IT industry is no different from other industries, so all the rules are applicable to any industry you are working in. I have explained below wrt IT industry.
In IT world, you would have commonly seen that what you have read in books and what you follow at work doesn't match. Unfortunately you should follow what's happening in real world.
Here I will mention few steps on how to behave in IT world, so that you succeed at your work place. It should help you in securing your contract or getting promoted at your workplace.
1> Learn and build a solid knowledge base of standard IT procedure and Software Development Lifecycle.
Although you wont be able to use it much, but keeping a strong knowledge base always helps and it will help you in bypassing your supervisor. There are situations when you have a fight or cold war with your supervisor and sometimes the issue escalates to higher management. At that time your higher management cares about your basics, if your basics are correct, you can always prove your manager wrong and secure your job. Sometimes you might get a better position, if your higher management likes your argument. Your
Although you wont be able to use it much, but keeping a strong knowledge base always helps and it will help you in bypassing your supervisor. There are situations when you have a fight or cold war with your supervisor and sometimes the issue escalates to higher management. At that time your higher management cares about your basics, if your basics are correct, you can always prove your manager wrong and secure your job. Sometimes you might get a better position, if your higher management likes your argument. Your
manager must not follow standard IT procedure and SDLC, you will get an advantage of that.
2> Follow what others are following at your work place.
If you are not the best performer and company or project doesn't depend on you, then follow what others are following. by this way you will be secured and you can work on your weak areas and when time comes you can jump to next level. Remember IT world walks like herd of sheep and sheep walking out of the herd is killed first. Always follow what your supervisor want you to follow, slowly when your supervisor becomes fully dependent on you, you can start applying your thoughts.
If you are not the best performer and company or project doesn't depend on you, then follow what others are following. by this way you will be secured and you can work on your weak areas and when time comes you can jump to next level. Remember IT world walks like herd of sheep and sheep walking out of the herd is killed first. Always follow what your supervisor want you to follow, slowly when your supervisor becomes fully dependent on you, you can start applying your thoughts.
3> Always work towards a professional goal.
You goal can be anything from switching your company to getting promoted. Always keep your goal in your mind. Sometimes your fortune may change in seconds. Keeps your ears wide open and try to find out whats going on around your workplace.
You goal can be anything from switching your company to getting promoted. Always keep your goal in your mind. Sometimes your fortune may change in seconds. Keeps your ears wide open and try to find out whats going on around your workplace.
4> Build your competency.
Read books, do certifications, attend training, do whatever you can to improve your knowledge and competency. Remember your knowledge can't be destroyed, so keep upgrading it.
Read books, do certifications, attend training, do whatever you can to improve your knowledge and competency. Remember your knowledge can't be destroyed, so keep upgrading it.
5> Show your management that you are upgrading your knowledge.
Always try convey your manager whenever you upgrade your knowledge or complete any new certification / training. By that way you will be standing out of the queue. Show them that you are willing to spread your knowledge across the team you are working in. How much you want to share your knowledge it's up to you. It's not a good idea to donate everything you have earned with your hard work. I know ethically it'a not right, but this is how IT companies work. Help others but make sure they don't compete with you.
Always try convey your manager whenever you upgrade your knowledge or complete any new certification / training. By that way you will be standing out of the queue. Show them that you are willing to spread your knowledge across the team you are working in. How much you want to share your knowledge it's up to you. It's not a good idea to donate everything you have earned with your hard work. I know ethically it'a not right, but this is how IT companies work. Help others but make sure they don't compete with you.
6> Never discuss your weak areas with your colleagues.
Don't tell anyone that you don't know something. Put it in a way that you know it but you want to confirm it or you have worked on similar tool but the current one looks little different. By this way you are telling them that you don't know how the tool works but you are experienced enough to handle similar tools.
Don't tell anyone that you don't know something. Put it in a way that you know it but you want to confirm it or you have worked on similar tool but the current one looks little different. By this way you are telling them that you don't know how the tool works but you are experienced enough to handle similar tools.
