Secrets to Getting that Dream Job in IT

Whether you are looking for that dream job or are just trying
to get a pay raise or promotion, there are 10 things you can do to
improve your chances. In general these 10 things fall into 2
categories; the first is building your portfolio and the second is in
building your network.

While technology is causing rapid change in most industries and
for many jobs, it is changing even faster for Information Technology
(IT) workers. You may not want to hear this, but as a result of this
rapid change, you may need to put in more work and effort than you can
squeeze into a 40 hour work week. Are you already putting in long
hours? If not, would you be willing to if it could help you find that
dream job, get promotions, and pay raises? If you aren’t willing to put
in that extra effort and time, you might need to rethink your career
path as you won’t be able to keep up with the changing technology.

1. Get involved.

This is a big one. Find out what professional IT organizations
are in the area and attend some meetings. If you find some of them
particularly valuable, step forward and offer to help.
Did you know that most of the best jobs aren’t advertised in
the paper or on a job board? If you spend all your time responding to
help wanted ads in the paper and on job boards and sitting by the phone
waiting for that call; then you will miss out on the truly great jobs.

You must get out and network with others. Attending
professional meetings is one of the ways to develop a network. Now that
you are attending meetings, why not volunteer to help with some aspect
of the organization? This keeps you from being just a face in the crowd
and gives you even more opportunities to interact with others in the
group.

However, if you volunteer for something, be sure to follow
through or you will leave people with a negative impression. Others
will assume that you would fail to follow through this same way in a
work environment.

2. Be selfless.

Being selfless ties in with the first item above. If you join a
professional group; don’t join solely for the purpose of getting a job
or it will be obvious to the others. Join because you enjoy doing what
the group does and get involved for this reason. There is no need to
torture yourself attending meetings that are painful to you. If you
find that attending these professional meetings are painful, then maybe
you need to evaluate whether this is the right career for you.

3. Get certified

Getting appropriate certifications in your desired field is
especially important if you have no experience. It shows that you have
put in some extra effort and at a minimum have the aptitude to do the
job.

If you are fortunate, the company you are working for will
cover some or all of the costs associated with certifications. In the
case that they don’t, what should you do? Do you sit around and
complain and wish that they would; or do you do something about it in
your own time? Ultimately, it is you that is responsible for your own
professional development. Take control. You don’t have to go to that
$3000 class. Get a book or some self study material and study on your
own. Does your local professional group offer any kind of training or
study groups? If not, can you get one started?

4. Get experience

Many employers are only looking for employees experienced in the
area they will be working. They are afraid to hire someone, spend time
training them, and then have them decide that they are not cut out for
the job or that they will gain the experience and move on to a higher
paying job. How do you get experience when you are right out of school
or trying to move from another occupation into IT?

Sounds like catch 22, doesn’t it? Actually, the answer is quite
simple (though not easy). Volunteer to do something related to the
position you are looking for. If you want to write VB.NET or C#
software, then write some programs. One suggestion is to approach a
non-profit group and find out what type of program you might write for
them to automate their processes and become more efficient. You could
also write a program that you can either sell or give away. Then put up
a web site and try to sell or give this product away. Now add this link
to your resume along with a description.

Yes, this requires a good deal of work on your part, but think
of how much you have learned, as well as what you are showing
prospective employers. You will stand out from all of those other
students or developer wannabes because you put forth that extra effort
and learned something about software development in the process. This
also shows that you love doing this type of thing. A wise employer is
looking for people who love what they are doing and go above and beyond
what they can learn in a 40 hour work week.

5. Write articles or books

If you are a beginner, this is probably not where you would
start. However, if you have some experience and are looking to move to
the next level, here is an outstanding way to do it. Think about the
people you consider experts. Haven’t most of them written articles or
books. Writing a book is hard work that can take up a lot of your time,
but it is a sure way to gain credibility and be seen as an expert. If
you don’t have the time for a book, you can write articles and post
them to the big IT article sites. You can find a list of some of these
sites here.

6. Read

Technology is changing so rapidly, that you must figure some
time into every day for reading. One attribute of the ideal candidate
is a voracious appetite for knowledge; and they will spend the time
reading technical articles and books as well as business oriented ones.
It is great to have the technical knowledge, but if you can’t figure
out how to meet business needs with the technology, you won’t be as
successful.

7. Help on forums

This is closely related to #2 above on being selfless. By
answering questions for others in forums, you are honing your skills
and developing a reputation as being someone who knows what they are
talking about. You never know when that person you help may be hiring.

8. Don’t hog the knowledge.

I am sure most of you have worked with someone that was so
insecure about their job that they tried to keep what they do and know
a secret. To make themselves invaluable, they write a program or set up
a process, but don’t let anyone know how they do it. These individuals
are no fun to work with and hurt the team as a whole. They also can’t
take vacations without causing great pain for the employer. If you
share the knowledge, your coworkers will appreciate you for it. Your
boss probably notices which type of person you are, and if they have
any sense, they will promote the person that plays well with others
over the lone cowboy. Besides, if you share your knowledge you will be
able to enjoy your vacations.

9. Be willing to listen and learn from others.

Technology is moving too fast for you to be the expert on
everything. This doesn’t mean that you have to accept everything
someone says as truth. However, if someone tells you something you
don’t believe, don’t call their bluff right then and there. Instead
keep an open mind, go and research the topic, run a few tests if
appropriate; and then based on the data decide what is correct. In
other words don’t stand around and argue over each other’s viewpoints
for 30 minutes when a 5 minute test will tell you the truth.

Now, after having done the tests to prove which theory was
right, publish your results. This way you know what the answer is and
you can accomplish several of the above items at the same time.

10. Let your network know

While you don’t want to sound like you are begging, let people
in your network know that you are looking for a new position and what
type of position you are looking for. If you have been selfless and
helped them in the past, they are more likely to return the favor. If
you are currently employed, be sure that your network knows to be
discreet. If you enjoy working for your current employer, be sure that
you communicate your professional desires to them so that they have the
chance to accommodate you before you go looking outside.

The bottom line is that if you have not done any of items 1
through 9, you won’t have much of a professional network that you can
tap into.

If you surround yourself with other successful people and
follow the advice in the 10 points above, you will open all sorts of
doors and will be extremely successful in what you do. Note that this
process takes time and consistency. The keys to all of the above are to
build relationships, trust, knowledge, and skills. This doesn’t happen
overnight.