The Emerald Resource Group Blog

IT jobs started off strong in 2020 with January and February showing IT job gains of 33,500 new positions. Then, the coronavirus hit, causing the biggest unemployment spike in the history of the United states.

I know, I know. You’ve probably heard something along these lines before.

However, could there really be a way to make your IT job coronavirus proof? For that matter, recession proof?

Being in the IT search industry for over 30 years, I’ve learned skills on how to make your IT job recession proof. Continue reading below for 10 actionable steps that you can take during this time and in the future to make your job coronavirus/recession proof.

10 actionable steps you can take to make your IT job coronavirus proof. 

1. Generate revenue or save money for the company

Making money for your company is great, but it doesn’t mean you are indispensable. If you don’t bring in more revenue than your overall gross pay, you are costing the company money. In economic downturns like these, managers tend to layoff people who cost the company the most money. Some great ways you can make your company money as an IT employee include:

• Introducing your company to ecommerce 
• Licensing their software they have developed internally to other companies
• Automation of expanding new markets
• Identifying errors in the supply chain or ecommerce system to recapture revenue.

If you’re prioritizing saving the company more money, you are bringing more value to your organization while making you a strong asset. Some great ways you can save your company money as an IT employee include the following:

• Automation of a repetitive process while decreasing total direct employee involvement
• Developing customer internal software and saving money on licensing a third party software expenses
• Streamlining procedures and automating regulations/compliance resulting in cost savings

2. Take less time of your boss

Be easy to manage. Being flexible and accepting changes to your job is a professional way to keep your job secure. Time is money, and if you’re taking up too much of your managers time, they are more likely to let you go as a result.

3. Think big picture

Take a step back and look at your company from a bigger picture. This is a good opportunity for you to ask yourself about the gaps in the organization. How can you solve them? What more could you do? Are there different angles you could take?

By asking and answering these questions, you seperate yourself from your colleagues. This overall makes you valuable and a key asset, as well as being harder to replace.

4. Get to know a few reliable recruiters

Everyday, recruiters talk to other IT professionals within your field. Recruiters also talk to CIOs, CTOs, and hiring managers who are looking to hire people like you on a daily basis.

In result, recruiters obtain very valuable information that you can not only use to help you grow your career, but to keep your job.

A key advantage of knowing a few reliable recruiters is the network they possess.

One of the reasons why people go to prestigious schools such as Harvard and Stanford isn’t just simply for the education, but also for the extensive network those universities provide both on and off-campus. Since recruiters talk to IT leaders and professionals in your marketplace all day long, their network is substantially wider and deeper than yours.

Everyday, recruiters talk to other IT professionals within your field. Recruiters also talk to CIOs, CTOs, and hiring managers who are looking to hire people like you on a daily basis.

In result, recruiters obtain very valuable information that you can not only use to help you grow your career, but to keep your job.

A key advantage of knowing a few reliable recruiters is the network they possess.

Some of the key information a good recruiter contains is:

• Average salary or hour wage for your position. 
• Technical skills companies are looking for
• What companies are hiring and what companies are downsizing
• What companies are upgrading their tech and which aren’t
• Industry trends that lead to better market ability and wage increase

We can help you get in front of opportunities you are not aware of or are aware of but don’t have the right contact to generate an interview. 

A good recruiter can be a very valuable tool for you to grow your career, even if you don’t change jobs.

Recruiters are happy to give you industry insights like the ones list above. 

5. Obtain highly valuable technical skill

Having highly technical skills makes you a more valuable asset to your organizations. 

Some of the top technical skill sets for IT professionals include:

6. Keep your IT skills up-to-date

A key part of being an indispensable IT employee is having technical skills that aren’t just highly valuable, but are up-to-date and harder to obtain. Having valuable technical skills is a great asset to have, but you have an opportunity to become an even bigger asset to your company if you possess other technical strong suits that are highly desirable for the industry.

Technical skills that are valuable, up to date, and harder to require include: 

7. Grow your soft skills

Key soft skills that can help you bring more value to your organization include communication, time management, and attention to detail. 

According to the Harvard Business Review, one of the key determining factors of your career success is communication. The ability to communicate, give formal presentations on complex technologies and business languages is a key soft skill to obtain. Take time to expand your communication. Here is a great resource to improve your communication skills.

8. Make yourself invaluable to mission critical projects

What is a problem in your IT department that can’t be fixed?

If you come up with a solution to this problem. You will become a very valuable asset to your company. 

If a problem arises in your IT department, what is a different way to go about solving it? Where can you, and possibly your team, think outside of the box for a solution? Establishing credibility in a time of uncertainty is irreplaceable, and bringing a new tactic to the table can only further establish yourself as a key asset to the company. (Feel free to add on and/or replace!) 

9. Keep up with industry trends

We all know that the IT industry moves fast and is ever growing. The more you know, the easier it will be to add value to your organization. Bringing fresh perspectives to your company will not only increase your credibility, but your company’s as well!

So go to those industry events, sign up for weekly newsletter blogs, and subscribe to podcasts to keep up. The more you know can only add to your value. 

Here are some great resources to keep up with the IT industry

• Computer Weekly
• Information Week
• TechRepublic
• Galido Information Technology 
• Top Developers

10.  Be indispensable to your boss

Becoming the person your manager relies on is perhaps the best way to recession proof your jobs.

To do this, understand what your boss’s primary needs are and be able to tackle them faster than anyone else. 

Observe what takes up your boss’s majority of their time, and notice when a problem arises. Help solve that problem to save them the time, and you may have saved your job within the process of it.

Conclusion 

1. Generate revenue, or save money higher than your gross pay
2. Take less time of your boss
3. Obtain highly valuable technical skills
4. Be creative
5. Keep your IT skills up to date
6. Grow your soft skills
7. Make yourself invaluable to mission critical projects
8. Get to know a few reliable recruiters
9. Keep up with industry trends
10. Be indispensable to your boss