How Continued Learning Can Advance Your Career in IT

The learning process is a constant in the human experience. Taking this into account is especially important in a career in IT. New technologies, innovations, and breakthroughs are developed every day. It is absolutely necessary to your growth as a professional to keep abreast of all these developments to become a more competitive and valuable person in your field.

There might be times when work becomes stale and repetitive, but there are ways you can challenge yourself—ways to stimulate growth and learning. After all, to advance in your field, you must prove that you are a learned and experienced individual, honed by both education and experience.

To that end, this article (which is compiled with information from IT staffing agencies) will talk about some of the ways you can grow and advance in your career as an IT professional. With no further ado, here they are:

Learn and get certified in new tech skills

We’ve mentioned before how the field is constantly changing and evolving and how you need to keep abreast of these trends. This cannot be overstated, as it is incredibly vital to professional growth. 

Whenever a new wave in technology comes, it might do you well to learn (and, if possible, become certified) in the skills involved. Some examples include machine learning, app development, and so on. 

Another way you can exemplify that you have experience with such skills (since not all will have certifying bodies and certifications) is to volunteer these skills at a nonprofit. Doing so will look good on your resumé as an application of these skills in real life. 

Learn to code

This should be one of the first things you learn to do as an IT professional. This skill has become more critical now than ever, and a sufficient level of skill in more than one programming language is often considered the baseline. The field of IT is more competitive than before due to the many opportunities available. 

It might be a daunting task to decide which languages to start with, but data from IT staffing agencies has shown that the following are the most sought after and lucrative:

1. Python 

If you are starting from scratch, the absolute best language to start with is Python. It is a fast, easy-to-use, and easy-to-understand programming language popular in many applications, such as YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest. The community is also large, and there are plenty of resources available. 

2. Java

There is a reason Java has persisted for decades. It is common in large-scale web applications due to its stability as a language. It is the language of choice for many large organizations and is widely used in Android app development. Even Google’s development network, Android Studio, is based in Java.

3. C/C++

This language is the baseline of all programming, and it is useful for the development of low-level systems, such as operating systems and file systems. This is perfect for system-level programmers, as it is extremely fast and stable. C++’s standard template library (STL) is also rich with templates and libraries for various algorithms and operations. 

Final thoughts

Learning and developing new skills should not just be a phenomenon that happens in the background of your life as both an individual and a professional in IT. It should be an ever-fixed goal and something you aspire to. It is only in growth and learning that we progress, and the same applies in this field of industry.

If you’re looking for an IT staffing agency to help with your career, send us a message at Technical Paradigm. We can help you land the IT jobs you need, whether you need to hire or be hired.