Tips for Keeping Your Tech Skills Up-to-Date While Job Searching

A common predicament an IT professional faces when wanting to move to the next job is a lack of experience. Sound familiar? You have some knowledge but lack the skills. This is often a hindrance when it comes to finding your next job in your IT career because technology is always changing, requiring you to constantly adapt and expand your knowledge and skillset. So, how do you hone your skills without work experience? Below are some of our expert tips for keeping your tech skills up-to-date.

Start at Home

It’s fairly easy as an IT professional to build a server or tinker with code at home, but you can also continue your education and work towards that certification online. Taurean Consulting offers self-paced, online courses that are available 24/7 and can be taken from anywhere. These courses serve as online certification training provided by world-class instructors.

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Find a Mentor & Ask for Advice

Talk to whomever you work for, or desire to work for, and find out what’s important to them. For instance, if you’re an entry-level network operations tech and you want to become a network engineer, talk to a network engineer manager to understand what skills you need in order to be considered for that role. Outline what your knowledge and skill gaps are and put a plan together to address them.

Stay Ahead of the Curve in Keeping Your Tech Skills Up-to-Date

Complacency is the enemy of success, so it’s important to always be seeking new knowledge to ensure you stay current with industry standards and trends. Being able to anticipate changes in processes, software, etc. will give you a leg up when interviewing for IT positions and being able to use new systems and tools will make you a top candidate.

Don’t Be Afraid to Network

Networking groups are a great way to stay connected with other peers. The experts in your social circle are some of the best resources available to you – don’t be afraid to take advantage of that. Connect with a mentor, teacher, past boss, or recruiter to ask questions about what’s happening in the market. Even amid COVID-19, you can still meet with people virtually.

Remember Your Soft Skills

Your tech skills aren’t the only ones that should be continually sharpened. To really stand out from other job applicants, you need to have these workforce basics mastered:

Communication skills – with five different generations in the workforce currently, strong communication skills are essential. As an IT professional, you will be working with team members of all ages and backgrounds, so you must be able to express yourself clearly and concisely.

Professional skills – organization, efficiency, and attention to detail are the pillars of a good IT department and proof of a competent technician.

Leadership skills – being comfortable taking initiative and knowing how to lead a project from a technical standpoint shows confidence and proficiency.

Commit to Keeping Your Tech Skills Up-to-Date on a Weekly Basis

If keeping your tech skills up-to-date is something that you’re serious about, dedicate a couple of hours each week to honing your craft. Make a decision to commit to growth and development while you’re waiting for the next job to come. If you have school-aged kids, make studying a family activity – study your work while your children study theirs. Finding these hours each week will not only allow you to take smaller bites off your learning, but it will also feel good gaining traction and ultimately achieving success.

If you need help with your job search, contact Taurean Consulting Group today at 702-529-0378.