Tech Workers Confront Career Obstacles Despite High Demand
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Despite high demand for their talents, technology workers face job-hunting challenges that can severely impair their career growth, according to Ian McClure, president of the Southern Region of Bernard Haldane Associates, a career-management company with offices in Dallas, Austin, and Houston.
With the ease of job-hopping in the technology sector, many people lose track of their long-term career objectives. The corporate culture at high-tech companies can also raise barriers to advancement.
“The technology sector attracts highly intelligent people,” said McClure. “However, many are more comfortable working with machines than selling themselves. To make positive career moves, they have to market themselves effectively to non-techies.”
Many high-tech companies work in teams, with more experienced people mentoring their younger peers. As the mentors move up, their protégés follow.
But when the mentor’s career hits a roadblock, talented team members can be trapped behind them.
McClure, a specialist in helping professionals and executives make smart career transitions, offers the following advice.
Plan your moves – Develop a long-term career plan, and be sure that the next job is a steppingstone to your ultimate objective. Avoid stagnation by pursuing a transition every 24 months, either within the company or with another organization. Develop contacts outside your work team that could lead to your next job. Check salary sites on the Internet to ensure that your wage expectations are on target.
Don’t be stigmatized as an independent contractor – As the technology sector cools, independent contractors are often the first laid off. Without a record of company loyalty, it’s crucial to communicate that you are now looking for a stable company where you can build a career.
In the job interview – Break the language barrier with lay people by avoiding potentially confusing technical jargon. While many technology workers score as introverts on a Meyer Briggs personality test, it’s important to be extroverted during interviews. Identify the things you love to do, and use that enthusiasm to overcome shyness. Tape mock interviews until you can comfortably provide 30-second answers to potential interview questions.
Bernard Haldane Associates publishes books that offer professionals the skills needed to better manage their careers. Available in book stores nationwide, the Haldane’s Best titles include: Haldane’s Best Answers to Tough Interview Questions; Haldane’s Best Salary Tips for Professionals; Haldane’s Best Employment Websites for Professionals; Haldane’s Best Cover Letters for Professionals; and Haldane’s Best Resumes for Professionals.