How to set long-term career goals as an IT professional

February 27, 2024 - 10 min read

Wrike Team

Have you considered your long-term career goals lately? If you’re in the IT industry, it can be easy to trudge along, simply completing day-to-day work (which can be hard enough in any role!).

However, long-term career goals can be essential for professional success and personal growth. In this article, we’ll give you a comprehensive guide to why long-term career goals matter and how they can enhance your professional development, as well as offer strategies for setting the right goals and examples of potential career goals in IT.

And a special bonus: we’ll share a super way to use Wrike to track your goals.

What are long-term career goals?

First, it’s essential to understand that long-term career goals are goals you have for your career decades into the future. You may have short-term career goals, like achieving a specific promotion within the next year, but your long-term career goals will encompass more significant, broader achievements that will take you years to accomplish. These might be goals like owning your own IT firm or serving in a managerial role.

(We actually have a full, free guide to goal setting with a clear explainer on short- versus long-term goals if you’d like to go into more detail.)

Why long-term career goals are important

You might wonder whether you need to make long-term career goals, especially if you’re satisfied in your current role. Well, career advisers typically recommend making — and writing down — long-term career goals for a few reasons.

The role of long-term goals in career progression

Long-term career goals act as guiding beacons, providing clarity and direction in the ever-changing landscape of the IT industry and enabling career progression for IT workers. Long-term goals provide a framework for professionals to map out their desired trajectory and identify the necessary steps to climb the ladder.

Effectively, long-term goals enable IT professionals to create a framework that outlines the skills, qualifications, and experiences they need to acquire over time to reach their ultimate career destination. Without such a framework, IT professionals might miss out on key career advancements because they haven’t taken the proper training or gained adequate experience for a new role.

Professionals with long-term goals also tend to take ownership of their career development. They are more willing to actively seek growth opportunities, take on challenging projects, and proactively network with industry professionals to expand their knowledge and connections.

Without concrete long-term goals, it becomes challenging to make informed decisions and measure progress along the career path. Wrike is a particularly useful tool for creating a roadmap that can direct you on that path because we offer so many different ways to view individual tasks and the progress you’ve made in completing them. For example, our Table view will allow you to see which tasks have been ticked off and which need more work.

How long-term goals create a growth mindset

Long-term career goals act as catalysts for growth, pushing IT professionals to expand their knowledge and skill sets constantly. By setting ambitious goals, professionals are motivated to seek learning opportunities and stay current with emerging trends and technologies.

Additionally, long-term goals foster resilience, perseverance, and flexibility. In the face of challenges or setbacks, IT professionals with clear career goals are more likely to persevere and overcome obstacles. With a vision of their desired future, those with clear career goals are willing to invest the time and effort needed to overcome temporary setbacks and stay on track toward achieving their long-term goals.

Long-term goals also promote adaptability and agility. IT professionals who have set long-term goals are better equipped to navigate change and embrace new opportunities because they understand the importance of staying flexible and open-minded, allowing them to pivot their career paths when necessary without losing sight of their ultimate objectives.

setting long-term career goals — *Photo by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash*

Setting the right long-term career goals in IT

Landing on the right long-term career goals can be tricky and requires careful consideration — once set, you’ll be making smaller milestones to reach those goals. When you head down one path in the IT industry, it can be difficult (although not impossible) to switch tracks.

Here are some key steps to take when embarking on this important journey:

Identify your career interests and passions

Long-term goals won’t be worth pursuing unless they reflect your career interests and passions within the IT field. First, you’ll want to consider the areas that genuinely excite you and spark your curiosity. Is it a specific facet of AI? Cybersecurity? Cloud computing? Data science? The IT world is vast, but you’ll want to narrow it down so you know what area to pursue.

Identifying your passions will help you align your long-term career goals with your natural inclinations, making the journey toward those goals more enjoyable and fulfilling.

