You must be happy and excited about your current job and the technology that you are working with. So, you may wonder how this site will be of any use to you? Well, we are sure that you will benefit from this site in many ways, even if you are currently employed.
This site can provide you with information about how you can improve your current technical skills, help you to participate in the technical forum, and evaluate your current skills. Or, you could also just browse through the various articles that are posted online. We have people working at the Architect Level for almost all technologies. Articles posted in this site cover topics ranging from choosing the right skills, tips on how to prepare for US/UK or any other job abroad, overseas study-guides, preparatory guides like “Coming to UK”, etc. It also provides information on certification details, facilitates meeting experts in your technology area, and provides many more such interesting avenues to broaden your skills.
Apart from all the above, you can also choose to serve as a volunteer and help the job-seekers by sharing your experiences and answering their challenging questions. To become a volunteer, choose “Want to be Volunteer” option.
As a software engineer, you have gained certain amount of experience and skill in certain technologies. But you feel that your career is not growing the way you would have liked it to. You want to move to the next level in your career path but are unsure of what you need to do. In short, you have a lot of questions but no answers. This is where the JobGuideIndia Expert team can help you. With a team of experts who have gained experience in various areas of career development, the JobGuideIndia Expert team can provide you not only an answer, but guidance on different aspects of your career.
Our team specially focuses on your questions/concerns on
What is the best certification I can take?
Is there any value in taking a particular certification?
How do I apply for US/UK jobs?
How about choosing an employer who will sponsor my work visa?
How do I get initial help when I travel to a country?
I am filing for my H1B visa through XYZ organization. How do I get information on how the company is doing?
What are the technologies that are currently in demand in USA or UK or any other country?
How to apply for a Masters Degree program abroad?
What will be my billing range in a specific country?
What is the value of my skills? Will this hold any value in USA?
And many more….
You can post your question(s) in the discussion forum/send e-mail/ schedule a call/chat on specific topics. Our team of experts will try to provide you with an answer and the necessary guidance in a week’s time.
The discussions that follow are aimed at helping working professionals irrespective of any skill/technology.
- Stay satisfied
Choose the right skills and the right company based on your career aspirations and talent. You should enjoy your work and try and learn something new from your daily work. Only this will give you job satisfaction. Try not to work for money alone. If you don’t like the work environment or the technology or project, don’t hesitate to look for a change. You can’t put your 100% effort into something that you don’t like. You should be able to celebrate your work as successful in your career.
- Stay current
Try to stay on top of any new release/version that comes in the technology that you are currently working. The IT market is constantly changing its face. So, keep an eye on the market to see what’s new in the technology that you work with. Always keep yourself updated with the latest trends in your choice of technology by attending conferences, going through websites, reading white papers, attending training or even having a discussion with your friends.
- Know your Market
You should evaluate your skills and market requirements periodically. This will help you decide whether you are marketable as a professional. We know of many people who have stayed in the same project or have worked in production support for a long time and did not keep up with the market trends. When they wanted to change their job, they had to start from the beginning to catch up with the latest trend. Hence, it is advisable to stay updated.
- Be Certified
It is good to have certification on the technology/tool you work. Before spending time and money on the certification, verify if that is going to add value to your skill or career. For example, taking certification in Java, Networking (Cisco, Novell), DBA etc. will be helpful to your career but taking certification on Informatica (an ETL tool) will not be of much help unless you have work experience in that tool. Even through it is conducted by vendor, the job market doesn’t demand for this certification. (You can refer to our Certification Guide for suggested certifications).
- Have overseas/onsite exposure
Having experience working at the client-site will help you in your career growth. Even if you don’t like to travel, try to make shot-term visits to client places to different countries. This will definitely give weight to your resume when you apply for next job or when you go abroad.
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Maintain a good relationship with your ex-company and ex-supervisors
Don’t break the relationship with your company/manager/colleague when you move to your next job. It will be very helpful to get a reference or if you want to return in case the new job doesn’t suit you.
- Be a computer programmer not a Java programmer
You must be ready to take up any challenge in your career. You should be ready for a change in your technology, if the requirement arises. For example, if your project is going from Java to .Net, don’t panic; just update yourself if your company expects it, so that you can handle the project. Most of the time companies are not looking for experts who are not able to work in different technologies. They are on the lookout for a “can do” attitude people who will be able to deliver projects for them. To succeed in an IT career, you should accept changes and be interested in learning new technologies.
- Stay professional
Most of the companies will give an opportunity to improve your professional skills. Don’t try to push your personal thoughts into your career surroundings. Try to follow the predefined process and culture. If you have any great idea, try to sell your idea so that everyone agrees and approves it. Companies are moving to process dependency rather than depending on the capabilities of a few people in the organization.
- Get a Master’s degree
Having a Master’s degree will help you in many ways, including your promotion, visa for foreign opportunity, getting work permit/citizenship etc. If you have a Bachelor’s degree in engineering or any other bachelor degree, try to complete a Master’s degree program in Information Technology related specialization, through regular or distance education. You can get your MS degree from BITS, Pilani, MCA from Bharathidasan University and many other universities while you work. Many companies have tie-ups with various institutes and offer you an opportunity to study for a Master’s degree program while you are working. Try to choose an organization which has this kind of tie-up and join the course if you get an opportunity to work for them. You may have to choose the employer based on your need. Refer to our ‘Student’ section for more details on your educational needs.
- Validate your skills when you change
If you want to change your job within India, it doesn’t matter. If you plan to move to USA or any other overseas opportunity, you have to verify whether your skill has a market demand in that country. The value and demand for your skills vary depending on the company and country. For example, in India, Java and Software Testing, both the skills are considered at par or salaries for these skills are more or less the same. But it is not same in the USA. If you are moving to USA to make money, ensure you master a skill that is well-paid for and it is easy to find projects in that skill set.
- Have Computer Science Degree
Most of you might have moved to an IT career from various other areas of study (for example, Mechanical, Civil or with a Commerce background). Such degree-holders will find it easier to move abroad if they get an IT or Computer related degree such as MCA/M.Sc/MS in IT through distance education or even as a part-time degree.