A techie’s guide to building a successful career in tech
If you started your tech journey without having a clear plan on how you’ll advance your tech career, now is the right time to have a rethink on that. You need to play the long-term game right from the onset if you want to be a high flier in the tech space.
While you’re still early in your tech journey, one of the questions you need to constantly ask yourself is “what can I do to take my career to the next level? What does a successful tech career look like? What separates top tech talents from everybody else?”
I’ll share the wealth of experience of some top tech talents and what has helped them develop a successful tech career. From these insights, you’ll get the right answers to some of the questions above.
At the end of this post, you’ll be able to assess your current career level, identify your major skill gaps, understand how to navigate to the next level in your career and how to strategically make the right moves.
Tips on Building a Successful Tech Career
According to Thiago Ghisi, a successful tech career isn’t defined by having a 1-page resume filled with fancy tech jargon and unquantifiable adjectives. It isn’t also measured by a transition to management over time and a move back to tech.
A successful tech career is measured by the ever-growing level of impact of your ideas and the influence you have over a lot of people. You need to focus on having a long-term impact & influence wherever you work, even when you don’t see short-term results.
According to Fernanda Weiden, at the start of your tech career, you must understand the importance of each task assigned to you and what will be the impact of executing it.
As you build solutions, you should spend time understanding the context in which the work exists and the overall impact of that work.
Demonstrate Ownership
Once you understand the impact of a task, take ownership of it till it’s concluded. Learn to own your tasks entirely. This will show your manager that you’re dependable. Communicate possible blockers and what you need help with on time, with your manager. Avoid mediocrity as much as possible.
Never stop learning
As you gradually move along your career path, you need to set clear goals on what you want to achieve within your desired time frame. Do you desire to be the VP of Engineering in a top tech firm in the next 5 years? Now is the time to start planning for that.
Assess the skill gap that exists between where you are and where you want to be and start taking relevant courses to qualify you for that position. You should constantly upgrade your knowledge and stay abreast of industry trends. And apply the latest practices in your work to keep you ahead of the pack. Also, you need to embark on projects that will build up your level of competency in a senior role.
Leverage the power of networking
Networking within your company and across the tech space can help you develop new skills and identify opportunities for advancement in your tech career. It’s a powerful tool to advance your career.
Develop a healthy relationship with your colleagues apart from those you constantly work with. Find a mentor at a higher level — either within your organization or outside of it. A good mentor will make sure you’re always in front of the right people.
Applying these tips will help you build a successful tech career and meet your career goals.
If you are a lady interested in joining a vibrant community of the next female top tech talents, join the Ladiesdotech community here.
