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Tag: job market

Succeeding in IT: Landing a Hot Job vs. Building a Long Career

Recent attention-grabbing headlines about layoffs among tech giants, like Google and Microsoft, can paint a dismal picture of the tech jobs landscape, but it doesn’t look so bleak for nimble IT professionals with diverse skillsets. 

According to WGU Labs research, Colorado employers posted more than 14,000 openings for IT jobs between August 2022 and July 2023. Only six other states saw more postings over that time. A recent study by Venture Smarter, a consulting firm based in San Francisco, ranked Colorado fourth in the country as one of the best states for tech careers.

READ: Fake Flex —The Underlying Risks of Misleading Job Postings and Recruiting

Today, certain areas in IT have seen remarkable job growth, driven by global trends and the integration of tech into every facet of our daily lives. Three of the hottest jobs in IT are:

Quantum computing specialists

Quantum computing is no longer the future — it’s the present. As quantum computers inch closer to becoming a commercial reality, companies need specialists who understand quantum algorithms, hardware and software development.

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) developers

With advancements in AR and VR hardware, there’s a growing need for developers who can create immersive experiences for entertainment, education, healthcare and other sectors.

READ: How the Metaverse is Revolutionizing Industries — From Sci-Fi Fantasy to Digital Reality

Edge computing engineers

The move from centralized cloud computing to edge computing — where computations are performed closer to where the data is generated (like IoT devices) — requires specialists to handle this shift.

Workers with qualifications to fill those jobs are among the most in-demand in IT. But as tech evolves, so do the skills needed to get the job done — and for a worker to maintain job security over time can be tricky.

During this time of evolution, it’s important to ask: How can workers in tech fields fill the jobs of today and remain relevant over the entirety of their careers?

The answer to that riddle is “fungible skill development.”

Fungible skills are those that are interchangeable or easily transferrable from one job or role to another. They provide a foundation that enables professionals to adapt and evolve as they navigate the shifting terrains of their industry. For IT professionals, these skills could be both technical (such as programming fundamentals or understanding of algorithms) and soft skills (like problem-solving or effective communication).

Why are fungible skills crucial for IT professionals?

Adaptability in a changing landscape

With emerging technologies such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality redefining the future, IT professionals with fungible skills can effortlessly adapt. They can leverage their foundational knowledge and adjust it to different contexts or platforms.

Job security

The IT industry is notorious for its fluctuations. Companies might pivot, technologies may become obsolete or market demands can shift. Professionals with fungible skills are less likely to become redundant, as they can swiftly transition into new roles or areas.

Career progression

Having a broad base of transferable skills often opens doors to varied roles, from management positions to specialist areas, giving IT professionals a diverse career path.

There is more than one way a worker can develop the transferable skills to carve out a successful career in IT, including on-the-job experiences and self-learning. However, after working in IT for nearly two decades, I believe higher education is the most effective.

During my time as a software development leader at Amazon Web Services, I witnessed an employee advance from a software engineer to senior engineer to principal engineer over the span of six years. Despite tumultuous times of restructuring and downsizing, this employee’s fungible skills of leadership, ownership, technical writing, communication, project management and team collaboration consistently showcased his potential to take on higher responsibilities and, in turn, resulted in his promotions.

When advising aspiring tech professionals, I tell them certifications get you a job — and a degree gets you a career. 

After more than a decade managing and leading teams at Amazon and other top companies, I moved into higher ed because I believe in the value of postsecondary learning. I have seen many changes in tech-focused occupations, but the role colleges and universities play in maintaining a strong workforce and teaching fungible skills is essential. And it’s fungible skills that allow IT professionals to work — and thrive — in the industry for a long time. 

Colleges and universities offer holistic curricula, soft-skill development, and, in some cases, industry certifications in addition to an in-demand degree. Most postsecondary IT programs provide a blend of technical and general education courses. That structure ensures students gain a strong foundation in key areas while also getting the flexibility to explore and acquire skills in diverse domains. 

In addition, Western Governors University (WGU) is among the institutions that offer access to industry certifications on the way to a bachelor’s or master’s degree in IT. Certifications are recognized benchmarks mapped to certain skill sets based on standardized testing, and they demonstrate a worker’s dedication, motivation and knowledge on widely-used technical platforms. Those credentials, when paired with the array of skills and knowledge earned in a degree program, are the foundation for longevity in the IT industry.

 

Newsha Makooi received his master’s degree in computer information systems from the University of Denver and current vice president and dean of cloud computing, IT management, and cybersecurity for Western Governors University (WGU), a nonprofit, online only, accredited university. 

5 Ways to Improve Your Resume in 2022

Making your job application stand out to employers in today’s competitive job market can be challenging, especially if you haven’t updated your resume in a while, but using a few simple resume writing strategies can set you up for long-term career success. 

Here are five ways to improve your resume in 2022 and boost your chances of landing more job interviews.

READ — Hiring and Attracting Talent

Study the resumes of other professionals in your industry

By connecting with others in your field and building strong relationships in the workplace, you can learn a lot about what employers are looking for — and how to present yourself in the best possible light. 

Scout out the skills, experience, and certifications other professionals in your field use on their resumes. You can find examples of peoples’ resumes through LinkedIn, online groups and organizations, or by directly asking your colleagues and mentors for their advice.

And while you shouldn’t copy anyone’s resume word-for-word, you can still gather inspiration from your research. 

After viewing what others deem to be important on their resumes and online profiles, reconsider what sections, formatting, or skills you’ll need to update on your own application to set yourself up for success.

Target your resume’s keywords to the job posting

Tailoring your resume’s keywords to the company you want is essential for getting noticed by recruiters. 

Currently, modern companies use applicant tracking software (ATS) to filter out and select suitable candidates with the skillset and experience they seek. So if you use the exact keywords from a company job posting on your resume, you’ll have a higher chance of moving past the ATS software and into a hiring manager’s inbox. 

Include numbers throughout your resume

As you’re looking through your resume, try adding numbers to the bullet points of your work history so hiring managers can visualize what you’ve done in each role.

Numbers like percentages, dollar amounts, lengths of time, and other data tell employers you’re capable of achieving concrete results and show them how you’d contribute to their company.

Write down a range of numbers (e.g., 10–20) if you don’t have exact figures, and write numbers as figures instead of words to save space on your resume.

Use the active voice instead of the passive voice

To make your resume writing more powerful and direct, remove any passive voice phrases. Instead, replace these phrases with the active voice.

Using the passive voice can make your resume descriptions sound ambiguous and add extra words to your resume (e.g., Involved in the planning of 3 successful meetings during Q3). 

On the other hand, writing phrases using the active voice accurately describe your contributions and impact so employers can better grasp your work history (e.g., Planned 3 successful meetings during Q3) and see you as a leader in your field. 

Invest in professional assistance 

Many services are available online or through local professionals that can help you create a high-quality resume highlighting your strengths as a candidate. 

For example, using a resume builder or downloading a pre-formatted resume template can be helpful if you don’t have much experience with writing resumes, are short on time, or aren’t sure how to market yourself effectively in your target industry.

If you can afford it, you can also search online for licensed professionals, such as Certified Professional Resume Writers, to help you write your resume. They’ll typically interview you and ask you for all of your professional qualifications and distill it down into a one-page resume.

Eva Chan is a Career Counselor and Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) at Resume Genius, and has a background in the education management industry. Eva graduated from the University of British Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in English. She’s since coached several professionals with building their resumes and finding fulfilling work.