Align your goals with industry trends

As you set your long-term career goals, you’ll want to stay on top of the latest advancements and changes in the IT landscape. This will enable you to determine the best route to take for the future. If you can pinpoint a growing trend that interests you, that can help shape your career goals.

Start by researching and keeping an eye on technological developments shaping the industry. Listen to podcasts from journalists in the field (we’re partial to Hard Fork, a podcast from The New York Times that examines emerging AI) and subscribe to industry newsletters. Aligning your career goals with the direction of the industry will ensure that your skills remain relevant and in demand.

Consider future technological advancements

While it’s impossible to predict every IT development, exploring emerging technologies can give you a glimpse into the industry’s future, which can inform your future IT career goals. By incorporating emerging technologies into your long-term plans, you can stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive in the IT job market. Embracing change and continuously updating your skill set will ensure you are well prepared for any challenges and opportunities.

Examples of long-term career goals for IT professionals

Moving into a particular role or to the top of the proverbial career ladder could be among your long-term career goals. The list of possible IT career options is long, but we’ve pulled a shortlist of options to consider as you make your long-term IT career goals.

Senior IT manager

One long-term goal for IT professionals in various areas of expertise is to become a manager or department leader. To achieve this long-term career goal, you’ll need leadership and project management skills as well as a strong technical foundation.

To manage others and ensure the successful execution of projects, you need the ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders and manage resources efficiently. You would also help set the strategic direction for the IT department and align it with the organization’s overall goals.

Finally, you need to stay up to date with the latest industry trends and technologies. Becoming a senior IT manager would require continuous learning and professional development to ensure you have the knowledge and skills to drive innovation and move the organization forward.

Cybersecurity specialist

As a cybersecurity specialist, your primary focus would be identifying and preventing security breaches and ensuring information systems’ confidentiality, integrity, and availability. You would conduct vulnerability assessments, implement security measures, and respond to incidents effectively.

You’d also need to stay ahead of emerging threats and constantly adapt your strategies to counter new attack vectors. Consider obtaining specialized certifications, developing expertise in risk assessment and mitigation, and staying up to date with the latest security technologies. This field is ever-evolving, and continuous learning and professional development are essential to protect organizations from cyber threats effectively.

IT consulting firm leader

For some IT professionals, the long-term goal may be establishing and leading their own IT consulting firm. This ambitious goal involves honing both technical and business skills, as well as building a network of clients and industry contacts. As the leader of your own consulting firm, you would provide expert advice and guidance to a diverse range of clients, help solve complex technological challenges, and contribute to the growth of your business.

Leading an IT consulting firm requires technical expertise and strong business acumen. You would need to develop skills in areas such as sales, marketing, finance, and human resources to manage and grow your firm successfully. Overall, building a reputation for delivering high-quality services and establishing strong relationships with clients is crucial to the success of your consulting business.

Strategies to achieve your long-term career goals

To achieve your long-term goals, you’ll need a strong overarching strategy designed to get you to your desired role over time.

Here are some strategies that can help you pave the way toward success:

Embrace continuous learning and skill development

Embrace a mindset of lifelong learning and commit to continuous skill development. Stay current with the latest advancements in your field through online courses, certifications, workshops, and industry conferences. By constantly expanding your knowledge and skill sets, you are equipping yourself with the tools to progress towards your long-term career goals.

Continuous learning is not just about acquiring new knowledge; it also involves honing your existing skills. Take the time to analyze your strengths and weaknesses and identify areas where you can improve. Seek out specialized training programs or workshops that can help you enhance your expertise in specific areas. By investing in your skill development, you position yourself as a valuable asset in the competitive job market.

Become a master of networking and building professional relationships

Cultivate a strong professional network by engaging with colleagues, professionals, and industry leaders. Attend networking events, join relevant professional communities, and connect with fellow IT professionals on platforms like LinkedIn. Building relationships within the industry can open doors to new opportunities, mentorship, and valuable insights.

