Diversifying Beyond IT Knowledge

The best thing about being in IT is that you can work basically anywhere.  There will always be a need for IT professionals.  And of course understanding the fundamentals of IT is important in an IT career; however, the value of gaining knowledge in other areas of general business practices makes you more rounded and can be the difference between an IT professional and a specialist.

One common trait in CEOs are they typically have a financial background.  Some of the largest companies in the United States such as Berkshire Hathaway, UnitedHealth Group, McKesson, CVS Health, and AT&T, all have college degrees relating to finance.  And although the focus of this post is related to IT professionals, understanding what makes a successful career and CEO will help any profession.

"I work on computers, why do I need to know anything other than computers?".  Well, the answer is simple, growth.  If you want to grow within your career, it's important to be able to discuss intelligently with your superiors and peers on all aspects of the business you're in.  For example, if you work at a bank in the IT department, it's vital to understand banking rules and regulations in order to be successful and provide the most useful contributions to your company.  The banking industry uses technology such as ACH (automated clearing house) to process electronic transactions.  Understanding how ACH works, even though it's not what one may consider IT, is vital to ensure that you're providing the highest level of support available.  You don't need to know every single aspect of your employer, but enough to provide meaningful contributions.

I recommend people in the IT industry take as many soft skill courses/seminars as possible.  Soft skills are interpersonal or people skills such as time management, public speaking, leadership, teamwork, flexibility, and communication.  They're different from hard skills, which are acquired through formal education or training, basically the knowledge on how to perform your job.  These soft skills will allow you to speak with confidence to your superiors.  Being able to communicate effectively could make the difference in being able to obtain a $10k piece of IT equipment, and having to settle for what you already have.

An IT professional will sometimes need to get large purchases approved by the company's CEO or board of directors.  Having the skills to present information in a method that will be understood by your audience is key to a successful request.  Because let's face it, explaining to another IT professional that understands what you're talking about is easy, but tailoring your discussion to non-IT people takes practice.

But don't get caught up too much in the non-IT related side of the business, so much so that you lose touch with the technology aspect, because this is an easy thing to get trapped in.  Pigeonholing yourself into one particular non-IT industry can be dangerous and make you less valuable in the job market place.  In summary, here are some things to diversify and continue to grow your worth:

• Obtain Soft Skills
• Learn About Your Business
• Use Your Newly Found Business Knowledge to Find Technological Efficiencies

These tips will allow you to easily switch employers if needed, and will show your perspective employer that you are willing and able to learn things beyond IT.