I get asked a lot about tech careers. An industry focus remains essential while acquiring tech skills. You don’t want to become good at something you don’t enjoy, so make sure that your skills contribute to an industry which excites you. Blog about it. Organize events. Find willing mentors.

Industry Alignment

I began my consulting career in the financial services industry. Now, I focus on sectors doing impactful work. The values alignment is a starting point. Industry knowledge becomes the lynchpin. The learning never ends. A tribe which accelerates your growth should be your sticking point.

Re-tooling with Certs

Once the industry focus is clear, I recommend a certification-based approach. Decide if you’re going to become an information worker or a developer. Software development is different from the realm of tech certs. It’s a bit more challenging to achieve the programming skills summarized in this report. The information worker’s value increases based on the number of certs achieved which are validated by hands-on experience. You can always volunteer to work as an intern to prove your knowledge. Building a website like this one is not that difficult.

Never Ending Bucket List

I’ve had in-depth exposure to some certs and skimmed through others. Whether you are beginning your career or re-tooling to meet market demand, these certs are worth pursuing:

• Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect
• Information security certifications
• ITIL
• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP)
• Salesforce Certification overview
• Customer Success Management- seriously consider a degree program

There’s a massive shortage of workers with relevant skills. A treasure trove of resources can help you gain mastery. I feel like I’m always behind even as an industry veteran. Technical certification assures relevance in most industries. Don’t leave home without at least one. 😁