Networking is not just about collecting business cards or adding connections on social media. It’s about building genuine relationships based on mutual trust and respect. Take the time to attend industry conferences and events to meet professionals who share your interests and aspirations. Engage in meaningful conversations, listen actively, and offer your expertise and support whenever possible. By nurturing these relationships, you are creating a network of individuals who can vouch for your skills and might even recommend you for exciting career opportunities.

Seek quality mentorship and guidance

Don’t underestimate the power of mentorship. Find experienced professionals who can provide guidance, share insights, and serve as role models for your long-term career goals. Seek mentors who have succeeded in areas aligned with your aspirations, and leverage their knowledge and expertise to navigate your career journey more effectively.

Mentorship is a two-way street. While you benefit from the wisdom and guidance of your mentor, you also have the opportunity to contribute to their growth and development. Actively seek feedback from your mentor, share your progress and challenges, and be open to constructive criticism. By fostering a strong mentor-mentee relationship, you create a support system to help you overcome obstacles and make informed decisions.

Set SMART goals

Of course, working toward long-term career goals won’t be as effective if you don’t set small, achievable goals to get you there over time. For most, setting SMART goals (goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) is key. You need to be able to track your progress against those SMART goals over time so you can adjust your longer-term career goals if necessary.

Plus, according to Mark Murphy, senior contributor at Forbes, “People who very vividly describe or picture their goals are anywhere from 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to accomplish their goals.”

We actually have a comprehensive guide to making SMART goals that you can explore in depth. Wrike is the perfect place to log smart goals because you can tag them into multiple places, eliminating the need to duplicate goals that might fit into your personal career goals as well as professional development plans. Our cross-tagging feature sets us apart and saves our customers valuable time and energy.

Using Wrike to achieve your long-term career goals

We’ve long used Wrike internally to track personal, team-wide, and departmental goals, so we know it’s a tool that makes a difference.

You can get start right away with Wrike’s prebuilt templates specifically designed for goal setting. Whether setting business goals or tracking OKRs, our templates make it easy for you to aim for, shoot at, and hit your targets.

Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.

Wrike Team

Occasionally we write blog posts where multiple people contribute. Since our idea of having a gladiator arena where contributors would fight to the death to win total authorship wasn’t approved by HR, this was the compromise.

#Information Technology #development & engineering teams #Goals OKRs & KPIs

Marketing 5 min read

Inside Wrike: How our marketers sharpen their skills

Here’s a peek inside our training initiatives at Wrike, including our marketing team’s experience with the Wrike Certified Professional program.

