Tip #473 from IT Managers in Perth: When you hang around too long in a role and ‘what you know’ starts to stagnate, then it’s time for ‘who you know’ to come to the rescue.

Had a coffee with a great candidate who’s IT journey basically went something like this:

Accountant role – got bored, did a career change and moved into an IT company because someone he knew could vouch for his intelligence and work ethic.

7 years later he was still there and bored, moved to a different IT company for a while and then through a good friend got offered an IT Manager role at another company. He stayed there too long and found he’d lost his relevant tech skills.

Then someone he worked with previously offered him a role in their consulting company where he updated his skills in cloud tech. Stayed there too long, then was offered another IT manager role because his skills were noticed by someone in one of the projects he led as a consultant.

His take home advice for IT people looking to advance their careers?

Cultivate relationships

It’s not just who you know but how well you cultivate those relationships. If you’re only talking to people when you need something from them, it’s not really a relationship and they won’t be keen to help.

Your work is your worth

Prove your worth through the work that you do. People will gladly offer you employment opportunities, even if you’re not the most qualified candidate, if they know and trust the quality of your output.

Reputation and relationship matters

If you stay somewhere too long and your skills become outdated, your reputation and relationships are what will help you find your next role.

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