This document discusses top 3 mistakes to avoid in an IT career and provides strategies to overcome them. The mistakes are: 1) Overusing skills without developing new ones, 2) Specializing in only one domain/industry, and 3) Overemphasizing jobs rather than career development. The document uses case studies and provides advice on timing career moves, planning for different life stages, and being a mentor to others.

1. Career Talk
Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid in your IT Career
Ms Heng Teng Teng
Career & Leadership Coach
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2. Case Study 1
John started his IT career as a programmer at the age of 24. He did
that for 3 years and was promoted to System Analyst. He worked well
and was again promoted to a Senior Analyst at 30 years old.
What will be his potential career path in the next 5 years?
• Regional Analyst
• Team Manager
• Project Manager
• Senior IT Manager

3. What skills do you need?
DATA
Ability to deal
with data:
recording,
researching,
analyzing
PEOPLE
Ability to deal
with
interpersonal
processes:
teaching,
presentation,
leading,
motivating
THINGS
Ability to deal
with non
personal
processes:
operate, repair
& assemble
equipment
IDEAS
Ability to deal
intrapersonal
processes:
creating,
synthesizing,
discovering

4. Pyramid of Skills
DATA PEOPLE THINGS IDEAS
Synthesizing Mentoring Setting Up Inventing
Innovating Negotiating Precision
Working
Improvising
Analyzing Influencing Controlling Diagnosing
Researching Persuading Repairing Editing
Consolidating Supervising Manipulating Organizing
Comparing Taking
instruction
Handling Compare
Etc… Etc.. Etc.. Etc …
IncreasinglyPrescribed
IncreasinglyDiscretionary

5. Mistake #1: Overused of Skills

6. Possible Strategies
• Build up your learning agility
• Have more than 1 mentor (besides your boss) in the company
• Think like a business partner

7. Case Study 2
Patrick has been working in the same bank as a Regional Analyst for the
past 10 years. He lost his job as a result of restructuring.
Prior to that, he was working as System Analyst in 2 different companies
for 5 years.
What will be the potential challenges you think he will face in his job
search?

8. Mistake #2: Specialized in only one domain/industry

9. Possible Strategies
• Within the same industry, understand the upcoming trends &
challenges in the industry
• Do not restrict yourself with only one domain/industry knowledge
• Be connected with other professionals in other industry

10. Mistake #3: Over emphasis on jobs and not career
• Career development is promotions driven

11. Are you timing your next move?
“Idiot’s Guide to Career Moves”:
1) Have I enhanced the value of the role to the company?
2) Have I created greater currency for this kind of skill in the company?
3) Have I developed the overall capability of the team I lead?
4) Have I created a lasting contribution or legacy I can be proud of?
5) Have I put in place a competent successor?
6) Have I developed the experiences that I will need for my future needs?
When to move on?

12. Planning for your “descend”
But …
• career satisfaction is values, interests
and life stage driven

13. Career & Our Life Stage

14. Possible Strategies

15. Possible Strategies
• Have a plan; what is your “landing job”?
• Start giving back (more): e.g. Volunteer, Mentoring

16. Be a Bridge and build Bridges around you