Effectiveness of a Career Development Intervention for Young Employees

The Factors That Influence Cultural Development

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Certain factors can influence an individuals career and its development, both directly and indirectly. While these factors differ from person to person, notable ones include earning potential, level of education and geographical location. For some workers, the main source of motivation is earning power; meaning that their desire to draw as much salary as possible influences the decisions they make about their career. Other employees prefer staying in a certain geographical area and may turn down career advancement opportunities that involve relocation. One external factor that has influenced my career development as an Information Technology (IT) analyst is experience.

How Experience has Influenced My Career Development

When I graduated with a degree in IT, I knew I was in possession of a crucial asset when it comes to securing a job and advancing my career. However, I soon found out that my academic qualifications were not the only way to make advancements in my chosen field. Work experience is a crucial attribute with respect to being workplace-steady and gaining crucial skills that are not taught in a school setting. It is especially important in the IT industry given anticipations that the sector will grow faster than the average rate in other industries throughout the near future.

At the moment, I am working at an entry-level position. I have realized that this industry has plenty of opportunities and that someone can progress career-wise very quickly. However, to achieve this, a significant amount of work experience is required. Experience enables someone attain soft skills such as communication, teamwork and commercial awareness. Employers value these skills and see them as crucial in climbing the corporate ladder. I realized the management of the company I work for desire competitive advantage and are of the opinion that it can only be attained of its employees get sufficient exposure and experience.

How I have Responded to the Need for Experience

I have taken a number of measures to ensure that I get the experience required to further my IT career. A notable strategy I learnt involves learning as much as possible about the industry by myself. Unlike the case of professions such as medicine and law, IT professionals have a unique opportunity of practicing their craft outside of the work setting. Upgrades of networking equipment and computer systems are done so often that educational institutions and businesses often do away with outdated equipment. By scavenging old and worn-out equipment used in the IT sector, it can provide me with excellent materials for experimentation and practice that will turn offer valuable experience. Getting my hands dirty while carrying out projects at home will enable me hone my skills without fear of causing damage to any organizations expensive equipment.

Doing voluntary IT work is another strategy that I have taken in order to gain more useful experience. I work the 9-to-5 shift on weekdays; a situation that gives some free time in the evenings and during the weekend. I realized that volunteering to work for labor-constrained organizations is a useful way of getting hands-on IT experience. Examples of institutions that I volunteer for include non-profit organizations, churches and school districts as they always find themselves requiring technical support. In addition to giving me an opportunity to give back to the society, voluntary work also offers resume-boosting experience. Sometimes if I do satisfactory work, the institution I am working for can offer recommendations crucial to my career development.

References

Akkermans, J., Brenninkmeijer, V., Schaufeli, W. B., & Blonk, R. W. (2015). It's All About CareerSKILLS: Effectiveness of a Career Development Intervention for Young Employees. Human Resource Management, 54(4), 533-551.

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