We all know that the tech world is constantly moving and changing, and you probably realize that the skills within your career need to keep up with the changes. That means not only updating your skills as the technologies you work with evolve, but also coming up to speed on new, relevant technologies that affect your career.
I try hard to think of my skills in terms of my career, not just my current job. That is, while my employer obviously requires certain skills that I need to keep fresh or up to date, my career may require a different, and often larger, set of skills to remain relevant in the marketplace.
One of my first tech jobs was as a systems operator for a company’s IBM AS/400 midrange computer (now known as the IBM iSeries). I had certain job skills that I needed to continually develop and keep fresh: the OS/400 Command Language, the various ongoing changes IBM would make to the computer’s operating system, and the occasional changes to the hardware itself. My employer was responsible for helping me keep those skills fresh by sending me to classes and buying me books.