In an evolving sector where remote and hybrid opportunities are abundant, it can be easy to become overlooked in technology careers.
Whilst stereotypically, technology professionals work under the radar, there are many ways to stay visible both within your immediate team and the business.
Two ways in which I have become, and stayed, visible are through expanding my skill set by getting involved in opportunities and pursuing areas where there is room for improvement.
Opportunities can come in many forms and in some cases, they may appear unattractive if they sit outside your current work remit. However, by taking these up, you can become visible to a wider audience and gain recognition for this.
For example, in addition to my current role, I took on the responsibility of being an ‘Engagement Champion’ and ‘Voice Network Representative’. This was for two reasons, firstly to improve workplace satisfaction within my immediate team of eight staff members and secondly within the wider technology team consisting of over 200 colleagues. Whilst I would occasionally collaborate with database administrators and system developers, I previously did not have any other exposure to colleagues from different teams. However, as a result of my new duties, I was able to converse with a range of colleagues, implement positive change where possible and put names to faces. This led to further visibility for me with my efforts being recognised through awards and nominations including Atlanta Group Technology Best Newcomer 2023 and Markerstudy Distribution Technology Department’s ‘Step Up’, Unsung Hero and Kudos awards in 2024.
Using self-awareness and professional knowledge, both on a personal and organisational level, are other powerful tools in aiding visibility. From my early career as a degree apprentice up to now, I have always been keen to learn and one area I personally developed was my understanding of best practice in data governance. Data governance can be applied anywhere and I’ve been able to apply my learnings in a number of roles. Whilst this may seem like an area that is confined within business intelligence teams, having knowledge of it provides an opportunity to collaborate with stakeholders across the business from understanding if their reports are actively required to sharing report repositories with users once reports have been documented with their purpose and business contacts.
Even if you are just starting a career in technology or in a new business, you can still be visible. For example, I established a business knowledge base for the team so colleagues could benefit from gaining exposure to different departments. As part of this initiative, I booked in weekly knowledge sharing sessions with key business areas so that my team could develop a better understanding of how each department contributes to providing a service for our customers. As part of these conversations, I encouraged discussion on how data and reporting can help facilitate their business functions, as well as reviewing what is in place and what could be introduced. Through having these discussions, my team benefitted from understanding the business further and the business had visibility of what the MI team do, consequently facilitating enhanced collaboration with our stakeholders.
Regardless of whether you are starting your career in the tech industry or are an established tech professional, you can always stay visible in your career. Remember, if the opportunities are not there, it is time to create them!
