How to Change your Specialism

The demands for IT and Technology roles are at an all-time high, companies around the world are going through significant periods of digital transformation and with the pandemic proving a need for virtual and online experiences, every industry is accelerating their digital plans. Some positions are more in demand right now, there were for example 1.66 million vacancies at the end of August 2021 in the UK & over 68,000 of them were for programmers and software developers.

Incredible opportunities are coming up in new emerging technologies, and if your specialism is currently a more traditional need, you might be thinking about switching up your skillset to meet the demands of tomorrow.

We know you techies are passionate and pay attention to the trends, so here are our top tips on adding new badges to your lapel and updating your specialism…

Don’t jump at the buzzwords

Part of the problem is technology is only advancing – that VB.Net certification you had 5 years ago has probably already been updated to C#, it’s a never-ending cycle. The constant battle to find the perfect balance between ‘what do I need today but will still be useful for tomorrow’ can be helped by constantly reviewing and educating yourself of the potential longevity of the latest ‘buzzword’ and evaluating if it will add value to your current and future career paths.

Futureproof

Developing deeper into one specialty or widening knowledge across one specific domain is a common route, however looking at trends for sectors that are growing is a great way to ensure you have job security and the skills required for a sector that will, soon, need all hands on deck. This year, there were 3.5 million unfilled jobs in IT Security, similarly, Artificial Intelligence Engineers have a 344% projected growth.

Don’t limit yourself

Becoming attached to one specific technology can sometimes be hugely beneficial, but equally limiting. If you have a passion and want to see it through then we’re all here for it, but if you’re not 100% sure what your passion is yet, fish in a few ponds and become more technologically agile to cover your back if one day you choose to jump ship.

Give it time

It will take energy and a lot of personal resources to transition, no matter how experienced you are, expect to devote your time to learning or transitioning into a new role, and as always, be kind to yourself as you do so, you’ll get there, and you’ll reap the benefits when you do.