You’re a seasoned IT professional. What can you do to stay relevant in the industry?

Earning certifications, credentials, or badges is the most direct way to demonstrate your proficiency and credibility in a specific area. As a learning partner, I walk the talk. Devote at least an hour each week to upskill yourself in online learning. Set a time in your calendar. I set a personal goal to achieve at least one new digital credential each month.

Continuously learn through workshops, conferences, certifications, and online courses. ? Specialize in a field like cybersecurity or cloud computing. ? Build a network through professional associations and online communities. ? Contribute to open source projects to enhance skills and showcase them. ? Develop soft skills like communication and teamwork for career advancement. ? Stay informed about ethical considerations and cybersecurity threats. ? Embrace lifelong learning, networking, and mentorship to thrive in IT.

Don't find a mentor. Let the mentor find you. Begin by doing great work and showcase your outcome during performance reviews, Linkedin, or other reputable platforms. A shrewd mentor knows who will make a great mentee. He or she is very likely to be a credible and busy individual who is careful who he/she is mentoring and has very limited time to mentor someone. He/she may want to learn or get something out from his/her mentee in exchange for the time invested in mentoring. Mentees are not to be naive to think that having a mentor is going to ensure successful career growth without hard work. Be careful who you allow to mentor you. Learn to tell if this person is mentoring or gaslighting you.

Showcasing your clients' or stakeholders' testimonials helps you establish credibility in your area. Set aside time every 2 weeks to post meaningful content on LinkedIn and close to your area of expertise. As a learning partner, I chose to share the latest trends in Generative AI and data cloud education. I displayed desired learning behavior by showcasing my badges each time I completed a course and briefly explained the features and the benefits of those courses.

Change and Innovation can't be taught. They are caught. Be that Change you want to be or your team to behave. And do an excellent job that people around you can't help but notice your transformation. These people may not acknowledge the impact you have on them. When you deliver better results based on that change, people will watch, adopt, and adapt their practices. Be patient. Change does take time. Results can take a little longer to show up. Role-modeling change is more effective than sending teams to workshops on innovation.

Balancing work and life is also key to stay relevant in the IT industry. I chose not to download any email or work-related applications on my mobile phone. It is also for security and privacy reasons that all work and work-related communications should be done on my work laptop only. If I am away or on vacation, I will not bring my laptop. I make sure all pending matters are communicated with my team members in advance before I go away. Empower 1-2 of them to make decisions when the need arises. Devote your time to your family during vacation.

Para un profesional de TI experimentado, lo importante para seguir siendo relevante en la industria es nunca dejar de aprender. Es vital actualizar constantemente los conocimientos y habilidades a través de cursos formales, online, lecturas especializadas, conferencias, comunidades online, entre otras actividades También es fundamental ser adaptable y flexible para poder afrontar los cambios constantes en el mundo de TI. Pero si quiere realmente dejar un legado, es importante que ense?e y ayude a crear profesionales de TI que sean capaces de construir un mundo mejor.