the world. Master craftsmen teach their apprentices the tools, tricks, and techniques of the trade. Many athletes become coaches and many technologists often mentor new, less experienced, members of the profession.

I’ve spent the last ten years building my technical skills and my resume shows it. I was just told that I should also add soft skills to my resume. Should I, and if yes, then why and how?

It may sound premature to start thinking like a CIO this early in your career, but it will help you begin to notice things you would otherwise miss.

I read your column saying that a techie’s technology skill set has a two year marketability half-life and cried. I left the workforce three years ago, can’t find a job, and your column told me why. You’re right, at least for me. How do I retool my IT skills to improve my marketability and find a job?

I have been contract programming for about five years and have made some great business connections. My hope is to use these people as professional references, job referrals, and potentially to rehire me for additional contract work. How can I keep in touch with these people without being annoying or looking only self-serving?

From a productivity perspective, working at home can be your best friend or your worst nightmare based on a number of factors, including your personal discipline, home work environment, level of needed interaction with your coworkers, the ability of your boss to manage virtual teams, and a number of other related factors.

Working for a prestigious, respected, and well known company can help you professionally. This is how and why.

I have five years of IT experience as a Business Analyst at a manufacturing company. The company just closed and I’m looking for a new job. Healthcare is big in this area where I live. How do I change industries from manufacturing to healthcare without starting over at the bottom?

Dear Eric, I was just offered a promotion from programmer to IT manager. It feels wonderful to be asked, but I’m not sure I want to take it. Any thoughts on what I should do?

As an individual contributor, first line manager, or IT executive, you can help drive innovation within your organization simply by using old technologies in new ways.

Looking for a job and/or future job security? The Business Analyst (BA) / Project Manager (PM) combination is a great one-two punch. Yes, these jobs are very different, but they require many of the same skills. You don’t believe me? Then read on!