Tips for getting started on an IT career

Need help landing your first job in the IT career industry?

This collection of expert tips is designed to help college graduates and others who are new in this field.

1. As you are entering into the IT career for the first time, it is best to learn your trade. Become the technical expert in an area of interest and excel.

This does not mean keeping your head down just to study the printed circuit-board layout. Attend trade shows and professional associations. Start interacting with customers, vendors and competitors. You are setting up your reputation and knowledge base for a long term career.

2. You are less vulnerable inside an IT career within a medium-size to large company than with an IT career as an independent consultant.

Move your skills up the value chain. Business analysis and business process skills are not good candidates for off shoring.

Grow your state-of-the-art technical skills. J2EE, .Net, the leading portals and business intelligence/analytics skills are hot. Know what is hot.

3. Register with the three highest-traffic job boards, three college job boards and three IT career job boards. Search their job postings and apply to those that are of interest to you and for which you are best qualified.

4. Build personal capability outside of the IT career. If you studied technology in the classroom, learn about business through an internship or entry-level operations position in financial services, insurance or health care.

5. Seek employment with established government contractors that can help you obtain a security clearance is an option for IT professionals.

A clearance can give you access to work on government programs, which have some of the most advanced computer systems in the world and therefore provide access to leading-edge technology and ensuing opportunities.

6. Your chances of getting that IT career you want begins with the introduction. You need to differentiate yourself from the competition by writing a solid cover letter, resume and follow-up communication.

Whenever possible, highlight samples of your work, including any Web site development or networking projects. This will give your employer insight about your professional work habits and your achievements.

7. Join technical associations, attend job fairs, go on informational interviews, and begin to develop a directory of people who can help you break into an IT career.

8. Look at management. If you haven’t already considered a technical management role, this could be the time to make that move. But don’t wait for an opportunity to find you — seek it out! Warning: You may be a brilliant IT person yet unsuited to management. Make sure it’s right for you.

9. Seek guidance and insight about the IT career from a person you respect and trust. This could be someone you have interned for, a professor or an active alumnus. Be inquisitive.

Ask for real-world examples of how they have accomplished goals and solved problems at work.

10. Don’t wait. Get exposure to a broad range of activities or functions quickly. If currently employed, offer to take on new and different responsibilities.

Get exposure to as many different segments within the function as possible. Learn what you like, what you do not like, your strengths and potential development areas.

These are just some of the valuable tools needed in pursuing that IT career. Find which one will work for you.

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