7> Never be modest about your work.
If you have achieved something, you have a right to say that you had to work hard to achieve that. many people say that I was lucky to get it done or I did nothing, it just happened without much effort. Please don't be so down to earth, if you can't change yourself then leave IT world. You colleagues and manager will seriously start thinking that this guy was lucky enough to get the things done.
If you have achieved something, you have a right to say that you had to work hard to achieve that. many people say that I was lucky to get it done or I did nothing, it just happened without much effort. Please don't be so down to earth, if you can't change yourself then leave IT world. You colleagues and manager will seriously start thinking that this guy was lucky enough to get the things done.
You won't get proper appreciation of what you have achieved. For example : you had to get some critical information and to get that info you were suppose to send several emails to several teams, but you got that info in a single email. Never reveal that you got it in a single email, let them think that you have completed this task with a lot of hard work , if someone comes to you and say that you were lucky to get it in a single email, let him know that you had to make several phone calls, attend meetings, chat over instant messenger to get this thing done. It seems like a single email, but it's not.
8> Don't lie at your work.
If you have forgot to do something and you know that it can impact your client or company, accept your mistake. By this way you can get help from others. Everybody makes mistakes but lying will make your problem bigger and sometimes it may lead to a serious revenue loss. In case if your mistake has already created a big problem then provide the exact steps which caused this issue. Take the ownership and work on a plan to make sure that this type of mistake doesn't happen again. Don't let the ownership go to some other team member. You need to build that confidence that you will manage it well from next time. You need to reveal your mistakes only when you are asked to or it has created a big scene, don't need to accept your mistakes if no one cares about the issue or it was resolved without much impact.
If you have forgot to do something and you know that it can impact your client or company, accept your mistake. By this way you can get help from others. Everybody makes mistakes but lying will make your problem bigger and sometimes it may lead to a serious revenue loss. In case if your mistake has already created a big problem then provide the exact steps which caused this issue. Take the ownership and work on a plan to make sure that this type of mistake doesn't happen again. Don't let the ownership go to some other team member. You need to build that confidence that you will manage it well from next time. You need to reveal your mistakes only when you are asked to or it has created a big scene, don't need to accept your mistakes if no one cares about the issue or it was resolved without much impact.
9> Always keep every communication in your email.
Please don't take any task or assurance over phone or in person, ask them to send an email or you send an email with minutes or your discussion. By this way you can secure yourself when management asks you for proof or evidence. Many times we feel like not sending email because recipient sits next to you or he has explained well or he has asked you not to send an email, in that case, create a question out of your discussion and send an email asking him for clarification. In that email mention what you have discussed and then put your question at the end, you question might be silly but by that you have conveyed everyone what you were asked to do.
Please don't take any task or assurance over phone or in person, ask them to send an email or you send an email with minutes or your discussion. By this way you can secure yourself when management asks you for proof or evidence. Many times we feel like not sending email because recipient sits next to you or he has explained well or he has asked you not to send an email, in that case, create a question out of your discussion and send an email asking him for clarification. In that email mention what you have discussed and then put your question at the end, you question might be silly but by that you have conveyed everyone what you were asked to do.
10> Be punctual and behave in a professional manner.
No matter how close are you with your manager, don't involve in any loose talk at your workplace. Behave in a professional manner and always be punctual at work. Professional attire plays a major role in your professional advancement. Just keep your self at your manager's place and think what you expect from your subordinates. Don't be too casual with your supervisor or colleagues. Don't offend your colleagues at your workplace.
No matter how close are you with your manager, don't involve in any loose talk at your workplace. Behave in a professional manner and always be punctual at work. Professional attire plays a major role in your professional advancement. Just keep your self at your manager's place and think what you expect from your subordinates. Don't be too casual with your supervisor or colleagues. Don't offend your colleagues at your workplace.
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