ARMONK, N.Y., April
29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With U.S. employers faced with
filling more than half-a-million open technology jobs, five
"New Collar" IBMers today shared tips and insights
for job seekers interested in high-tech careers.
These IBM (NYSE: IBM) employees work in some of the
technology industry's fastest growing fields and acquired their
high-tech skills through a mix
of non-traditional routes such as coding camps,
community colleges and
21st century vocational training.
In their New Collar roles, which prioritize having the
right mix of skills over specific degrees and where a four-year
college degree is not always required, these employees
work in strategic areas of IBM's business – from
cybersecurity and cloud computing to digital design of products and
services. Their guidance to anyone considering a technology career
includes:
- "Start by just getting involved, and explore
your options. There are so many events new coders can attend to
learn and meet others already in the industry. If you're looking to
get involved, start going to local meet-ups—there are typically
ones for specific programming languages, and many will have
beginner tracks."
– Savannah Worth,
Software Designer, San Francisco,
CA.
- "Use your natural curiosity. If you find
that you're always asking "why?" and absolutely must have that
answer, and if you're a creative, innovative personality, I'd say a
Cybersecurity Architect role could be satisfying for you."
– Griff Griffin, Cybersecurity Architect,
Dubuque, IA.
- "Break out of your comfort zone – Pick up
the phone and send those emails. If you're looking to break into
cybersecurity, reach out to your local community college or call a
university to see what type of programs they offer."
-Cecelia Schartiger, Cybersecurity Compliance
Expert.
- "Build a network of like-minded
people, whether it is a digital community or an
in-person one. Establishing your network and growing your
connections is vital to becoming a new collar
worker."
– Randy Tolentino,
Software Developer, Austin,
TX.
- "Get to know your specialty, and get comfortable talking
about yourself. Tailor your portfolio to showcase
your specialty. If you're looking for a job in user experience
design, you should be showing UX Design work. Make sure the
problems you are looking to solve are clearly identified and show
the process of iteration in your designs to help solve those
problems."
-Ty Tyner,
Designer, Austin, TX.
Last year, New Collar IBMers, like those featured
here, accounted for 10-15 percent of the company's U.S.
hiring. These opportunities are also helping spread
technology-driven opportunity to parts of the country historically
underserved by the tech industry, in places like West Virginia, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri and Texas. IBM has
been actively advocating for education reforms essential
to helping more workers build the skills needed for success in New
Collar careers.
Click here to read the top five career tips from New
Collar IBMers.
Click here to learn more about New Collar
Jobs, or follow #NewCollarJobs.
Contact Information:
Ashley
Bright
External Relations
brighta@us.ibm.com
202-551-9519
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/five-new-collar-ibmers-share-advice-on-career-success-300448374.html
SOURCE IBM