How to Take Control of Your Tech Career

career advancement uncharted career paths Nov 29, 2024

A few years ago, I felt stuck in my career. I had a job I enjoyed at a respectable company, but I was hitting a ceiling. I wasn’t progressing, and I didn’t know how to change that.

Today, my situation is much different, and I’ve learned some important lessons along the way. In this post, I’ll walk you through the differences between a job and a career, how to define your career goals, and share the biggest mistakes I made so you can avoid them.

To make career progress, pick the type of work and industry that aligns with your goals. Consistently invest time in learning and growing in your field. Time management will play a big role, and you may need to adjust your lifestyle to make room for your career development.

Job vs. Career

A job is your current position, while a career represents the broader trajectory of your professional life. Many of us get caught up in doing our job well and forget about our long-term career goals. While a job may involve growth within a role, it doesn't always equate to career advancement if it doesn’t align with your bigger ambitions.

In tech, for example, you may be learning a lot at your job, but unless you're working towards your career goals, that learning might not propel you forward. A job’s title doesn’t necessarily reflect your career path, and instead, your career should be viewed as a long-term journey with a focus on output rather than titles.

I’ve shifted my focus to a broader perspective — “building and shipping software” — which serves as the foundation of my career. I’m no longer just writing code, but facilitating a team to overcome challenges. Mapping your daily activities to your broader career goals will provide clarity and motivation for growth.

Choosing Your Domain

Early in my career, I worked in the iGaming industry. While it seemed appealing at first, I eventually grew disillusioned with it. Today, I still haven’t found my ideal domain, but I recognize that having a niche will give you better opportunities for networking and career development. For example, tech sectors like embedded systems or cloud computing may use similar tools but have distinct needs and opportunities.

Choosing a domain helps you narrow down your technical expertise and better position yourself for future career advancements. It’s about focusing on an area that excites you and where you can build expertise over time.

Defining Your Career Goals

The first step to defining your career goals is deciding what type of role you want. Management positions have historically been viewed as the “gold standard,” but today, individual contributor (IC) roles can offer equal recognition and compensation. Your choice should come down to what you truly enjoy.

Consider what excites you, not just the financial rewards. For instance, as a software developer, you’ll likely need to work with different languages, frameworks, and environments. Picking something you’re genuinely curious about will fuel your passion and learning in the long term.

The key is to choose a career path that will keep you engaged for decades. If you’re simply in it for the money, you may plateau in your growth. Focus on areas that ignite your curiosity and drive.

Continuous Learning

Once you have your goals set, the next step is consistent learning. This learning should be hands-on — reading, practicing, experimenting, and even working on side projects. For individual contributors, you should dedicate at least 30% of your time to these passion projects. They don’t have to be complex; they should simply keep you learning and refining your skills.

As a manager, your focus will shift slightly. You’ll want to hone your ability to oversee, monitor, and troubleshoot systems rather than writing code. While managers may spend less time coding, they should still have a deep understanding of their domain to provide strong guidance to their teams.

Finding Time for Growth

Let’s address the time challenge. Life is busy, and it can be hard to carve out time for career growth. Everyone has 24 hours in a day, and while time management strategies can help, the key is to find uninterrupted blocks of time for learning and practicing.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you may need to reconsider how much time you dedicate to non-career activities. For me, as a parent, I had to give up solo hobbies like gaming to invest time in my professional growth. However, I don’t regret this decision. What’s important is to find a balance that works for you and ensures you’re progressing in your career without sacrificing family or personal relationships.

My 3 Biggest Mistakes

Looking back, I made some key mistakes early on that slowed my career progression.

Not working on side projects: I spent too much time reading books and watching courses, but didn’t apply what I was learning through hands-on projects. Knowledge is only valuable when put into practice.
Getting lost in the details: I often overcomplicated my side projects with unnecessary features. Focusing on building the core functionality first would’ve helped me complete more projects.
Choosing a niche technology too early: I got stuck working with a niche technology (Perl) at a fast-paced workplace. While niche technologies can be valuable, they should be paired with environments that allow you to grow and practice solid development principles.

Conclusion

Your career is a long-term journey. It’s not about immediate rewards, but the cumulative effect of consistent effort over time. Keep investing in your skills, find a domain you’re passionate about, and be patient as you build your expertise. Trust in the process, and with time, you’ll find yourself on the right trajectory.

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