.jpeg)
Last year was challenging for all of us, and many of its struggles continue in 2021. Numerous jobs have been lost, and many spheres faced crises.
With multiple challenges ahead, some people manage to regard this period as an opportunity for a career change.
Going into IT seems to be an excellent chance to have the successful career you’ve been dreaming of, with the predicted exponential growth of the tech landscape in the coming years.
If you’re a budding IT professional, here are 6 top tips to seize on this opportunity and fast-track your tech career in 2021.
Before starting your new career path, the first thing to do is to choose among numerous dimensions of this field. The 2020 Open Source Jobs Report found the most in-demand position to be DevOps practitioners, followed by developers.
For sure, you can rely on your gut feeling or some statistical data in your choice. However, it is advisable to trust your natural predispositions and talents. Analytical, mathematical, and data processing skills are a must almost for all IT and cybersecurity jobs in 2021. Consider assessing your skills and aptitudes to choose the best suitable position.
Upgrading your skills set is a must, as the competition in the IT workforce market is fierce.
When you are done with self-evaluation and searching for your talent part, it would be nice to know more about the sphere you will enter. Job seekers should have a realistic view of the business landscape, overall tech trends for 2021, and over-prepare for whatever comes next.
According to Robert Half Technology’s Salary Guide 2021, the most in-demand jobs are going to be:
While looking for job opportunities according to these positions, you should also research the average pay for the position, required skills competencies, certifications, and training within the field and perspectives.
Even after careful research of the field and your natural gifts, there is still some space for hesitation and doubt. While making such a significant decision as choosing a new career path, it’s normal to be scared of making a mistake.
Before diving deep into work it’s always a good idea to start with a free training course to gain baseline knowledge and make sure you like what you chose.
Luckily, the range of free courses and programs on offer is vast. Numerous companies organize coding boot camps and hackathons in applicable professions to find promising talents.
Besides, many positions within the IT sphere require a basic understanding of the same things, so there’s always a chance to kill two birds with one stone.
While making the most of the various free opportunities available to you and thinking about your job applications, don’t forget about certifications.
Certificates of courses you’ve completed serve as excellent proof of your knowledge, especially if you’re making your first steps in IT and have no previous job experience.
Moreover, holding a certification provides you with confidence in future success.
IT professionals holding particular certifications can earn 5% to 10% more than their peers.
Many world-famous companies and educational platforms like Amazon, the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC), ISACA, the Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals (ICCP), the EC-Council offer certifications particularly relevant for 2021.
Once you’ve made your choice and feel more or less certain about it, it is high time to prepare for the job application process. The next important step is to create, update and personalize a resume by adding your portfolio, pet project, or sharing examples of your code on Github. Consider the available resume examples for the position you want to apply for and come up with your own variant.
A unique personality summary is what your resume should be. Therefore, consider some 2021 IT resume trends. The best option would be a hybrid resume seasoned with some powerful keywords that would help to pass tracking systems screening. Also, don’t forget to build remote working skills, which have become essential recently.
Narrowing down your career goals and providing measurable results to illustrate your skills and competencies is something the IT recruiters search for this year.
The last but not the least important stage on your way to your IT career is a job application. After careful thinking and preparation to rock the IT recruitment world, it’s time to make your first decisive step and apply for the positions that look promising.
Concentrate on performing as many technical tasks and undergoing as many interviews as possible to gain interviewing experience and have a clear understanding of what you need to improve to land on the job.
You could also consider prestigious internship programs provided by tech giants in 2021 as opportunities to gain precious experience or even a full-time job offer.
This is the moment when you step out of your comfort bubble as your career growth starts to take off.
Whatever happens in the year ahead, you should always follow your intention to grow and try new things. One might find numerous reasons stating that 2021 is not the best year to start something new. Although starting a new career is always a risky step, it’s worth the effort when you’re on the way to pursue your passion.
IT is a promising sphere that provides instant opportunities for growth and improvement. When you manage to find a role you feel passionate about, you will find that you’re happier at work, more confident, and a better version of yourself.
Erika Rykun is a copywriter and content manager. She is an avid reader and runner. You can get in touch with her on Twitter.
© 2021 Hi5, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy, Terms of use, Security Overview.
