The Climb to stay relevant in Tech

^{A career in technology offers many advantages, such as higher salaries compared to most other careers and the ability to work remotely. However, many people struggle with the constant need to learn new software and adapt to changes in the industry.}

Here’s what we have for you today:

• Should IT professionals be expected to keep up with all new technology?

• Will the pressure to learn cause more people to burn out?

• Technology memes to brighten your day

To be in Tech is to be a scholar, To be a scholar is to struggle

In all aspects of the technology sector, there has always been the expectation that, in order to stay relevant, you must keep up with recent changes in your field, such as major software updates or newer, more effective products. This expectation is considered reasonable, especially if the company you work for is willing to provide training time during work hours.

With the job market being so volatile lately, there has been a trend where job descriptions have become increasingly daunting, often requiring years of experience for entry-level positions. Some corporations even demand years of experience for technologies that have only recently emerged.

Given that there are only so many hours in a day, realistic expectations must be set for the amount of studying and experience required for someone in the tech industry to stay relevant.

For example:

• Entry Level: 1 year or less of experience has completed some form of an entry level training course

• Jr Level: 2 years of experience and is certied in at least one subject related to there field.

• Senior Level: 3 years of experience has one or more certifications and a project portfolio

The following examples are realistic and give employees the opportunity to learn and grow at a healthy rate. When employers expect multiple certifications and years of experience, most people who land the job have one or the other, but rarely both for entry-level or mid-senior jobs. This causes people just entering the industry to study massive amounts of information at once without being able to properly understand it, all in hopes of landing a job as soon as possible. Those who have been in the industry for a while feel constant pressure to binge study to avoid being replaced.

In a Perfect Job Market…

IT professionals should be expected to keep up with technology based on their seniority level. In a perfect world, if we were able to redefine the job requirements, only senior and mid-senior level roles should be expected to put in extra studying outside of the time provided by their employer to study new developments.

Until we can fix the job market, IT professionals should not be held to the standard of unrealistic years of experience. Instead, new entrants to the industry should take the initiative to create project portfolios that demonstrate their proficiency. These can be made and learned from on YouTube for free, allowing new professionals to learn realistic standards and stay up to date on recent changes in their field and the most relevant topics. More seasoned IT professionals should be held to the standard of having the required certifications, and the experience requirement should be lowered to enter that level. To grow to a senior level, employers need to give people who are qualified educationally a chance to gain more experience at the advanced level and be more willing to overlook the number of years someone has for experience if they show a desire to grow and can easily gain new skills when more resources and opportunities are given.

Burn Brightly, But Don’t Burn Out

The rise of Technology professionals experiencing burn out is rapidly growing due to increased levels of responsibility, overtime and pressure to learn. According to CIO in a recent study “Burnout: An IT Epidemic In The Making” many are struggling with returning back to work in person on top of there extra responsibility’s. “The pandemic’s shift to remote work has triggered a more permanent shift in worker expectations, with only 8% of respondents to a Mason Frank survey saying they’d be happy to work in an office five days a week, whereas 44% prefer fully remote 48% said they preferred hybrid working. And with companies increasingly rolling out return-to-office (RTO) mandates, IT leaders can expect growing dissatisfaction from their staff, as 76% of Mason Frank respondents said they would “reconsider working for their employer if they weren’t offered flexibility around where they worked.”

In fact, remote work has become one of the most sought-after perks, according to Robert Half data, with 63% of IT professionals saying remote work is a key perk. This is ahead of paid parental leave (20%), paid time off for volunteering (19%), company-paid meals and snacks (21%), and employee discounts (29%). In line with employees’ clear desire for flexible work options, 43% also said that they valued remote work business allowances to ensure they have all the necessary resources at home to effectively perform their jobs.

The bottom line is that most professions are now being required to either work longer hours or take on more responsibility. However, not all hope is lost. Many companies are realizing that if they continue at this rate, many employees will quit. As a solution, they are offering more benefits and a flexible remote schedule, allowing employees to be at home with their families or even travel while working.

Every job has some level of stress. The question is, how much are you willing to take?

If you feel the level of expectations is unfair, it is up to us, the next generation of workers, to be vocal about unrealistic expectations. But there is still hope, as many are already vocal, and changes to the job market are starting to take effect. Employers are realizing that it’s better to invest in employees to encourage them to stay long-term!