Signs That You’re A Great Fit For A Technology Career
The spreading influence of technology in the workplace means that people with skills dedicated to the digital world are almost always going to be able to find a place to work. Whether you find yourself in a valuable role in a larger corporation or you decide to go freelance, if you work in digital security, app development, or even basic IT system management, you are one of the most in-demand figures right now. However, if you haven’t yet started your technology career, what are some of the signs that it’s worth considering?
You’ve spent a whole life being interested in computers
Rare is the person who will make a transition to a wholly digital career without having practically spent their whole lives using computers. It can happen, it’s just rare. If you’ve been working with computers for as long as you can remember and you have a decent idea of how devices and networks work, and you have a curiosity to learn more about it all, then this field is likely to be a good fit for you. As such, working in an entry-level IT job can be a great first step to transitioning to something higher up as you gain the skills and experience that you need.
You’re the patient sort
While it might seem like tech jobs, from cybersecurity to integrating new technologies, is all about the hard skills, you shouldn’t overlook the soft skills that you’re likely to rely on as well. There are plenty of soft skills you should bring to an IT career, but patience is one of the biggest of them all. Most problems in IT take time to solve. There will be some cases you can solve immediately, but often you will have to work at it. If it’s not the technology that’s taking your time, it will be the end-users. People can make all sorts of mistakes and misunderstandings and, in many roles, your job is to help untangle them, get to the root of the problem, and fix it. Patience is most definitely a virtue for that.
You’re able to work flexibly
There are a lot of IT careers that can see you working in the office from 9-to-5. If you’re working as a freelancer or as part of a large enterprise-level business, however, then you had better be good at working both outside the normal environment and the normal schedule. Technological problems can pop up at any time of the day, whether you are in the office or not. Many normal cybersecurity and IT management jobs will involve spending time in office, but there will also be days worked from home, so getting used to remote working is important. Furthermore, there will be times that you are “on-call” and have to respond to incidents outside of the normal work hours so it’s important to anticipate that.
You’re willing to continue your education for years to come
One of the benefits of a career in digital technology is that it doesn’t show the slightest sign of becoming irrelevant in the future. In fact, our reliance on technology across all industries only seems to grow. However, this also means that it changes as it grows and as such, the skills and knowledge that you bring to the job will need to change, too. When answering the question of what degree you may need to become a cyber security engineer, you’re going to get the bulk of your training and education. However, you will also need to look at additional courses and certifications to keep your skills up-to-date as the years go by.
You’re great at communicating
When we think of those who are proficient with IT, common stereotypes might have us imagine people who are less than stellar at communicating and not the most charismatic out there. However, that’s rarely the case. Technology-based workers have to understand highly complex systems and, more importantly, be able to talk about them with end-users and supervisors who might not have the same level of technological competence. As such, if you want a job in IT, it may be worth looking into programs that can help you improve your verbal communication so that you can deal with the less qualified well.
You’ve got a strong methodology
Whether you’re working with servers, with bespoke software, with cybersecurity or otherwise, you are likely to face new challenges in any technology career. Being curious and willing to figure out what went wrong is all well and good, but having an organized and logical approach to any problem is going to help you in your job as well. The average security incident can be very complex, working across different aspects of the client or employer’s digital scope. As such, you need to have a way to approach issues methodically to find out what the root cause actually is, as well as how to prepare all the right documentation to better report on the issue and prevent it from happening in the future, too.
You’re a people person
Again, the stereotypes might have you believe that IT professionals shun human contact but the truth is that the vast majority of tech jobs are going to involve spending a lot of time helping people. As such, not only should you be able to communicate well with individuals, but you should be motivated by a desire to help them out, solve problems, and help them get to their work without interruption. Whether this means creating new software tools to help them do their work better or fixing the issues that are stopping them from accessing the resources that they need, technology is all about helping people with the tools that we use on a daily basis.
Simply put, if you have a passion for technology, alongside the natural desire to keep up to date with it, then you should have no problem finding a technology career in the digital world. Whether that’s security, managed services, or something different is up to you.