Marketing 7 min read

6 key skills marketers should add to their resumes in 2024

There’s no way to sugarcoat some of the top workplace trends of 2023: lower budgets and smaller staff numbers. Tech companies laid off over 100,000 workers over the course of 2023 — and the workers who remained spent much of the year scrambling to cover the gaps left when their colleagues were let go. We were truly in our ‘do more with less’ era: the work had to get accomplished, but the resources were slim. [caption id="attachment_493501" align="alignnone" width="8688"]Photo by M. Monk on Unsplash[/caption] While 2024 hasn’t completely stabilized (Microsoft and Amazon both announced large layoffs in January), many workers have recovered from the shock of the collective losses of 2023 and have begun to look toward the future. For marketers especially, there is a collective need to move beyond the ‘Do more with less’ era and into a more sustainable landscape. That’s why 2024 will likely be a year dedicated to upskilling for many marketers — or at least it should be! Try Wrike for free Why you should continue to pursue new skills There are a few very compelling reasons to learn new skills, especially in a tumultuous job market. Whether you feel your current position may be in jeopardy or not, having new skills can help you protect yourself in the future as well as expand your current horizons and improve job satisfaction. One reason to upskill is that it will make you more valuable as a current employee, potentially helping you avoid layoffs in the future. Employers might look more favorably on someone who is able to offer a broader range of skills than someone who has a more limited skill set. Upskilling could also allow you to move laterally within your company to other roles at a time when the scope for promotions might be on hold. Another reason to pursue upskilling is to ensure that if you are affected by a layoff in the future, you should be able to maximize your job search opportunities with more skills under your belt. CNBC reported that when employees were laid off in 2023, a number of those workers ended up being hired at smaller companies or in adjacent industries: “Some laid-off employees immediately found new jobs at smaller software firms and internet companies or continued their careers outside of tech, pivoting to consulting, health care, finance and other industries eager to recruit top talent who might have otherwise stayed at larger tech companies.” Over a third of laid-off tech workers found positions in software development, internet, and IT firms. Joining a smaller firm often means that you will have broader responsibilities than at a large company. In the hiring process for one of these roles, having a wider range of skills to offer can give you a competitive edge. Finally, upskilling will likely increase your job satisfaction. A study undertaken by Gallup and Amazon found that “nearly three-in-four workers (71%) who have participated in upskilling agree or strongly agree that it has enhanced their satisfaction with work.” If you can increase your current and future employability as well as your job satisfaction at the same time, that’s a win-win situation. Areas marketers should upskill in 2024 Upskilling or even reskilling opportunities are often dependent on your current role and experience, as well as your employer’s flexibility and openness to the process, which may involve using working hours. With those caveats in mind, certain categories of marketing skills will continue to be valuable in the coming years and will most likely benefit marketers who seek out those skills. Here are a few key marketing skills marketers should add to their resumes in 2024: Data analysis and reporting: Reporting and data analysis go hand in hand. Data analysis allows you to better understand the numbers behind what’s working and what’s not, and reporting can help you show your managers and executives how the work your team is undertaking is affecting the company’s bottom line. This course will give you the lowdown on how to analyze key metrics for your marketing campaigns. Social media: Social media is here to stay and many marketing departments that have undergone layoffs have had to say goodbye to their social media staff. Learning new strategies in the social media marketing department can allow your organization to continue to have a presence during a period of slower growth. HubSpot offers a free social media marketing course that would fit the bill in this area. Project management: Most marketers function as project managers as part of their roles, but most don’t have formal project management training. The Project Management Institute offers a selection of free e-learning opportunities that will help you gain a better understanding of how the principles of project management can inform your marketing campaigns, event planning, and more. A/B testing: Figuring out exactly what marketing activities, campaigns, or language works best is critical to effectively using budgets and resources. A/B testing allows you to do just that, drilling down into the effectiveness of particular elements with your audience so you can do more of what’s effective. A course in the basics of A/B testing like this one would give you a sense of how to start designing the most effective A/B testing experiments. Generative AI: Understanding how to use generative AI for your marketing role, no matter what that role is, will continue to be imperative over the coming year. Whether you’re using ChatGPT to draft email cadences to nurture leads or brainstorming keywords, the new AI technology can and should help make your marketing job easier and less time-consuming. This ChatGPT for Beginners course would be a smart place to start. Copywriting: As a copywriter, I might live to regret suggesting all marketers upskill their copywriting but, truth be told, it’s a darn useful skill to have. If you can draft more effective emails to potential leads without the help of your organization’s copywriters (if they have them at all), you’ll be one step ahead of your colleagues. Similarly, if you are applying for a position at a company that doesn’t have copywriters, having strong writing skills can only benefit you in the hiring process. This course in High Impact Business Writing would help you polish your writing skills. Why mastering Wrike can help bolster your 2024 goals In the spirit of continuous learning, Wrike offers a range of courses that will help you improve your Wrike skills, ensuring you’re able to use each and every feature that can impact your team’s success. (Our marketing team recently brushed up on our skills and we can attest it’s a game changer!) While Wrike doesn’t offer general marketing courses, so many of our platform’s features directly enable marketers to use the skills we outlined above. Interested in increasing your analytics and reporting skills in 2024? Wrike’s advanced analytics feature allows you to analyze data and create reports with a few clicks. Trying to improve your copywriting skills this year? Use our integration with Grammarly, which offers full functionality in all tasks and ensures your Wrike work is typo-free. Once you’ve created the foundation for a new campaign using ChatGPT, bring it into Wrike to manage it from start to finish. If you’re itching to get started using Wrike to support new skills, a Wrike free two-week trial is the perfect introduction. Try Wrike for free

