What do you do if you want to stand out as an entry-level IT Strategy professional?
If you are starting your career in IT Strategy, you might be wondering how to stand out from the crowd and impress your employers, clients, and colleagues. IT Strategy is a broad and complex field that requires both technical and business skills, as well as the ability to communicate effectively and think creatively. In this article, we will share some tips and best practices that can help you succeed as an entry-level IT Strategy professional.
One of the first steps to becoming a competent IT Strategy professional is to understand the domain you are working in. This means learning about the industry, market, customers, competitors, and trends that affect your organization or client. You should also familiarize yourself with the business goals, vision, mission, and values of your stakeholders, and how IT can support them. By knowing your domain, you can identify the opportunities and challenges that IT Strategy can address, and tailor your solutions accordingly.
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Rui Venâncio
Business & IT Consulting | Technology, Strategy & Innovation | European Institutions | 🎓 MIT Executive Education, PMP, PMI-ACP, CSM, CSPO
To succeed in IT Strategy, it is key to have a profound understanding of your industry and the business objectives of your stakeholders. You must align IT initiatives with organisational goals and use technology to push the company forward confidently. Identifying opportunities for innovation and navigating challenges with precision requires a comprehensive understanding of how technology fits in the business world. You should develop customised solutions that meet immediate needs and contribute to the organisation's long-term success.
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YUSUF RAWAT
●AWS ARCHITECTURE ●DATA ARCHITECTURE ● QLIK GURU ● BSc Honors Data Science* ●Bcom information systems●Data my one true ❤️ ●My superpower is getting along with people ● Make work a fun place ●Respect Authority
Listen and take notes , ask questions when you don't understand or after the meeting send an email asking please explain what you meant by .....as I'm new to this ....
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Dr. Marc Braun
Have good oversight over technology trends. Study specific industries. Furthermore, as strategist you need to work on thinking skills.
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Andrew Kahn
Standing out as a young anything is pretty much the same. First do the stuff that's easy. Show up. Stay late as needed. Be responsive. Be eager but not cloying. Don't worry about who is getting credit. Then most importantly, achieve your assigned tasks, and learn your assigned knowledge, or more than your assigned knowledge. Don't overreach on the tasks which is everyone's instinct. Why? Because then you are possibly getting in someone else's lane. Solve the problems that are your problems. But KNOWING more, is 100% accretive at all times.
Another essential skill for IT Strategy is to master the frameworks and methodologies that guide your work. Frameworks are tools that help you structure your thinking, analyze data, make decisions, and communicate your recommendations. Some of the most common frameworks for IT Strategy are SWOT, PESTEL, Porter's Five Forces, Balanced Scorecard, and ITIL. You should learn how to apply these frameworks to different scenarios, and how to adapt them to your specific context. You should also be aware of the strengths and limitations of each framework, and when to use them or combine them.
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Rui Venâncio
Business & IT Consulting | Technology, Strategy & Innovation | European Institutions | 🎓 MIT Executive Education, PMP, PMI-ACP, CSM, CSPO
IT Strategy frameworks are like a versatile toolkit. SWOT analysis assesses internal strengths and weaknesses, along with external opportunities and threats. PESTEL considers political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors. Porter's Five Forces analyses competitive dynamics, the Balanced Scorecard aligns IT initiatives with organisational objectives, and ITIL manages IT services systematically. Each framework brings unique insights, but using them judiciously is essential for strategic decisions.
IT Strategy is not only about technical knowledge and analytical skills. It is also about soft skills, such as communication, collaboration, leadership, and creativity. As an IT Strategy professional, you need to communicate clearly and persuasively with different audiences, such as executives, managers, developers, and users. You need to collaborate effectively with your team members, peers, and other stakeholders, and leverage their expertise and feedback. You need to demonstrate leadership and initiative, and take ownership of your projects and outcomes. And you need to be creative and innovative, and find new ways to solve problems and add value.
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David Nudelman
Microsoft Cloud, Microsoft 365, Azure, AVD, Endpoint Management
Communication skills are critical to the IT Strategy role, as most o the work is to convey a plausible story to secure budget and resources to move the IT program forward. Spend time learning the lingo, but not only the IT lingo, the business lingo you are in. The IT strategy not only delivers technology and security, but it must focus on supporting the business achieve its goals. Communicate clearly and in alignment with the general business objectives and you will be successful.
The IT industry is constantly evolving and changing, and so is IT Strategy. To stay relevant and competitive, you need to keep learning and growing as a professional. You should keep up with the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in your field, and seek opportunities to apply them to your work. You should also seek feedback and mentoring from your managers, colleagues, and clients, and use it to improve your performance and skills. And you should pursue certifications, courses, or degrees that can enhance your knowledge and credentials.
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Dr. Marc Braun
Learn and earn. Most important is to go on expanding your skills. I like certifications of all kinds very much. It gives evidence of your proficiency. Good strategists can transfer the learning from one domain to another. The brood skill will help to conclude on your current problem.
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David Nudelman
Microsoft Cloud, Microsoft 365, Azure, AVD, Endpoint Management
IT Strategy is an Infinite Game (vs finite game). When you move forward the rules and goal posts are also moving. All at once and in different directions. Keeping your knowledge and relationships fresh will keep at the top of your game. Read, learn, connect and engage.
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Shoshee G.
Tech Enthusiast | IT Professional | Autodidact
Gain experience mapping the digital ecosystem to understand how stakeholders, value streams, and technological platforms are interconnected. To recognize strategic possibilities and dangers in the digital landscape, use tools such as visual modeling approaches or ecosystem mapping software.
Finally, one of the best ways to stand out as an entry-level IT Strategy professional is to build your network. Your network is your source of support, advice, referrals, and opportunities. You should network with other IT Strategy professionals, both within and outside your organization or client, and learn from their experiences and insights. You should also network with other IT professionals, such as developers, architects, analysts, and consultants, and understand their roles and perspectives. And you should network with business professionals, such as managers, executives, and customers, and understand their needs and expectations.
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Dr. Marc Braun
Diversity in your network is as important as your diversity in strategic skills. Different cultures look at things from different ankles. The chance of good transfer learning and concluding gets better with that.
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