Abstract

After many years in the IT industry, I have personally learned from the experience of others that how we allow someone to make us feel about ourselves is ultimately up to us. In my long tenure in the IT industry, there is not a situation I have not been through. Today, I thought I'd provide some insight and share some common issues and counter approaches.

Note

Be informed that I don't mean to target any person, group, title, or role in the IT industry. All the points below are my personal experiences and what I keep hearing from my connections in various continents across the globe.

I hope you will be able to read between the lines, apply some of the suggestions, and work on building a better career.

My wish for you

I do wish all the success and happiness to all of you, I really do. I also wish that you have a great future and career path.

# Learning from Past Resolution for New Year 2016
1 Working late in office. When you do that, you encourage wrong expectations. However, there are always exceptions. Reach the office on time and leave the office on time. This will allow you to spend time on yourself or with family. Be aware that sometimes critical deliverable, production issues, etc. may push you to start early and finish late.
2 Don’t be afraid of losing your job and live with this fear year after year. Always remember that companies need good resources, so your job is to bring value to the company and team and stop worrying about it.
3 Be nice but not weak Don’t encourage bossy behavior in the team from anyone. Be nice and polite, but stay strong at the same time.
4 You say "YES," when actually you wanted to say "NO." Listen, plan, and then act accordingly. Even if you have to say "Yes" then understand the expectations before you commit on such a task.
5 Asked to work on an unrealistic deadline Your hard work bring value to company and team. Many times working on tight and critical deadlines require a lot of planning, dedication and focus. Be ready to go above and beyond and if this is not your cup of tea, then let your superior know.
6 All your work’s credit was either stolen or given to others. Make sure that your work is properly recognized and appreciated. Don’t allow anyone, I mean anyone, to steal the credit of your GREAT work and white label that with their name.
7 You don't think proactively and plan your career. Come out of this "job" mindset and think more in terms of a long term career.
8 You learned nothing, or very little. Learn the technology of your focus area; this year buy more books and read at least 50% of each book(s) you have.
9 You didn’t focus on your weaknesses. If you know your weaknesses, then work on those this year. A little progress on a daily basis will reap great results.
10 You don't have a link with LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a good social media resource to connect with like-minded people, join technology groups and read articles etc.
11 You have no time after your job. I would agree that you must have been very busy with office work. I suggest that stop time-management; instead, manage your focus this year.

Shift your focus from job to career, and every day when you go to work, look for what will help you build your career.
12 Everything is good and you are comfortable.
Remember, the enemy of the best is not the worst, it’s what is merely good. So if you think you are doing well and you're comfortable then you are at the wrong place, and this comfort zone is a sweet poison. So seek knowledge, challenges, and growth in your career.
Seek challenges in your current role, try to learn what it takes to own/observe more responsibilities.
* Learning Resources www.RoadAheadSolutions.com/Learning
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Summary

The points above may or may not be applicable to everyone, and you should reflect on a case-by-case basis whether they apply to you. Hence, I do suggest that you use this information as a tool and see if it can be of benefit to you. It’s very important that you read between the lines and get the right context from each suggestion I have provided.