IT and its associated areas of knowledge are a big deal in today’s business world, so the more you know about information technology, the better. So how do you keep up on all of the advances and progress in this field?
Follow these five tips to make your own continuing education pathway in the world of the IT professional: check to see what IT consulting firms offer to businesses, look up free (or sometimes paid) tutorials online, read the magazines and news sites that have daily updates, practice your IT knowledge at home, and look for certificate opportunities when possible.
See What IT Companies Offer
Want to learn about IT but don’t know where to start? Simply find a professional IT website and see what they offer. Do you understand the services they are describing? If not, then that’s where you should start your education, or at least your vocabulary concerning the industry.
Look for Free Tutorials Online
There are thousands of free IT tutorials available online. The information itself is particularly widespread, so when you’re scanning the possibilities, what you’ll be doing is trying to find the ones that suit your particular learning style. You might have to read some books, or maybe listen to some lectures, or even go through some sort of virtual hands on learning. It will be up to you to find out what works with your schedule and your brain.
Read the Magazines and News Sites
By constantly reading the latest IT news, you’ll be furthering your IT education every day. In the past, it was difficult to access some of this information, but now it’s available for free, at the click of a button, and even on your mobile devices! There’s never been a better time to learn about many topics and industries, and information technology is at the top of this list because it’s so prevalent in so many different business situations.
Practice Your Personal IT Work
IT work can be practiced at home, too! Do you have a few computers? A router? A wireless printer? Play with network settings. Learn how your modem works. At home, you don’t even have to worry about affecting clients. If you live in a house with a significant other and some kids, do some troubleshooting sessions with them. You’d be surprised how much translates to a work environment.
Look for Certificate Opportunities
There are lots of opportunities to get IT certification as well. There are reputable and less than reputable places to get these, and they come at varying degrees of cost, but the point ultimately is to learn about IT rather than just get the paper, so keep that in mind when enrolling.