How can you get ahead of competition in the candidate market to fill the workplaces in the IT field? From my personal experience it is far easier to get ahead of others in a few specific fields, and one of them is IT.
The Internet is literally full of sites you can use for your benefit to learn programming, showcase your code, ask questions, or provide answers. All of this will build your personal brand and get you more known in the industry. This is something everyone who looks to get into IT should take a look at, and start “messing” around with to get the basic feel of the field. All these tips also apply if you are currently unemployed, as it shows that extra conviction to the industry and to get hired by a potential employer. Going to events is crucial for your professional network as well.
Below you can find a list of a few useful sites and the basic functions of them:
- Stackoverflow – asking questions or answering them, depending on your level of knowledge
- Github – in short, it is a site where you can host your code and contribute to others’ coding projects
- Coursera.com – free online courses on different topics, including IT, from top universities
For 1st year students in universities – and why not younger people – thinking about a career in IT; try to find people with similar interests, and start a hobby project with them as a way to hone your skills. Publishing something as minimal as a small app, game, or website can help you massively when it comes to finding a workplace that pays for what you do. It also opens up possibilities for freelancing, and getting that much-needed extra income during your studies.
Having an online portfolio of your work and code is extremely important. The more good quality work you can show, the better the chances are of you getting found, and being a strong candidate for various positions. There are multiple free portfolio sites where you can showcase your portfolio, but I recommend making your own website to give it a unique feel.
If you write about technology, or IT in general, you are in luck. That will help you greatly with regards to gathering an audience, and being seen more widely. Gathering an audience is slow, but keep at it and it will reward itself. You might end up having your future employer in your audience.
Written by Ville