IT Careers: 8 Steps Toward New Business Roles
Moving from a traditional IT role to a more business-focused role has challenges. Consider this advice for a successful transition.
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As information technology becomes more tightly woven into business processes and strategic business planning, IT personnel find themselves being pulled in many directions -- by marketing, sales, the social business team, finance, human resources, customer service and so on. In fact, IT pros might find the work done in other departments more appealing or rewarding -- and decide to jump ship.
In InformationWeek's most recent IT Salary Survey, one-third of IT managers and one in five IT staffers said they report to someone outside of the IT organization for at least half of their time.
InformationWeek asked this question for the first time in the 2013 survey because there's so much discussion about business units controlling more of the IT budget, InformationWeek editor Chris Murphy wrote in his report on the survey results. "When IT pros are embedded in a business unit, that function tends to consume most of their time," Murphy said. "The lesson for IT leaders is that IT pros embedded in marketing or manufacturing won't be able to keep a 'day job' supporting ERP applications or balancing data center workloads."
The survey also found that about one-third of IT staffers and half of managers have formal responsibilities outside of IT, even if they're still part of the IT organization. The most common areas are business development, R&D, non-IT support and marketing. "Anecdotally, we see more IT pros are spending time with marketing and product development teams, as technology becomes a bigger part of these customer-facing disciplines," said Murphy.
Although some IT pros might be dragged to these other disciplines kicking and screaming, others find that their technology skills and background align so well with certain business-focused roles that they want to pursue those jobs in earnest.
The transition from the IT department can be challenging, but it's becoming easier as technology increasingly enters the business discussion. Following are eight pieces of advice from HR expert Tony Deblauwe and executive recruiter Bruce Hurwitz.
Are you an IT person who has made the jump to a different discipline, or who wants to? Please comment here or email me at [email protected].
Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at @debdonston.
Technology might permeate every aspect of business these days, but not all business roles are necessarily suited for someone coming from an IT background. With that said, there are several that make a lot of sense, according to Tony Deblauwe, HR consultant, career coach and executive recruiter. These include quality/test engineering, solutions marketing, and human resources. Of course, your experience, skills and areas of interest should guide your decision.
Your knowledge of technology is one of your biggest selling points as a candidate for a business role. However, you have to be able to speak the language of tech in a dialect that the business can understand and apply. "IT people who speak the language of the masses are in a much better position to make the transition because they know how to explain complex and technical things," said Bruce Hurwitz, president and CEO, Hurwitz Strategic Staffing.
When you're looking for a new job, anyone you network with can provide a potential lead. But when you're trying to move from IT into a new business discipline, Hurwitz advises, it's important to network with people in the industry or profession you want to enter. "[IT people should] build relationships so that they can get 'shadowing' opportunities," he said. "Of course, the goal is to get [business people to recommend IT pros] to employers looking to hire. But such recommendations only come after a relationship has been built and the person trusts the candidate."
Volunteering is a great way to gain experience in the area you want to switch to, Hurwitz points out. "Volunteering at a nonprofit can be helpful," he said. "It's a way to expand a network among professionals who eventually may be of help."
Not every new role will require a new degree, but some will. Even if a new role doesn't require additional education, it can't hurt to take some classes related to your new discipline. Hurwitz noted that going back to school also offers the advantage of the school's career services department. If you prefer the online education route, MOOC options continue to grow.
Experts I spoke with recommend that instead of just adding to your resume, you recast it to focus on the desired new discipline. Of course, it's important to be honest and not to misrepresent yourself, but it's perfectly valid to update your resume in a way that expresses how your existing skills and experience are relevant to the position you are seeking and how they will successfully translate.
It's important for any professional to have social media presence, and it's a general best practice to promote your skills and expertise by producing and sharing relevant content and by joining and participating in professional groups. This is especially important when you're looking for a new job in a different discipline, because you have the opportunity to focus these activities in your desired area.
Don't expect the shift to happen overnight, and whatever you do, don't quit your day job. "Be prepared for the transition to take some time, and don't quit your job until you have a new one," advised Hurwitz. "It's a marathon, not a sprint."
Don't expect the shift to happen overnight, and whatever you do, don't quit your day job. "Be prepared for the transition to take some time, and don't quit your job until you have a new one," advised Hurwitz. "It's a marathon, not a sprint."
As information technology becomes more tightly woven into business processes and strategic business planning, IT personnel find themselves being pulled in many directions -- by marketing, sales, the social business team, finance, human resources, customer service and so on. In fact, IT pros might find the work done in other departments more appealing or rewarding -- and decide to jump ship.
In InformationWeek's most recent IT Salary Survey, one-third of IT managers and one in five IT staffers said they report to someone outside of the IT organization for at least half of their time.
InformationWeek asked this question for the first time in the 2013 survey because there's so much discussion about business units controlling more of the IT budget, InformationWeek editor Chris Murphy wrote in his report on the survey results. "When IT pros are embedded in a business unit, that function tends to consume most of their time," Murphy said. "The lesson for IT leaders is that IT pros embedded in marketing or manufacturing won't be able to keep a 'day job' supporting ERP applications or balancing data center workloads."
The survey also found that about one-third of IT staffers and half of managers have formal responsibilities outside of IT, even if they're still part of the IT organization. The most common areas are business development, R&D, non-IT support and marketing. "Anecdotally, we see more IT pros are spending time with marketing and product development teams, as technology becomes a bigger part of these customer-facing disciplines," said Murphy.
Although some IT pros might be dragged to these other disciplines kicking and screaming, others find that their technology skills and background align so well with certain business-focused roles that they want to pursue those jobs in earnest.
The transition from the IT department can be challenging, but it's becoming easier as technology increasingly enters the business discussion. Following are eight pieces of advice from HR expert Tony Deblauwe and executive recruiter Bruce Hurwitz.
Are you an IT person who has made the jump to a different discipline, or who wants to? Please comment here or email me at [email protected].
Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at @debdonston.
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