3 Ways to Catapult Your Tech Career Forward
You made it, you’re in, you’re working in tech! Now what? After a while, you may start to feel ready for a new challenge. Whether that’s a new project, a new employer, or moving ahead in your current position, you need to decide what you want and go after it. While that may be easier said than done, consider this your jump-start guide to advancing your career. By using these three strategies, you can be introspective about the career you want to shape for yourself, while actively working to improve as a professional.
1. Establish yourself as a thought leader
Let your expertise speak for you, and start to get noticed by others in your field. By staying on people’s radar (and in their news feeds), you’ll remind them that you’re not only technically talented, but making moves in the scene as well. Staying active in your industry, and on social media, may seem like a lot of side hustle, but you can think of it as an extension of the job you already do.
Share your experiences, project challenges, opinion on big developments or announcements, daily inspirations, and whatever else comes up in your professional life. There are a lot of outlets that are easy to get into. Start by offering to speak on a panel, and updating your LinkedIn and personal web presence. Level up by writing a guest piece for your company, or friend’s website, or mentoring someone on a regular basis. Attain expert status by teaching a class, and starting your blog with posts on a weekly or monthly basis. Don’t feel comfortable with public speaking or lengthy writing? Try other options, like giving an interview for a blog instead of writing it yourself, and focus on giving advice to individuals in a one-on-one setting.
2. Always be learning
In today’s world of constantly evolving technologies, the skills we have can become outdated in the span of a Kickstarter campaign. To avoid “learning the Internet” like it’s 1995, stay informed about in-demand skillsets and emerging industries, like data analytics, UX design, and digital marketing.
Learning a new skill takes time and dedication, but it’s vital to anyone looking to grow professionally and advance their career. You’re probably just a workshop away from finally understanding Google Analytics, or nailing what it takes for that next promotion. When you’re really ready to progress, a course in product management can teach you how to take your whole team to the next stage of business; or a course in UX will show you how to make those final changes to a product so it’s ready to ship. Even attending regular meetups and conferences, and reading developer blogs are educational. Being around fresh ideas never hurt anyone! It’s humbling to be a student again but the rewards are huge, since you will be able to take what you’ve learned and apply it in the workplace the next day.
3. Write out personal goals
“Goal-oriented” is more than just a resume-buzzword, it’s a lifestyle habit of the most successful people on the planet. Having benchmarks, timelines, and checkboxes will make you that much more productive. Define your own version of success, but set the bar high, make stretch goals, and push yourself. Everyone has goals, but not everyone achieves what they set out to do.
Start by actually writing down what you want to achieve. Yes, take out the pen and paper, or whiteboard and marker, and get your ideas out of your head. Don't however, just type it out on your laptop or phone. Recent research shows that those who take notes by hand have a stronger memory of what they wrote than those who take notes on a laptop because your brain requires a different type of cognitive processing when writing by hand. Put your new goals somewhere you will see them regularly, like a notebook or your desk. Set a date or milestone when you want to complete each goal. Even better: think of rewards for meeting or beating your goals. Being self-motivated doesn't come easily to everyone, so share your goals with a mentor or family member who will remind you why you started, and what you are working towards.
Don’t feel stuck in any role or job as your career goes on. By acknowledging your strengths, talents, and interests, you will find the position that suits you the best so you can continue to progress from there. Make it easy for people to assess your credibility, constantly brush up on new technologies, go beyond what your expect from yourself -- and don’t be afraid to take risks and make big moves! As with any career, when you show what you know and ask for what you want, doors will open for you. And if all else fails, you can always start your own business and, what do you know: CTO looks good on you.
By Stephanie Caruso for General Assembly
When not trying to find the precise adjective, avidly tweeting, or contemplating the meaning of life, you can find Stephanie doing things outside, from running to camping. She is a graduate of the University of Denver and works for General Assembly in New York. @smcny911 in all things.