Proven Ways for Taking Control of Your New Tech Job (and IT Career)

by Sean Mahabir

September 5, 2018

new tech job

Starting a new tech job is an exciting time, but it’s also a very delicate one. It’s important to start off on the right foot in order to hit the ground running and set the tone for your overall IT career. To make that happen, it’s necessary to understand that there are two sides to every IT job – the technical side and the non-technical side – each requiring your attention as you move from the first week to the first month and beyond.

1. Start It Off Right

The first week of a new tech job is always different from those that come after it. You’re in a new environment, possibly a new city, and often in the eye of an information whirlwind. Certainly, you’re not expected to know everything immediately. However, you’re a tech pro, possessing a skill set in one of the most highly desired of all fields. If the onboarding process allows for it, put your expertise to immediate use and make a technical impact in your role.

At the same time, don’t get so caught up trying to prove yourself that you forget about first impressions. Introduce yourself to everyone you come across, focusing on remembering names and being personable. Create a foundation so bonds can be formed with coworkers, as they will be the biggest determining factor in how much you end up enjoying your new IT job. As you focus on networking, remember that those you meet may be your ticket to a promotion in two years’ time or your next great IT career stop down the road.

2. Get in the 30-Day Groove

After a month in your new tech role you want to feel ingrained in the position and company and have a strong sense of your day-to-day activities. Open up the throttle on your technical skill set and learn how to adapt your expertise to your new employer’s environment and processes. Determine how to operate within their unique strategies, which team members can be relied on for help, and why any internal software programs operate the way they do. In other words, get in the groove and aspire to meet 100% of the responsibilities that brought you to the role in the first place.

However, don’t ignore elements outside of your specific job description. Join formal industry groups or ask your employer about conferences you can attend so you can keep up with developments in the tech field. Participate in team dinners, after-hours work sports leagues, or any other events that allow you to further bond with coworkers outside of the office. Build on relationships while expanding your higher-level knowledge of IT and your first thirty days will fly by in successful fashion.

3. Achieve Your First-Year Goals

Setting goals for the first year in your new tech job is important. A best practice is to acquire at least one new major IT skill before the end of your first twelve months. To do so, begin by asking your employer about any potential educational reimbursement or if they would sponsor you in working on a certification. Seek out the hottest skills in the tech industry and determine which certifications may help you put one under your belt. Refine them in your personal time, and as you learn a new skill ask your superior if you can pick up smaller side projects to apply the new skill to your role. This grants you added job security, shows you’re eager to learn, and can help justify a healthy raise at your annual review. For those unsure where to start, CompTIA provides an excellent roadmap tool for finding a certification in any IT niche.

Yet, when looking back on their first year, many tech pros find they were ultra-focused on the technical side of their role. While that’s important, it is just as vital to keep refining your soft skills as studies show 77% of tech employers believe soft skills are just as important as hard skills. Communication, organization, writing, presenting, and public speaking are all abilities that can help you jump ahead in your new tech job and take your IT career to the next level. Work on these and other soft skills to make yourself one of the most highly desired professionals in an already hot industry.