Stop Treading Water
by Mary Brandel from Computerworld

http://www.computerworld.com/taxonomy/000/000/000/taxonomy_000000010_index.jsp

January 15, 2007 (Computerworld) — Tips for pulling ahead in your career from Gartner analyst Diane Morello:

Swim or sink. If you’re planning on following a pure technology track, set a goal to be “the most excellent, the most adept and one of the fastest studies out there for moving into new areas of technology,” Morello says. “If you’re not continually refining what you’re doing, you do lose ground.”

Pick the fast lane. Be ruthless about which industries provide the most forward-looking opportunities in your interest area, and be realistic about where the best job options lie. “If I go to the IT-specific job boards, 70% to 80% of the jobs are at service providers,” Morello says.

Practice with winners. Don’t discount how important it is to work with the most dynamic and top-notch people, whether through electronically mediated forums or in person. “By virtue of working with them, you’re expanding and enriching yourself,” Morello says.