Spiceworks Career Tips

[Dani]

Hey everyone!! One of our partners, SpiceWorks, has recently put out a Career Tips eBook for people seeking IT job career growth. It's over at http://www.spiceworks.com/ebooks/2014-top-it-career-advice/

I want to direct your attention to page 6 (out of 56) ... Tip 4 on the list was written by yours truly. I talked all about having an online portfolio ... so get started and submit your CV in your edit profile page of DaniWeb :-P Seriously, though, check out all of the SpiceWorks career tips. Lots of good tidbits in there!! :)

The best advice I can provide for IT pros to advance their career in 2014? First and foremost, have a strong resume that includes a portfolio if possible. Expand this with an interactive portfolio online that concisely shows off all of your different skills, and be sure to explain, in a nutshell, what sets it apart. Be aware that the non-tech savvy (including HR people!) may not understand what they’re looking at, at first glance. Be a go getter today more than ever. The economy is tough nowadays and employers are being hit hard, so you really need to show off how you can bring a positive ROI to your company. If you don’t already have one, start a blog online, and write about your solutions to different tough problems you encounter at work. With social media such a big part of the world nowadays, employers are attracted to bringing on board rock stars – online celebrities who bring with them a following, have the ability to create buzz, and are able to summarize for their employers where the industry is headed and how to move forward. This is much more important in the SMB world than in enterprise, where tried and true still reigns supreme. Surprisingly, it doesn’t take as much time as you may think to nurture an online persona.

[happygeek]

I would be amazed if anyone looking for work of any kind these days, but especially within the IT sector, didn't have an online portfolio of some kind. Of course, all too often it is of the wrong kind; namely some ill advised social media activity complete with images that can, and indeed often are, used by prospective employers when compiling a personality profile of candidates.

I'm from an online era (a couple of decades and more ago) where no thought was given to such things, and as such my personality is writ large online for anyone who cares go look for it. Were I a young buck starting out now, I would keep two distinct online social profiles: one with an eye to work using my real name, and another for my wayward ways using a nickname that is less easily traceable back to the first.

[Stuugie]

I agree with you happygeek, especially with regards to

I would keep two distinct online social profiles: one with an eye to work using my real name, and another for my wayward ways using a nickname that is less easily traceable back to the first.

My Twitter account is where I let loose my wayward ways.

As for the portfolio, I've had one up on LinkedIn for a long time but I don't really use LinkedIn so it, in my opinion, was moot. However, I do like have an updated CV here even if no one by myself looks at it from time to time and even if there isn't all that much meat on it.

[happygeek]

Looking at the tips at http://www.spiceworks.com/ebooks/2014-top-it-career-advice/ I do have to say that the first is less a tip and more stating the obvious: “I think that in order to get promoted in today’s environment you need to demonstrate you can do the work.” Surely that has always been the case, in any working environment?

Tip 31 resonates with me though: “Always Be Learning! - Seems straightforward but never rest on your laurels, especially in IT.” I am a constant learner, always finding out about new stuff and expanding my horizons. My job as a technology journalist really helps here, I am very lucky.