Five Common Myths in IT Career Management

Career management in IT is often guided by popular myths, and the process of making important career decisions based on these can lead to pitfalls and dissatisfaction.

Here are five such myths to be aware of to enable a more conscious and rational approach to career planning.

Myth 1: Specialization is Always Valuable

Generally, it is valuable and desired among IT professionals to be recognized as an expert in your field. Many aspire to be highly skilled in a particular area to use that expertise to create something useful and be well-compensated for it.

While this is generally true, there are exceptions.

Firstly, specialization may not be valuable for someone whose natural abilities, like leadership, predispose them to a non-expert role. Secondly, it’s not beneficial to specialize in technology that is becoming obsolete. Lastly, evidence (as discussed in the book "Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World" by David Epstein) shows that having broad knowledge is as valuable - if not more - as having deep expertise.

Myth 2: Newer Technologies are Always More Valuable than Older Ones

It’s true that most IT professionals prefer working with newer technologies. But are these always more valuable? Not necessarily.

The most useful technology for your career isn't necessarily the newest, but the one that is most popular in the market. Older technologies have had more time to become widespread and are used more extensively. Newer technologies also have a higher chance of not being accepted by the IT world, e.g., due to security concerns, and usually have smaller communities, meaning fewer opportunities for support and effective learning.

Myth 3: The Best Career Decisions are Based on Data

In advising IT professionals as part of the 7N Career Development Program, many seek to base their career decisions on objective data. They also aim to make their career development process predictable and optimized to ensure quick and significant results.

However, many aspects of life, including professional life, cannot be quantified and optimized. When deciding whether to take a managerial position after being a programmer, personal reflection and prioritizing your values, beliefs, and goals will be more effective than relying solely on data and market predictions.

Myth 4: A Precise, Long-Term Plan is Important for Career Success

It’s commonly believed that people with a precise, long-term plan for their life and career are more effective and achieve more than those who don’t plan or don’t plan precisely. Many recruiters believe this about candidates, asking where they see themselves in five years. While setting SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) can be beneficial, creating a detailed, long-term plan looking several years ahead is often unrealistic and can even be counterproductive or frustrating.

Myth 5: To Have a Successful Career, You Must Find and Devote Yourself to Your Passion

Many programmers claim programming as their passion but don’t seem particularly happy with their careers. Instead, they are frustrated with their boss, the team atmosphere is poor, they are indifferent to the product they develop, and many factors, like management or technological decisions, affecting their work are beyond their control. This is typical of most careers, regardless of whether one’s work is also a passion.

To have a successful career, it’s more realistic to do something that aligns with your natural abilities rather than finding and dedicating yourself to a passion. These abilities are easier to discover and can lead to a fulfilling career.