Essential Skills to Launch Your IT Career with a Competitive Advantage!

If you’re looking to launch a career in IT in Canada, your timing is perfect. The Canadian tech industry is a growth area that’s evolving rapidly and offering new employment opportunities every day. Aspiring IT professionals who want the competitive advantage can get the “hard skills” they need by enrolling in an IT program that leads to industry-recognized certifications. Programs like Anderson College’s Advanced Diploma in Cisco and Red Hat Engineering are uniquely designed to help steer IT careers in the direction of success.

Alongside training fundamentals, employers are looking to hire well-rounded candidates who have particular work patterns, abilities and professional attributes. It’s often these “soft skills” that help you perform your job effectively and increase your ability to stand out from the competition. Do you have what it takes? Learn what skills you can cultivate to make sure you reach your IT career objectives.

Technical Fundamentals

First things first: know your stuff. Whether you’re training in software development, network administration, database management, or other IT subfield, it’s essential you command the technical skills to perform your duties. As a network engineer in Cisco technology, you’ll be responsible for the set-up, maintenance and day-to-day operations of all kinds of computer systems and components. When you’re starting out, it helps to know a little about a lot of different areas, from IP setup and wireless routers to cloud computing, and more.

As you nail down coding skills, pick up a bit of several languages. Supplementing your core know-how shows employers you’re a systems thinker, demonstrates your versatility and shows your eagerness to learn more.

Organization and Time Management

IT professionals need to be organized, efficient multi-taskers who are self-motivated. When IT systems are running optimally, they often go unnoticed, but hiring managers know what skills and effort their IT personnel put towards setting them up and keeping them working smoothly. IT projects are often large, long-term affairs, so the ability to plan ahead, allocate time and money effectively and meet deadlines is critical. Showing you have these skills can be as simple as showing up to meetings on time and keeping your workplace tidy, or as wide-ranging as leading a project to completion under budget and on schedule.

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Analytical Skills and Problem Solving

IT is essentially problem solving. IT professionals with analytical skills know how to think critically and anticipate problems before they happen. Logical thinkers are adept at troubleshooting, running diagnostics on situations and data to figure out what’s wrong, and implementing creative, lasting solutions. These might be simple problems, like a server being down or a case of non-compiling code, or more serious, complex issues. When solutions don’t immediately present themselves, IT pros keep working on the problem. Tenacity and perseverance go hand-in-hand with analytical strengths.

Creativity and Innovation

A fast-moving industry like IT values people who can think creatively and innovate. Companies need to improve their products and processes to transform and grow, and need inventive, resourceful people to help get them there. Fresh, outside-the-box thinking can give you a competitive edge and keep you, your colleagues and bosses invested and engaged.

Communication and Leadership

IT work is teamwork, so people skills, cooperation and leadership are essential. You’ll also be called on to explain things to colleagues and customers who don’t share your technical knowledge, so it’s advisable to gain proficiency in oral and written communications.

Curiosity and Adaptability

Technologies, systems and methods are constantly changing, so IT personnel need to keep learning to stay cutting-edge and advance their careers. Curiosity, adaptability and flexibility are valuable traits in an industry driven by innovation.

The tech industry has excellent opportunities for candidates with the right skills. Anderson’s IT training courses help you acquire the hard and soft skills that IT hiring managers are looking for, and the knowledge-base necessary to pursue specialized certifications, including the highly sought Cisco certification.

If you’re interested in embarking on your Cisco and Red Hat Engineering career or finding a fit with one of our other 30 leading-edge programs, connect with one of our Admissions Advisors today and let’s get you started!