If You Want to Work in IT, You Should Do This While You’re in College!

Featured article by Emma Jones, content writer at TechsCrunch

Research shows that the future looks brighter for college students who major in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. So if you’re heading to the STEM profession, your career after college looks promising!

However, just because you have a college degree in related courses doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be granted interviews and offers. You also have to take action to work in IT even while you’re studying. With that said, read on as I show you some tips to follow if you want to work in IT!

High academic achievements isn’t everything you can do to prepare for what happens after graduating. Follow these tips while you’re in college to increase your chances to a good IT job:

1. Hone Your Intellectual, Technical and Soft Skills

In college, you’ll need to study hard and learn as much as you can in your field of academic interest. This levels-up the entire range of intellectual skills, such as analysis, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Yes, that what all those endless argumentative essays are really about – data processing and critical thinking. Alternatively, deciding is PaperHelp reliable or not was also an exercise in analysis and critical thinking, of sorts.

Also, whether you study Computer Science or not, you can concentrate on honing the right current and marketable technical skills companies watch out for. Master programming in different languages and learn working with various databases. Right now, Linux internals and data management is a huge plus for companies looking for IT staff.

However, what college doesn’t prepare you for are the skills you need to be a team member. Don’t forget to hone your soft skills as well, which are interpersonal skills. Practice better communication, better leadership and teamwork, as well as negotiation and conflict resolution. These really help you work efficiently within a company with other people, and have you work your way up!

2. Get Some Hands-on Experience

Did you know college students can join summer internships in IT-related jobs? It isn’t just about getting a job AFTER graduating, it’s best to start working even before you head on to your next stage in life.

Whether it’s a tech support gig in your school or system administration in an actual IT company, get as much work experience as you can. Not only does this prepare you for what’s to come in the future, but it looks great on your CV, which future employers will appreciate!

So try to look for any IT-related internships or seasonal placements well before your next vacation starts – these openings usually fill up quickly.

3. Find Out What You’re Good At

IT is such a broad term and there are so many things to be when you think of IT! That’s why you need to figure out what you’re good at and what you want to do.

When you discover what you want to specialize in, it helps narrow down your job searches. It will also heighten your chances of being accepted in a job you like!

Ask yourself if you want to be a specialist or generalist, a technologist or coder, or maybe someone in marketing and product management instead!

4. Start Looking for Jobs

Don’t wait until it’s actually time to start your first job. If that is possible, begin looking for prospects even as early as a year before your graduation. This is because organizations and companies start recruiting students a semester before they graduate.

Because of this time frame, you have a few months to scope out the available opportunities. You can find out the salary ranges, learn about the potential jobs, and develop experience required for applying and working within a company. Besides, gaining more experience during job interviews makes you more confident. This helps you land a good IT position, too!

4. Network and Join Communities

Last but not least, I highly recommend that you connect and network with like-minded people.

You can do this by joining IT-related seminars, staying in touch with classmates and professors, or even attending meet-ups of professionals in the industry. Joining online IT communities can also be a huge plus, as you learn a lot and can get networking opportunities, too.

Wrapping It Up

While there are many openings and opportunities in the IT world, you have to work hard to grab a chance at it. So start preparing for your future while you study and pave your way to your dream career now!

If you have any more questions or want to share your personal experience and advice with college students, then leave a comment below! Your thoughts are much appreciated.