Advice for Consultants Navigating IT Career Transitions

The IT industry is constantly evolving with new technologies and advancements changing roles and overall structures. As such, career transitions in this industry are inevitable as people shift into more popular specializations or even shift out of the industry altogether. Career transitions can be tough to navigate and heavily depend on the needs of the industry, your goals, and your specialized skills as well.  

For guidance on navigating IT career transitions, below are some tips on best practices when considering a switch.

Tips for Consideration

Career Goals & Skills

Making a career transition is a big decision and can often be a great step to accomplishing your future career goals. When considering taking this step, it will require a good amount of self-reflection as you want to make sure you are passionate about this new role, and your skills are aligned. By identifying your strengths and passions first, searching for the perfect role will be easier. Also, consider taking a career assessment or test to further determine what roles may be a good match with your experience and expertise. Career transitions should align with your overall goals, so making sure you are taking strategic steps toward your larger goal is important.  

Market Research & Industry Knowledge

You may feel very passionate about making a career transition to a specific specialization; however, IT roles heavily depend on the state of the job market. For example, a transition into AI management and supervision would be a good move as AI is becoming a popular tool in the industry. On the contrary, jobs that are becoming increasingly automated like data entry, basic coding, and customer service may not be the best specialization to move into. As such, staying in touch with the demands of the job market is so important to making a successful transition. Research what the in-demand skills are for the specialization you are considering and what organizations may be hiring in that area.  

Skill & Professional Development

When making a career switch, it’s possible you may not have all the skills necessary for the role which you are seeking. As such, a career transition may come a learning gap of skill and professional development. For example, if wanting to explore a career in SAP implementations, you may want to explore an SAP specific course or get relevant SAP certifications. Along with developing hard skills necessary for the role you are considering, immersing yourself in networking and professional organizations can also be helpful. Connecting with industry professionals through social media and online discussion groups is a great way to get your foot in the door. It also gives insight into the type of people you would be working with and helps you decide how well you may fit in with the culture.  

Navigate Your Transition with BCTG

IT can be a difficult industry to navigate as it is constantly changing with new technologies and advancements introduced every day. The job market and demand for certain jobs is evolving with the introduction of AI, IoT, and blockchain. As such, using the tips above will help you navigate the IT job market and guide your transition into a new role.  

If you are considering a career transition in the IT industry or looking for support to reach your career goals, contact BCTG for expert help.  

Contributions from Leah Harding