Site icon Blackstone Talent Group

What is it REALLY Like for Someone New to Their IT Career?

Information Technology offers a lucrative career for anyone considering breaking into the field. Tech talent is so highly in demand right now that many companies are willing to train anyone new to the field to make them job-ready. There are a variety of career paths available in IT, and if you’re good at the job, your career growth is almost certainly assured.

But what’s it like to launch a career in IT these days? What will your days be like on the job? We have answers.

Getting Started in IT

One of the biggest uncertainties in any job is related to what your day-to-day is like. In IT, culture matters greatly to the kind of support you receive from other more senior tech staff. As you interview with companies, try to ask about the culture you’ll enter. You’re looking for a collaborative culture where you can learn from others that have been in the job for a longer time period. The alternative is for you to learn on your own, and while every new IT staffer ends up learning more as they go, it is sometimes nice to enter a job with a supportive team around you.

That leads us to education. Hopefully, you already know that entering IT means you will always be a seeker of new knowledge; tech is ever changing and you have to stay on top of that. There will always be an element of learning on the job, research, and trying new things. But entering a company that also offers you training, credentialing, and a strong learning environment, will help you on your way to becoming more knowledgeable in the field you’ve chosen. As you’re looking at new jobs, find out how much training you’ll have. Is there an educational budget? What about the project itself? Will you do the same repetitive task every day or will you learn as you go because the job requires it?

Will you work remotely? Check in about work/life balance surrounding remote jobs. Be careful here. Everyone wants to work remotely, and for a good reason. You save on commute costs, get to wear your soft pants, and can work whenever you like. But can you work whenever you want? Your daily activities may require you to be online at a specific time each day. Why? Because instant communication in the form of Slack or another IM sometimes allows managers to always reach out. What is the culture of the job? Will you be required to respond to a manager with a great idea at 2:00 a.m.? How organized are you? Will you procrastinate on tasks so you feel like you’re putting in a 60-hour week when you could have completed the job more quickly?

The point for new IT employees is that many times, the tech world allows you a certain level of autonomy if you want it. There is also varying work environments that you must be careful to consider when taking your first IT job. One of the best things you can do, when entering this field, is to work with an IT recruiter at Blackstone Talent Group. We are in your corner and can help you understand the work environments of the companies you’re considering. Call on us. We can help you find the right fit.

Exit mobile version