This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Capella University.
The latest staffing trends in IT have brought a paradigm shift in the Information Technology sector.In order to be successful, IT professionals need to prepare themselves according to the changing competitive landscape.
Although, the changes caused by the recent tech trends can be confusing at times, the only way to survive is to maneuver your professional career in the right direction as indicated by these micro-trends.
Convergence of Marketing and Technology
Previously, hi-tech breakthroughs and consumer demand pushed for technological convergence resulting in the latest apps and platforms that combine various capabilities into one. Now, the employers increasingly look for the candidates with a broader skill set.
Modern marketing is increasingly dependent on technology. The widespread use of social media has brought a new stream of marketing called social media marketing (SMM) that uses social media platforms to collect data, analyze trends, develop business strategies, and communicate to the consumers. The trend signifies that IT and Marketing need to be converged to ensure organizational success.
With the impending integration of marketing and information technology, an IT professional needs to adopt skills like flexibility and the ability to adapt. IT professionals must be able to meet the business requirements while ensuring a quality output. An indispensable IT professional should be flexible, team-oriented, and smooth to ensure the rapid technological development of projects for revenue generation. To become a business advisor, an IT professional must understand how big data relates to the customers and the trends. Thus, in this age, persuasion, time management, consultation, communication, and other business skills are a necessity for an IT professional.
Leadership Skills
With the increasing popularity of mobility and distributed systems, an IT professional must be able to lead from the front. There is much more to leadership skills than meeting the deadlines! It involves creating an immersive job experience for the team, ensuring a collaborative environment, fostering innovation, encouraging communication, and developing approachable interactions. IT professionals need to hone their skills to emerge as influencers rather than being the followers.
The New Breed of IT Professionals
The latest breed of professionals does not accept temporary, low-paying, entry-level jobs. The high-powered new talent prefers project work, where they can flit from one lucrative project to the next without having to associate themselves with a particular bigwig in the IT industry.
As companies increasingly turn to this new generation of what Harvard calls Supertemps, it is necessary for the IT professionals to develop the skills that their firm is looking for in the outside talent. Also, as an IT person, you must realize that the employer does not necessarily imply a ‘company’; it could also refer to an independent project.
The Bottom Line
While you are busy following the latest tech trends in the IT industry, you might fail to notice the subtle employment changes taking place around you. Development of soft skills and business expertise are important to ensure you don’t lose your value as an IT professional in this rapidly evolving industry.
You can evaluate your soft skills by taking the CEB IT Talent Assessment. Find out how you stack up in the 12 soft skill areas that are being sought by employers. Although this type of assessment is typically purchased and conducted by the HR department of an organization, Capella University has partnered with CEB to offer the IT Talent Assessment to readers for a limited time. It will help you discover your hidden IT talents and help you pursue your studies in the right area. You can learn more about the CEB assessment provided by Capella at this link and visit the official Capella website as well as their Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube channel and Pinterest for more info.
See graduation rates, median student debt and other information at http://capellaresults.org/outcomes.asp This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Capella University.
