The New Year is but a few short weeks away, and for many folks, that means it’s time to sit down and think about how your tech career will progress over the next 12 months. If current trends hold, tech-industry unemployment will remain low, and employers will continue to want technologists with the right mix of skills and experience. But what do you want?
In our nifty quiz above, we’re giving you the opportunity to sound off (anonymously) about your plans in 2020. Do you want to boost your skills? Quit your job outright? Quit thetech industryoutright? Now’s your chance to show what you’re thinking. As always, we’ll break down audience responses in a future article, and hopefully that data will give you some insight into what your peers are thinking.
Review Your Materials
As we rush through December, it’s worth taking the time to give your template cover letter, your résumé, and your online profiles a quick review. Whether or not you plan to jump jobs or apply for a big promotion, it’s always a good idea to keep your materials up-to-date. Check out some ways to modernize your résumé (especially if it’s been a few years since you last looked at it),and make sure to weave in all the right keywords and accomplishments that will make recruiters and hiring managers perk up (for example, if you’re applying for a job that leans heavily on Java, your materials will read very differently than those of someone applying for a cloud or DevOps position).
Also, keep in mind that there are ideal times and days to submit your résumé, and that you should have someone else give it a read-over before you send—you never know what hidden landmines it might contain.
If it’s been a few years since you’ve updated your online profiles, now’s a good time. Add whatever tech skills you might have accidentally left off; update your current role and position; and upload a new photo if you feel so inclined. In addition, delete old roles, outdated skills, and anything else that’s no longer necessary. Trust us, you’ll feel better.
What Tech Skills and Certifications Do You Need?
No matter what the time of year, it’s worthwhile to sit down and critically evaluate your tech skills and certifications. Are you happy with your current “toolkit”? That’s great (and congrats!), but you know that the tech industry is constantly evolving—in order to stay optimally employable, you’ll need to work to constantly keep your skills updated.
Depending on your particular tech field or sub-industry, you may also need to pursue certain certifications. If you’ve been holding off on obtaining a particular certification (and we don’t blame you—it’s often a lot of studying), perhaps your New Year’s resolution can center on finally taking the plunge. Need some motivation? Keep in mind that certifications can translate into a significant boost in salary.
The holiday season is a busy one for many folks, but don’t put off moves that’ll boost your tech career. Your future self will thank you!
