Information Technology has completely changed our lives. No matter who you are, you can’t escape to be affected by it. It has a divining force on our lives. I have drawn some tips that I have come up by discussions with friends, colleagues and students directly or indirectly attached with IT fields. These tips can apply equally for those people who are in other professions other than IT.

Recognize Yourself

That comes first. Ask yourself whether you want to be an IT enabled professional. I have seen people who take their decision by just taking influence from other people. Later they came to know the direction they choose didn’t suit them. We should be on our own. The earlier you identify yourself, less time you are likely to waste in a wrong direction.

Identify Your Key Technology Areas

Information Technology is an abstract term. Whenever you think of it there it comes with all sort of stuff bundled under one umbrella. You can consider a divide between programmer and networking expert. If you are a best problem solver, writing a lot of code is a fun for you, riddles attract you then you can choose to excel in programming and software development. If you are new into IT education then its ok to get a mix and more diversified technology diet otherwise you must need to decide for your career prospects.

Always Remember the Basics

As people who are pursuing career in IT and software they must keep sharpening the knowledge of basic foundations and principles of their skills. A lot of jargons and buzzword are trailing in the market in the form of libraries, APIs and frameworks. By keeping a strong eye on basics and how stuff is working can cause you to develop such things. More usable and more useful.

Make Smart Use of Internet

Making smart use of Internet doesn’t mean less use. But smart mean productive and meaningful. I know it sounds trivial a trivial idea but if we give it a thought than people who are addicted to use it in a smart ways knows when they see their colleagues stuck up – and remain there – with issues answers to which are just a few click away. Making smart use of internet require force and practice. Every time you face an issue ask yourself how to narrate it so that others can give you solution or can guide in right direction. I got pinched when any of fellow developer used to say that he never found solution on forums and mailing lists. Internet is full of information; we just need to know how to use it rather re-inventing the wheel.

Socialize yourself

Make your communication as a super power. Be a voice on table. Attract people. Engage with them, give arguments, make your point of view clear and leave a solid impact behind you. There is a general perception that technical people lack communication skills and they remain introvert. But I disagree with it. Being as a developer me never found myself falls back in discussion and socializing. And it really can put you out of the crowd.

Develop a ‘Financial Sense’

People pursuing an IT career pose a general risk of being labeled as a ‘purely technical’ entity. Usually we end up marking limits around that force us to remain a techy for the rest of our life. And it is not just about perceptions alone. A technical person who does not have a good financial sense would face problem sooner or later. Whether job requires it or not, we need to try to develop a financial sense that relates directly to our technology area.

That’s all I have scratched my mind to write on this topic. Well things never stop. Make your comments and let others know what you feel to be a successful IT professional and a very good human being.