We have engineers graduated in thousands every year across the entire country. In that, the majority is hired by IT companies. I completed my B.Tech in 2012. I was not untouched by the grip of IT either. Back then, I also started my journey as a Software engineer with a leading IT company. As we enter into the next decade, I would take some time to share with you 7 important life lessons I learned from working in the IT industry.
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1. Be up to date with the latest technologies:
IT industry as we all know is highly dynamic. Some new technology pops up every other day. We have moved from Databases to Big Data. The demand for AI and Data Science has exploded. IoT and BlockChain is upcoming. We have to stay up to date with all the technologies to stay relevant in the industry.
The same tactic can be utilized in our day to day life as well. The use of technology can make our life easy if we do stay in touch with the latest. For example, Mobile Apps can become an integral part of our life because of its innumerable benefits. The use of a mobile banking app can save you hours of trouble visiting a bank branch. Similarly, elder parents can learn to use video calls to talk to their kids studying or working abroad or in other cities. Unlike in our IT jobs, knowledge of some technical updates and advancements can make our life way better. Agreed?
2. Verbal communication matters the least:
This lesson is a bit bitter out of the Seven life-changing lessons I learned from working in the IT industry. Many of us must have faced this situation in our work life. We do trust some colleague or senior with something he/she says and then at a later point in time feel betrayed and fooled because the person has changed his/her mind or never meant any word said at all.
IT employees do imagine their own startup or any other business. Many of us do feel that we will not remain an employee forever. At that point, we will need a team of closely trusted people for the venture. So I believe it is important to have a habit of getting commitments on mail or contract etc to ensure people fulfill their commitment and bring in transparency. It also brings to light how serious the person is about anything.
3. Regular Maintenance:
All the software and applications go through regular maintenance activities. New patches, software upgrades, cleaning unwanted codes and files to clear up space, etc is mandatory for the applications to work seamlessly.
The same is what I believe is required for us to lead a happy life. We got to clear all unwanted materials and stuff from the house we no longer need, rearrange our shelves and tidy it. This gives us space and clarity of what new things we need next. Similarly, get rid of toxic people and relations that make us unhappy and give way to new friends and relations. Additionally, regular health checkups are also a must I would say. After all, with a well-maintained body only can we lead a fulfilling life.
4. Share your knowledge pool with someone:
Every IT employee possesses skills like aptitude, communication, problem-solving, etc. apart from the various technologies and management skills. We had none of these from our very birth. If we look back, what we are today is a result of all the learning and lessons we have assembled from the several known and unknown people around us. Would it not be a fulfilling experience if we share our pool of knowledge with someone else and help her/him rise in career? I learned about returning to society from my first IT employer and it immediately struck a chord. I do not miss a chance to spread the good karma :).
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5. Continuous improvement in life:
This one is my favorite out of the seven life-changing lessons I learned from working in the IT industry!! I read about continuous improvement in the DevOps methodology a couple of months ago. How it does improve the application on a continuous basis just blew my mind. Probably the ones who are actually involved in generating continuous improvement will know the hard work involved.
I mulled over this technique. Learning something to an extent is so easy. It is the improvement part which is tough because that is where one faces maximum challenge and resistance. This essentially takes one out of their comfort zone which a majority of us dislike. But that is how someone becomes a master of a skill. I realized I need to improve in so many things that affect my work and life directly. Now I am following this habit quite seriously. Hoping to reap some benefits soon.
6. Earn from other sources:
The IT industry I feel has become a lot turbulent and uncertain. We regularly hear news about the attrition of employees from various IT firms. In the light of this uncertainty, its good to generate other avenues of earnings. I am sure no one would mind a new source of income. There are some interesting ways of earnings provided in this article. Have a look. Do comment if there is any other interesting way of earning.
6 Part Time Jobs For IT Engineers To Earn Extra Money
7. Interact with myriad kind of people:
Earlier I was in a project where I regularly interacted with people from countries like Poland, Costa Rica, Japan, the US, etc. I made some good friends and learned so many new things. With regular interactions with them, I realized that the way they live their life is so different from ours though we spend the major part of our day working in the same industry. Why was what I kept asking myself.
I concluded and started to implement two prominent things. First is that they give their best in anything they do. Be it eating, sleeping, working, playing or anything else. Another is to always stay positive and optimistic. It is not an easy habit to inculcate. I have worked on these for a couple of years now and I can see some changes in my life already. It is a great feeling to meet and interact with as many beautiful people as you can in this life. Just go for it.
To each his/her own. You may have a different set of lessons from your own work experience. You might not find some of the above lessons good enough as well. It will be very interesting to know about those in the comment sections. Do let us know.