When you’re at work, are you the type to go with the flow, or do you take control of your career progression? Do you actively seek out new opportunities, or do you normally wait until they are offered to you directly?
If you are someone who is proactive, with high expectations for your professional life and have a good idea of the type of career you want, you need to grab the bull by the horns! And the first thing to do is to build out your career objectives.
why having career goals is important
- They will allow you to make informed choices among the myriad opportunities in the IT domain.
- They will help you increase your salary and achieve your goals faster.
- They will give you direction and help you move forward in a clear and coherent way.
- They will put you at the helm of your professional development!
take control of your IT career
The world of IT moves quickly! Technology is evolving rapidly, new programming languages are being developed, and new digital platforms are constantly popping up. To navigate this dynamic environment and find your place within this changing landscape, a career plan is your most valuable tool.
Creating one is simple, but it requires reflection and research. To help you along, we created a list of important elements for each step of the process.
ready to start looking for the next step in your IT career?
three steps to establish your career goals
- Take stock of your current situation: list the professional experience you have acquired up until now, your qualities and strengths, and the projects that have inspired you. Describe what motivates you and the things you haven’t yet touched upon, list your personal values, etc.
- Think about your destination: describe your ideal IT job in detail. Think about the challenges you would like to encounter, and the accomplishments that inspire you. Visualize the type of tech environment in which you would like to work, consider the salary you would like to have, think about work/life balance, etc.
- Establish how you will get there: make a list of training courses or certificates you need to complete, evaluate the time and resources you will need to acquire the skills you wish to develop, put together a realistic timeline detailing next steps, pinpoint which business networks you should join, etc.
Whether you are an engineer or a programmer, your career plan won’t be completed in a day’s time. You need to build it gradually, taking the time to analyze market trends in the tech, web, and computer science industries. A solid set of objectives will help you align your talents and aspirations with companies’ wants and needs.
maximize your success with the help of a mentor
There’s nothing better than a partner or ally to help keep you on track! Whether you turn to a senior colleague or a family member with IT experience, we strongly recommend having a mentor by your side. Do you know anyone who could lend a helping hand? If not, there are mentoring networks that can help you out. It’s important that the person you choose has a very good understanding of your area of expertise and its specific challenges.
Once you establish your objectives, set up a meeting to present it to your mentor or go-to person. The resulting discussion may help you further reflect on your goals. To make sure you are always moving forward, make a point to touch base with your mentor at least every 6 months. This will give you a reason to circle back to your plan and adjust it as needed.