4 Reasons Being a Tech Geek is Good For Your Career
All of those people who made fun of you for being a tech geek in high school probably want to be your best pal on Facebook now. That’s because tech geeks have skills that can help anyone’s career. Here are 4 ways your geeky abilities give you an advantage.
Reason #1: Your Geeky Friends Own Successful Businesses
Holding LAN parties at your mom’s house during high school might not have made you one of the cool kids, but it put you in a crowd of people who had their sights set on higher goals. It also gave you a head-start on computer science skills that most people don’t learn until college.
You can take advantage of this by staying in contact with your old friends. Many of them probably own successful businesses now.
Don’t forget to keep making connections with like-minded people. Attending conferences that cater to the nerd crowd is a great way to meet successful people who might have opportunities that will push your career forward.
Reason #2: You’re Way Beyond LinkedIn
Every professional and even a lot of amateurs use LinkedIn to network with people in their fields. That’s a great way to find new opportunities, but it’s also a little limited. But if you keep up with the latest tech trends, then you know better ways to get your name out into the world. You could:
- Build an app that shows off your skills
- Design a website that uses the latest HTML5 trends
- Use a blog to generate traffic to your professional website
Every industry needs people familiar with technology. Showing off your tech skills could make you more appealing to get jobs at Fisher Investments, nonprofit organizations, staffing firms, and pretty much any other business.
Tech-savvy people are in demand, so you let the world know what you can do launch your career to higher levels.
Reason #3: You Can Use Your Skills to Stand Out at Work
Regardless of your field, tech skills can help you stand out from your colleagues. Use those skills to show upper management that you aren’t like other people. You have something special to offer.
The next time the IT crew is too busy and you know how to solve a problem with an obvious solution, jump in and get the computers working again. Suddenly, you’re not just another teacher, banker, or real estate agent. You’re someone who knows how to tackle difficult problems and keep the business on track.
Reason #4: Information Technology Careers Have Huge Growth Potential
Following the tech industry means that you know more about information technology that the average person. If you use your interest to earn degrees or certifications, then you could quickly enter the IT field.
IT has huge growth potential that makes it a steady career path. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that software development jobs will grow by 30 percent between 2010 and 2020. Few industries offer that kind of job stability.
What other reasons do you think being a tech geek is good for your career? What skills have helped you most?
Share this:
Category: Career