Project Management 10 min read

Teams vs Slack: A Comprehensive Comparison for IT Professionals

Team collaboration tools have become essential in today's modern workplace. They streamline communication, improve productivity, and enhance collaboration among team members. Two popular options in this space are Microsoft Teams and Slack. In this comprehensive comparison, we'll delve into the basics of these team collaboration tools, explore their key features, discuss their user interface and experience, examine their security measures, and analyze their pricing and plans. By the end of this article, IT professionals will have a better understanding of which tool may be the best fit for their organization's needs. Understanding the Basics of Team Collaboration Tools Team collaboration tools have revolutionized the way we work in the modern digital age. Gone are the days of endless email chains and scattered files. With the advent of platforms like Microsoft Teams and Slack, teams can now communicate, collaborate, and share information seamlessly, all in one centralized location. Microsoft Teams, as the name suggests, is a communication and collaboration platform developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Office 365 suite, which means it seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft tools like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This integration allows teams to create, edit, and share documents in real-time, making collaboration more efficient and effective. It also boasts chat functionality and video meeting capabilities, perfect for remote staff. On the other hand, Slack is a popular team collaboration tool that focuses primarily on team communication. It is a cloud-based platform that offers channels for different projects, topics, or teams. These channels act as virtual meeting rooms where team members can gather to discuss specific topics, share files, and stay informed about ongoing conversations. Slack is easy and simple to use, and can integrate with other tools like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Salesforce. Key Features Comparison Now that we understand the basics, let's compare some of the key features of Microsoft Teams and Slack to determine which tool may be more suitable for IT professionals and their organizations. Communication Capabilities Both Microsoft Teams and Slack offer real-time messaging, voice, and video calling. This allows teams to connect and collaborate no matter where they are located. However, Microsoft Teams has an advantage in this area with its tight integration with other Microsoft products such as Outlook, SharePoint, and OneDrive. This integration allows users to seamlessly transition between different communication channels and collaborate on files without leaving the Teams platform. If an IT professional receives an email in Outlook regarding a specific project, they can easily convert that email into a Teams conversation and invite relevant team members to discuss and collaborate on the project. The integration with SharePoint and OneDrive also enables users to directly share files from these platforms within a Teams conversation, eliminating the need to switch between different applications. On the other hand, Slack excels in its simplicity and ease of use. It offers a more intuitive interface that may be preferred by users who prioritize simplicity over extensive integrations. This simplicity allows teams to quickly adopt and start using Slack without a steep learning curve. File Sharing and Management Microsoft Teams offers a robust set of features. Users can easily share and collaborate on files within a Team or Channel. The integration with Microsoft's cloud storage solution, OneDrive, ensures that files are securely stored and accessible from anywhere. Additionally, the advanced file management capabilities via co-authoring and version control signify that multiple team members can work on the same document simultaneously, tracking changes and ensuring that everyone is working on the latest version of the file. As for Slack, it provides a more lightweight file sharing experience. While it allows users to upload and share files, it lacks some of the advanced features found in Microsoft Teams. For example, Slack does not have built-in co-authoring capabilities, which means that team members need to take turns editing a document. However, it does offer integrations with popular file storage solutions like Google Drive, allowing users to easily share files from these platforms within Slack. Integration with Other Tools Microsoft Teams has a significant advantage in this area due to its integration with other Microsoft products, such as Office 365, SharePoint, and Power BI. With the integration with Office 365, users can schedule and join Teams meetings directly from their Outlook calendar. They can also access and edit Office documents within the Teams platform, making it a centralized hub for collaboration and productivity. Additionally, the integration with SharePoint allows users to easily access and share files stored in SharePoint libraries without leaving the Teams