Blog post
How to land a top job in IT
By Samantha Allen 22 May 2020
The tech industry is one of the most exciting, innovative industries around. It’s grown exponentially over the past few decades and each year brings new opportunities with it. If you’re looking for a career change with a promising future ahead, the IT industry is the perfect choice. But how do you land a top job in IT? You may be new to this industry, so where do you begin? If you’re already working in IT, how do you work your way up to your ideal job? Read on to find out all of this and more.
Learn about the tech industry & choose your ideal area to work in
If you’re just starting out and aren’t familiar with the tech industry, getting to know the industry is the first place to start. Knowledge and understanding of the industry will help you to figure out what type of area and role you’d prefer to work in, and what your options are. Luckily, gaining knowledge in 2020 is easier than ever, thanks to the world of tech and the internet. You could read industry publications, blog articles, watch videos and do plenty of online research, all from the comfort of home. You may find it useful to read some of our blog articles. These range from comparing a variety of programming languages you could learn, what the top paid IT jobs are, knowledge about popular cloud computing providers, and all sorts of other knowledge - dive in HERE.
Master a skill - stop being a jack of all trades
Once you’ve done your research you’ll have a clearer idea of the areas within IT that you’d like to become part of - or avoid altogether. The next step is to choose a skill and then aim to master it. The best paid jobs in IT are for specialist roles, so being a jack of all trades won’t get you very far.
You may also like to read "What are the highest paying IT jobs in the UK?" and "Which Programming language pays the most?"
Once you’ve decided on your skill, mastering it will require good quality training. Go.Courses specialises in delivering instructor-led IT training courses and you can browse the full variety HERE. To help you decide which skills might be best for you we’ve created a whole host of blog content which you might find useful to read.
Choose a relevant, in-demand hard skill
When we say “hard”, we don’t necessarily mean challenging (although don’t let us stop you if you’re looking for a challenge!), but rather a technical skill.
The Top 10 Hard Skills in 2020 are:
1. Blockchain
3. Analytical reasoning
5. UX design
7. Affiliate marketing
8. Sales
9. Scientific computing
10. Video production
This list of hard skills came from the recent Linkedin Learning Report, which you can read more about HERE.
You may also like to read "Why is Blockchain a mst-have skill in 2020" and "What can be learn from the 2020 Linkedin Learning report?"
Develop leadership skills
Regardless of your area of expertise, leadership skills are always a good addition to your skillset. While technical skills change and evolve, leadership skills will always be in demand. If you’re already in a managerial role then you’ve probably already begun to develop this skill. However, managing a team is notably different to leading. Take a look at this course to learn about the differences between a manager and a leader: https://go.courses/course/manager-to-leader.
If you’re at the start of your career and haven’t had any opportunity to manage or lead people yet then there are other ways you can flex this muscle. Volunteer projects, hobbies and side projects may give you the perfect opportunity to begin developing leadership skills. Try this course: https://go.courses/course/introduction-to-leadership
Learn soft skills
Soft skills are not as straight-forward to learn as hard, or technical, skills. These skills are focussed more on your human essence and how you interact with other people. Employers often state the importance of attitude as well as skill. Developing yourself as a well-rounded individual will often get you further than solely focussing on technical skills. These are the skills that robots and AI won’t be able to fulfil, and your long-term career prospects will rely on these soft skills.
You may also like to read "What can be learn from the 2020 Linkedin Learning report?"
The top 5 Soft Skills in 2020 are:
1. Creativity
2. Persuasion
4. Adaptability
Soft skills are foundational and every professional should be working to build them. All the skills topping the list in 2020 focus on how you work with others and bring new ideas to the table. Click the links in the list above or browse our Communication Skills Training Courses HERE.
Research the companies you apply to
Once you’ve decided on your ideal role in IT and you’ve begun to master the skills needed, you’ll be looking to apply for jobs at the best organisations. To help tailor your initial application and then nail the job interviews, research the company you’re applying to work for. Again, the internet makes this easier than ever in 2020. There’s company websites, news articles, Linkedin, and easy ways to engage with existing or former employees.
What now?
At Go.Courses our mission is to bring you the world’s best IT and personal development courses. Our aim is to make it easy for you to book training and learn relevant and important new skills. All our courses are trainer-led by experts in their field and available all over the UK and Europe, at any location, including live online.
Have some questions? Take a look at our blog or drop us a message and let’s chat.
