How to Thrive in Today's Job Market: Five Tips for IT Professionals

Tip No. 4: Educate yourself on upcoming technology trends

There is a lot of potential for people who can work with new technologies or leverage existing technologies in a new way to benefit the business. It is important to brush up on the latest trends such as viral, social and mobile technologies to ensure that your business doesn't miss out on the opportunity to enhance the brand, reach more customers and become more profitable.

Speak up if you come across a new trend that could potentially benefit your company. Although your employer may not be able to adopt every idea, your effort to stay informed will not go unnoticed—especially when you are relaying knowledge that demonstrates the business value of adopting a new technology.

Tip No. 5: Act as a mentor and share your knowledge for the good of the company

Some IT professionals like to protect their knowledge to ensure their job security. While this tactic might buy you a few months or even a year, it won't buy you an entire career. In fact, keeping it all to yourself will most likely burn some bridges and hinder your long-term growth potential. IT professionals who tend to be the most sought after are the ones who have the ability to mentor and educate other team members on IT skills that can benefit the company. 

Take note of what skills you possess in comparison to other employees and offer advice on projects with which they might be struggling. Employers appreciate workers who demonstrate a willingness to help others, especially when the end result improves the efficiency of the tech team.

Remember, you have the ability to control your own destiny. There are many ways to distinguish yourself as a valuable resource and boost your job security. Take the time to understand your business, continue learning new skills, and make a dedicated effort to ensure that each project ultimately benefits the business in the long run.

Rich Milgram is the founder and CEO of Beyond.com. Rich is a subject matter expert on the topics of online recruitment, software development and applications, career consulting, entrepreneurship and identity protection. Rich holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Boston University. He can be reached at richm@beyond.com.