interface. This streamlines the collaboration process and reduces the need to switch between different applications. Contrasted with Slack, this platform offers a wide range of integrations through its app directory. While it may not have the same level of integration with Microsoft products, it does offer integrations with popular tools such as Google Drive. These integrations allow users to bring data and information from different platforms into Slack, making it a central hub for communication and collaboration. User Interface and Experience When it comes to comparing the user interface and experience of Microsoft Teams and Slack, there are several key factors to consider. Let's delve deeper into each platform to see how they differ and which one may be more appealing to IT professionals and their teams. Microsoft Teams boasts a clean and modern interface that is designed to enhance productivity and collaboration. The left sidebar provides easy access to different Teams and Channels, so that users can quickly navigate to the relevant conversations. The central panel is where the magic happens, displaying conversations, files, and shared content in a visually appealing and organized manner. Also, Teams is unique in that users can pin important conversations or documents, making it easy to access frequently used items and stay organized. Slack also offers a clean and intuitive interface that has garnered a loyal following. The left sidebar in Slack is where users can find all their channels, neatly organized and easily accessible. The central panel is where the conversations unfold, displaying messages in a clear and concise manner. Slack is also known for its clean interface. Its minimalist design lets users focus on conversations with colleagues free from distractions. Slack also offers various themes and customization options, whether it's changing the color scheme or adding a custom background. Security Measures Security is a critical aspect for IT professionals when evaluating team collaboration tools. Let's compare the security measures implemented by Microsoft Teams and Slack. Microsoft Teams prioritizes the security of its users' information. It goes above and beyond to ensure that data is encrypted both at rest and in transit. This means that all communication and files exchanged within Teams are safeguarded from unauthorized access. The encryption algorithms used by Teams are industry-standard, providing a robust layer of protection against potential threats. Teams also emphasizes the importance of compliance with industry standards. Its adherence to regulations ISO 27001, SOC 2, and GDRP demonstrate the platform's commitment to maintaining the highest level of security and data protection. Slack also recognizes the significance of security and has implemented a range of security protocols. Similar to Teams, Slack offers data encryption both at rest and in transit. In addition to encryption, Slack provides users with the option to enable two-factor authentication. This extra layer of security adds an additional step to the login process, requiring users to provide a second form of verification, such as a unique code sent to their mobile device. Slack even lets users customize their data retention settings, so that businesses can define their own policies regarding how long data should be retained within the platform. Pricing and Plans Last but not least, let's compare the pricing and plans offered by Microsoft Teams and Slack to determine which may be more cost-effective for IT professionals and their organizations. Microsoft Teams offers several pricing options, including a free plan that provides most of the essential features. The paid plans start at $5 per user per month, with additional features such as advanced administrative controls and larger file storage options available in higher-tier plans. As for Slack, it provides a free plan with limited features and storage space. Their paid plans start at $6.67 per user per month and provide additional features such as unlimited message history and enhanced app integrations. It's worth noting that Slack's pricing can increase significantly for larger organizations or those requiring advanced features, making it less cost-effective compared to Microsoft Teams in certain scenarios. Overall, both Microsoft Teams and Slack are powerful team collaboration tools that offer robust features and capabilities. The choice between the two depends on specific organizational requirements and preferences. Microsoft Teams excels in integration with other Microsoft products, while Slack offers simplicity and ease of use. When it comes to security, both tools prioritize data protection and compliance. Lastly, the pricing and plans vary between the two, and organizations must evaluate their needs and budgets to make an informed decision. Get a better understanding of the Teams vs Slack debate with Wrike, which seamlessly integrates with both. Explore our free trial and decide which best suits your team's collaboration needs. Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.

For Teams

Use cases

Apps & Integrations

Explore Wrike