Riding the Tech Rapids

Close your eyes and think for a moment that you are standing at the bank of a wild mountain river and watching those white water rapids. Now, try and feel the speed of that thunderous and rushing water, the loudness, the energy, and then the utmost ever changing cycles of tons of water moving with the same exact patterns.

Then all of a sudden, you see a canoe coming along with a single rider, tackling those rapids with proficiency and movement, using the oars and the body weight to remain in control, to dodge the objects both above and beneath the surface – and then you say to yourself, “Oh there is more to it than meets the eye!”

Why I am explaining this?

Because technology is like the river rapids, you can see it and get overwhelmed with whatever it is presenting and maybe as a consumer you may use some, learn or even study about, but in reality only those people would understand and work their way through it who actually ride along this huge river of ever-changing rapids.

Considering the fact of creating a good professional essence, and creating a good identity for yourself, here are some pointers which an IT student, a Fresh Graduate, or even an experienced professional can adapt and build up their reputation amongst the industry and professionals alike:

Register yourself!

You need to register yourself to one or more of the available social and professional networks; Why? Simple, whatever you do, you will post an update about that here. Whatever you experience being a “Human” and a “Professional” you will tell the world here. Wherever you feel that people need to know something you will initiate a discussion, take part in one, and make your impact. Otherwise, be ready for a bunch of paper CV’s in your hand, with a bunch of envelops, a pen, and a courier service to mail your CVs on the jobs posted on a newspaper.

Don’t be a John Doe!

In United States, when they found bodies with no identities on the person, the morgues name them as “John Doe” for male and “Jane Doe” for females. Well, we don’t want to end up like that would we? So keep up to you identity with a clear line of what you are capable or an expert in right from the very beginning of your career;

“I am a Software Engineer”

“I am a Networks Engineer”

“I am a Software Tester”

“I am a Customer Support Specialist”

“I am a Solution Architect”

As James Bach said “When you make a name for yourself, your name will trumps out any certifications you might also have”

Speak out!

You need to speak out of what you experience, and what you are capable of, and the best way to do that is “Blogging”. Blogging is writing something without the restrictions of the boundaries, publication rules, or thinking patterns. Just register yourself, create your own page, have it set up for the visitors with links and other interesting addins, and Valla!

You don’t need to rush things, just do 1 blog per month, but do it consistently. Then reduce that to 15 days and then eventually per week. Make sure to write clear and to the point and be original. Plagiarizing is very irritating to the readers with access to Google.

Make sure to paste links wherever you are registered as a user (on social and professional networks)

Don’t hesitate!

Often I have heard from professionals that they were following that very interesting discussion about software engineering but did not post their comments because they were too hesitant to state about their opinion – or was afraid that some other professional will encounter it.

Well, get it off your shoulders and just do it, because if you have a genuine experience of something then no one in this world would say that you are wrong – but always be positive, praise others, and keep open for suggestions.

Color Consistency!

Adapt a theme for your career – show what background you have and then grow yourself on the same thematic colors. For example, Software Engineer, Hired as a Software Test Engineer, becomes a Test Architect, then a test Lead and eventually a Quality Assurance and Test Manger.

This would look good, but not always is the case. So whatever you do in your career make sure not to diverge “too much” off the course. A good IT professional should be or at least knows a lot about coding and development (no matter what), then builds her career around that framework.

I hope these few lines would guide the students and professionals in forming up their careers to something more enhanced and can gain more light on their faces in the future.

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Till then...

Ciao

Arslan