Last time, we showed that in most corporate environments, there will typically be a mix of Microsoft and non-Microsoft technology in place. In this blog, we want to discuss three approaches to diversification, and how that can help your career.
1. The Broader Approach
The “Broader approach” means to learn more technologies, different from what you already know. This may mean volunteering for new projects that involve technology areas that you are not totally familiar with. By participating in these projects, you will learn new skills that will make you more valuable to your employer and help advance your career and earning power.
If you are starting a self-study program to improve your skill set, what are the key non-Microsoft areas to focus on? I would recommend learning the Linux operating system and the Apache web server (if you are infrastructure focused) or learning Java and Oracle PL/SQL if you are more application development focused. You can’t lose with these technologies. They are widely used complimentary technologies and can only strengthen your resume. This will get you more interviews and potentially qualify you for a mid-level position on day one.
2. The Deeper Approach
The “Deeper approach” means to learn one or two areas very deep – which means that you understand one or two areas well enough to do advanced troubleshooting as well as solutions engineering (design work, planning upgrades, new implementations, etc.). For example, if you are a Messaging Systems Administrator for Exchange, you would get past the basics of setting up new accounts and troubleshooting mailbox issues, and learn things such as (1) Email system Disaster Recovery, (2) Setting up connectors to other systems such as Blackberry and a faxing system, (3) Mail routing to/from the internet including topics like DNS and blacklisting (4) Being able to understand and troubleshoot related components such as Antispam and Antivirus, and (5) Upgrading your mail system to the latest version. Employees who are able to provide deeper knowledge will be more valuable to their companies and therefore have better promotion and advancement opportunities.
3. The Secure Approach
The “Secure approach” means to learn the security and compliance aspect of everything that you do. Every year, I.T. is expected to do more and more to make sure that the information systems are compliant with various laws such as SOX, HIPAA, and PCI DSS. It is a smart career move to become familiar with these laws, and to start to see everything through your “security glasses.” Becoming more secure typically means investing in vendor neutral (third party) security tools. If you are an application developer, it will mean things like creating and following standard procedures, having a source code management system, having regular code reviews performed by a third party, and having software program that can help spot security flaws in a test environment before it ever gets to production. If you are on the infrastructure side, it means creating and following standard procedures, using secure protocols, implementing encryption, keeping up with all the latest security patches, setting up intrusion detection/intrusion prevention, and setting up network segmentation and web application firewalls. All of these security related items have become increasingly popular in the last few years (primarily due to the laws mentioned above and the security threats that are prevalent). You will enhance your career by developing the expertise needed for your company to become secure in these areas and compliant with the law.
