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Your Guide to Making Confident Career Moves in Tech
The start of a new year is an opportunity to reflect, reassess and make intentional decisions about your career. For tech professionals, planning now can help you take advantage of opportunities, navigate emerging trends and advancing your career.
This guide offers practical steps to help you consider, prepare and take confident action in the months ahead.
Reflect on your career to date
- Review your achievements, projects and skills gained over the past year.
- Consider what worked well and what you’d like to change in your next role. Factor in responsibilities, team dynamics and company culture.
- Identify gaps in your knowledge or experience and set concrete goals to address them.
- Tip: Focus on showing how you apply your skills in real contexts. Link them to projects, roles and education to help hiring managers understand your impact. Suggesting clear examples and outcomes makes your profile stand out.
Helpful resource: How to Highlight Skills on LinkedIn to Get Noticed (LinkedIn Business Talent Blog) provides tips on listing and structuring skills that attract recruiter attention.
Understand the tech market
- Look at which areas of tech are hiring and in demand (e.g., data, cloud, cybersecurity).
- Track early hiring signals - new team expansions, company announcements, published salary guides or roles being filled quickly.
- Consider how your skillset aligns with market demand and where you could add unique value.
Helpful resource: Stay up to date on tech hiring trends and market insights by following Tech & Data People on LinkedIn
Build & showcase your personal brand
This is one of the best ways for passive professionals to grow their network and carve out their thought leadership area.
- Ensure your LinkedIn profile and resume clearly highlight your experience, achievements and certifications.
- Share insights, projects or thought pieces that demonstrate your expertise and perspective. Start where you are, be authentic and consistent.
- Engage with your professional network thoughtfully - it’s often these connections that create opportunities.
- Take note of thought leaders you follow. What are the consistent habits they do to build their personal brand?
Helpful resource: LinkedIn Course: Develop Your Personal Brand in Tech with LinkedIn
Network with purpose
- Reach out to mentors, colleagues and recruiters to understand hiring trends and opportunities.
- Attend industry events, webinars or meetups that align with your career goals.
- Be proactive in conversations; learning about future opportunities before they’re advertised gives you an edge.
Set clear, achievable goals
- Define what success looks like for you this year. Gaining a promotion, moving into a new specialisation or working with a particular type of team or company.
- Break down goals into practical steps and timelines.
- Stay flexible and revisit your plan regularly. The most successful career moves are both deliberate and adaptable.
Planning your career intentionally at the start of the year gives you clarity and confidence in the decisions you make. At Tech and Data People, we support candidates with guidance, market insight and access to roles that align with both skills and ambitions.
Looking to explore your next opportunity or discuss the current tech market? Connect with our team today.
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Welcome to Lunch With a Leader, where the Tech & Data People team sits down with IT leaders to uncover their career insights, challenges, and industry perspectives. Each conversation brings valuable lessons, trends, and advice to help our community grow and thrive. Grab a seat at the table and take in the insights from some of the best in the business.
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Welcome to Lunch with a Leader, where the Tech & Data People team sits down with IT leaders to uncover their career insights, challenges, and industry perspectives. Each conversation brings valuable lessons, trends, and advice to help our community grow and thrive. Grab a seat at the table and take in the insights from some of the best in the business.
Welcome to Lunch with a Leader, where the Tech & Data People team sits down with IT leaders to uncover their career insights, challenges, and industry perspectives. Each conversation brings valuable lessons, trends, and advice to help our community grow and thrive. Grab a seat at the table and take in the insights from some of the best in the business.
Why the way you brief, partner, and align at the top matters more than ever.
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