Disclosure: This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Capella University. The opinions and text are all mine.
I have worked in the Information Technology (IT) industry for many years. From cloud computing to enterprise software to consumer electronics, I feel as though my skills are pretty broad when it comes to IT. I am also the head of IT at our home. If any gadget doesn’t work, or a printer won’t print or if the WiFi network is down, I’m the self-trained “IT professional.” But to be a successful IT professional in the business world and remain competitive, it’s a bit more complicated. You must have a well-rounded repertoire of skills that goes beyond simply knowing about the technology specific to your job. That’s why continuously learning from other experts, like Capella University is so essential to keep your skill set up to date.
1 – “The IT Talent Crisis Nobody is Talking About,” CEB, 2014
According to CEB, 88% of IT-related roles will be filled by employees without a technical background in the next few years. If you are in a technical field and have only been focusing on just that – the technical side – it may be time to expand your work skills war chest.
Also, it is important to think outside of the box. Six currently nonexistent IT roles will emerge in the coming years. What does that mean to current IT professionals? A lot actually. It’s important to learn how to collaborate better with others and adapt to work with others outside of your traditional work circle.
And, if you have Big Data skills, your career may go a lot further than you think. Big Data/analytics is #1 on the list of technologies that IT Pros with hiring plans are looking for (source).
5 – “10 Hottest Tech Skills for 2015,” ComputerWorld, December 2015. http://www.computerworld.com/article/3012033/it-skills-training/10-hottest-tech-skills-for-2015.html
In order to ensure your career does not become stagnant, you must continually evaluate your progress and be as introspective as possible. While it is important to fine-tune the skills you already have, it is just as important to find and develop new ones. As IT professional careers are evolving and becoming increasingly more complex, so have assessment and improvement courses. From my experience, many courses were not very forward thinking. This has changed as institutions like Capella have become quick to adapt to IT trends and required skillsets. Also, when you can incorporate more soft skills into your blended skill set, you can present yourself as much more of a renaissance person, one who is well-rounded in not only technology, but also in people and management skills.
Take a FREE skills assessment compliments of Capella University
The assessment evaluates your natural strength in areas such as learning how to work better and more efficiently with others (teamwork is key), understanding the power of change, and how to excel in a data-driven work environment.
In total there are 12 key skills that are identified as attributes of a world class IT professional. This assessment will not only help you to understand your likely strengths in each of these areas but it will also provide suggestions for development based on your responses. Capella is currently offering this assessment free of charge.
Check out these cool infographics to learn more about the importance of these soft skills for an IT pro:
- “Tech Superpowers Aren’t Enough. Get Collaboration Skills to Back Them Up” – Working collaboratively
- “Adapt and Thrive: Why Managing Change is a Key Skill for IT Professionals” – Adapting to change
- “Do You Speak Data? Learn the Language and Boost Your IT Career” – Balancing analysis with judgment
In full transparency, this article is sponsored by Capella, but I don’t just take any writing assignment. It has to be relevant to me and what I’m about. As a professional who enjoys IT and technology in general, I’m always looking for ways to polish my skills and once I discover those means, I do try to share with others so that they may benefit as well. So as part of this sponsored content, I’m actually going to take the talent assessment. The next article in this 2-part series will be my thoughts on the assessment and the value it provided to me.
Regardless of where you are in your IT career – a recent graduate or a seasoned professional – it is critical to always be looking for ways to round out your experience and knowledge to make you a bit more competitive in the workplace. Taking the CEB assessment from Capella is an easy way to understand what skills you possess and the ones you may lack or want to improve.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post and I have received compensation to prepare to research it as well as write it. All opinions within this article, unless otherwise noted, are my own and are not subject to the editorial review from any 3rd party. More information can be found in my About page.
HTD says: Your career evolves through experience, but only through actively working on ways to round out your skills will you be more marketable in the long run.
See graduation rates, median student debt and other information at http://capellaresults.org/outcomes.asp
