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How to choose a career in IT

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Todd Hunter
How to choose a career in IT

Programming, business analysis or design - there are many fields in IT. We explain what to focus on when choosing a specialty, so as not to suffer at work, even if satisfied with the salary.


Explore your chosen professions

Once you have selected several professions, get to know them better. Find out the requirements for applicants, the average salary, and the number of vacancies in your area using it recruiting agencies. Note that a low entry threshold into a profession does not always play into the hands of newcomers. For example, it is believed that testing is easy to learn, even if there are no deep technical skills. But there are a lot of novice specialists. So it is better to choose a specialty not only on the principle of "faster entry", but also because it is really interesting.


Predispositions

If you have at least some experience with any IT specialty, it is rational to choose it. If you like / can draw in Photoshop and Illustrator - choose the profession of graphic designer. You have a big baggage of knowledge in sales and you want to work in IT - start with Sales Manager. You are stress-resistant and sociable - try yourself as a PM manager. In fact only these three professions do not require any special skills in IT, so if you have a baggage of knowledge - use it.


CHOOSE A PROFESSION AS SIMILAR AS POSSIBLE TO THE ACCUMULATED EXPERIENCE


Connect with people in the industry

Look for people who work in the field you are interested in and ask them about their responsibilities, their typical workday, and what they like and dislike about the profession. They can tell you what the requirements are for entry-level professionals, how to prepare a portfolio, and what to expect at a job interview.


Training time

If we are talking about self-study, the study period can range from 3 to 12 months. Often you will find unstructured material, and the lack of commitment will relax you. Most internet examples are far from real-world tasks, so there will be no practice as such. Moreover, self-taught people are very reluctant to be hired without experience. If we consider courses, training for almost any specialty lasts no more than 2-3 months.


Take career guidance tests

These tests identify key character traits and skills and use them to determine which occupation to choose. These tests are usually taken by students, but they can also help those who want to change jobs or don't know which direction to look in.


Research the market

The IT-sphere is in demand and developing, but there are professions that are higher or lower in demand. So before choosing, find out what is the most relevant right now.


For some professions your personal qualities may be more important than your technical skills. In addition, many things are realistic to learn in advance or already in the course of work. Don't be afraid to start a new career. The IT field is much broader than it seems.



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