Summary: IT professionals must be passionate, dynamic, curious and technically proficient. Staying active and intrigued to learn more is essential.

The Tech sector is becoming the fastest growing job market globally. Today, a substantial segment of the working population works in this thriving industry, and, the numbers keep growing steadily. Moving up the ladder, technology professionals need to demonstrate that extra flair which will set them apart.

According to recent local news reports, Information and Technology industry in Malta has been on a steady increase for the past three decades! An increasing number of Gaming companies setting up base in Malta paved the way to the creation of numerous attractive and highly rewarding job opportunities, igniting an influx of a larger highly skilled workforce.

Why Malta Malta's IT sector commenced booming in the early 1990s thanks to considerable government investment. The island realised that ICT is key to an innovative, diversified and transparent economy. Since then, the Maltese government drafted an eGovernment strategy to support ICT activities. And the proof? Nowadays, Malta boasts an incredible array of online government services. Malta geared its activities towards an increased spending on ICT infrastructure, coupled with mediums to enhance the ease of learning for the young generation.

What skills should an IT person have?

1. Go the extra mile in primary expertise

If your primary expertise is software development, then you should be the best Software Developer you can possibly be. If you specialise in back-end or front-end programming languages, you should be fairly familiar with interconnecting technologies, like certain APIs, tools, database systems & platforms, cloud technologies, to make you an all-rounder expert technologist in your field of specialisation. If you are a Business Intelligence Specialist, you will need to know how to best lead projects and people. Regardless what expertise you hold, your skillset and wide-encompassing knowledge are key competences expected from every IT professional.

How do you calculate ROI for the extra mile? Here is a simple formula:

  • Will an employee free up resources in a certain department that suffers backlog?
  • Will an employee strengthen an organisation or a department that is currently lacking qualitative processes?
  • Do they have a special skill set which will lead to revenue increases?

2. Knowledge related to technical areas

The complexity of today's technological advancements requires proficiency and knowledge of a wide array of interrelated technologies. For instance, if you are a Java programmer, you should also have an understanding of database design and database stored procedures. If you are a Project Manager, you should have a basic understanding of software development, software testing and the other professional disciplines required to make your project a deliverable success.

3. Share disruptive technical knowledge with others

Being a team player revolves around willingness to share your knowledge with others. Helping others to grow their skillsets to build loyalty around the team, to attain higher levels of respect and dependence among higher levels within the firm. Effective communication is possibly one of the most important components of a well-functioning team and involves consistently updating each person and never assuming that everyone has the same information - always state and build on facts. Behaving as a proactive communicator implies being a good listener. By listening to your colleagues, you show respect, which is an essential trust-building exercise. Sharing is caring - an essential ingredient for a harmonious team environment.

4. Learn every day

One key denominator of Technology, is its rapid pace of change. Hardware and software suppliers continually upgrade their products to stay ahead of the curb with the latest developments. New exciting trends are regularly announced, which becomes the immediate driving force, that eventually fades away to become an obsolete legacy - sometimes in a matter of weeks. You must learn every day because the tools of your profession are continually changing.

5. Be a team player

A common joint effort is essential to create a successful business. Industries are not governed by individuals but by teams. Being a strong team player and an ethical employee, is pivotal in the long term. An individual who can work as a team player is not only appreciated by upper management but also becomes the go-to for brainstorming and tackling any critical matters.

6. Always test and progress

Undoubtedly, creative thinking is a lateral skill in resolving certain challenges: reuse old technologies in new ways, create new processes and define new approaches. These actions have the potential to catapult your professional career as a thought-provoking leader, offering unique value propositions to both your team and organisation.

7. Challenge me

The deeper the problem-solving ability, the higher the reward. A love for technical challenges ignites your thirst to questioning theories and debate on solutions. It's the love of the challenge that keeps the mind active & busy.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.