IT is changing at an accelerating rate with plenty of IT jobs at stake. And yet, doing a job may not be enough in this IT-as-a-Service paradigm that hybrid IT is ushering in. With IT jobs evolving and forking into multiple paths, deciding which path to take and when becomes integral to continuing one's prosperous IT career. Too bad there's not a tool like SolarWinds NPM 12 with NetPath for the IT career path, because it would be cool to visualize one's IT career on a hop-by-hop basis.
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The IT career path is one of the hottest topics that I regularly discuss with my industry friends and peers, when we aren't talking about current IT trends. This brings up an important task that many IT professionals often overlook, which is building a competent, trusted network of techie friends, peers, colleagues, and resources. This is one of my golden rules that has served me incredibly well in my career. I make a concerted effort to continually do what I can to earn -- and return -- mutual trust.
In my career, I form and leverage a network of trusted IT advisors, who have helped me progress in my career path. From the Office of the CTO, working on virtualization, to Global Solutions Engineering, working on the first instances of converged infrastructure, every opportunity was presented and taken largely thanks to my trusted network of IT advisors. This extends to my time at a cloud start-up, and even my decision to accept the role of SolarWinds Head Geek. My circle of trusted advisors continue to play a major role in my life and my career, especially with so many opportunities presenting themselves in this hybrid IT world.
So I ask you again: do you have a network of trusted IT advisors helping you advance your career? If not, what are you waiting for? Let me know below in the comment section.
