Tips to Getting onto the IT Career Ladder

Whether you’re a recent graduate or looking to get into the technology industry as a career change, it’s good to have an action plan in place, especially with such a large skills gap meaning companies are earnestly searching for capable and determined candidates.

Europe’s top eLearning provider, The Learning People, shares their thoughts on getting onto and standing out on the IT career ladder.

Clear direction

Making a firm decision on what you want to do, and what you’re looking for in a job and why, and making this clear to any potential employer makes life easier for both parties.

You’ll have a clear direction on the jobs you’re looking and applying for, and will therefore apply your efforts accordingly instead of wasting time applying for a confused array of roles – of which there are an extensive amount in the technology industry.

In turn, an interviewer will be able to pick up from your application and attitude at interview stage where you want to be headed, ultimately saving them time – something every professional places a very high value on, especially in IT where resources are often stretched thinly.

Ask yourself – where do you want to be in five years time?

The technology industry is notorious for being fast paced and highly pressurised, so if you can answer this question with self belief and determination, no matter what area of expertise you want to develop in, you’re taking a firm step onto the IT career ladder.

Remember in technology today’s discoveries become tomorrow’s legacies, so deciding on what you want to do now doesn’t mean your career will be set in stone – who knows what will be achieved in the coming years?

The question is – what part will you play in it?

Stand out from the crowd

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, a professional certification is a good idea to enhance and solidify your skillset; more often than not, these are the factors that get your CV noticed and you through the door to interview stage.

However, as well as technical capability, soft skills are also a must have when it comes to getting your foot onto the career ladder.

Pushing aside the stereotypes of socially inept computer nerds, and displaying clearly your competence in customer service, business understanding, clear written and verbal communication skills when describing technical concepts to nontechnical clients and colleagues, organisation, teamwork, and motivational skills, is now very important to IT hiring managers.

Teams are consistently expanding and shifting in IT as new advancements are made and companies adapt accordingly, therefore the ability to join a team and become a valued, confident and sociable member, who could potentially become a project leader, is highly valued and sought after.

If you can exhibit these things, whether they come naturally or whether you have to work at them before an interview, the IT career ladder immediately becomes much more accessible.

Source: The Learning People