Category: Growing your career: permanent & freelance

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Growing your career: permanent & freelance IT Consultants

5 Free Online Business Courses for IT Pros

5 Free Online Business Courses for IT Pros
Now more than ever, IT professionals need to complement their technical expertise.Well, we’ve put together a shortlist of free online courses to help you.

Now more than ever, IT professionals need to complement their technical expertise with soft skills and business acumen to remain on top of an ultra-competitive talent market. Well, we’ve put together a shortlist of free online business courses to help you do exactly that.  

Time to level up. 

Technology Entrepreneurship: Lab to Market – edX

A little entrepreneurial spirit never hurt anyone. Even if you are a hardcore tech guy working deep within a big company’s IT department; having a better picture of how technology products go from inception to market can help you a great deal in the long-term.  

This course by Harvard’s Laboratory for Innovation Science and the University of California San Diego; is part of our online business courses shortlist because of the good overview it will provide you. Especially in how business basics and critical thinking can be applied to commercialising new technologies.  

Power Dressing in the Zoom Era – Future Learn 

The title says it all. Since remote work has become the norm, mastering traditional ways of communicating is no longer enough. In this free, two-hour course, you will learn how to improve the image you project online.  

What’s best to wear in video interviews? How can you polish your personal and business brands so that they are aligned and represent you the best possible way? How about non-verbal communication.   
 

Introduction to Finance and Accounting Specialization – Coursera 

You’ve heard it before. There’s no budget for this project at the moment. This will have to wait until the next financial year. Well, it’s about time you learn what such statements entail. If your idea of accounting boils down to household maintenance and personal budgeting; then you should probably work on developing your financial literacy.  

A solid understanding of how organisations get and administer money is a must for anyone in business. Whether they are a manager or an IT specialist. This Wharton School of Business course provides a good overview of the subject.   

Intercultural Communication and Conflict Resolution – Coursera 

Have you ever gotten yourself in an awkward situation by unknowingly saying something odd to someone with a different cultural background than yours? Unless you have been living under a tree your entire life, you probably have. In an increasingly global business world, being aware of cultural divides and how to breach them is a must.  

This quick course by the University of California Irvine serves as a great introduction to intercultural communication; and also about the resolution of the conflicts it creates.  

Contract Management: Building Relationships in Business – Future Learn

In many ways, contract making is an art. Negotiation, risk assessment and market intelligence all play an important role in ensuring the drafting and signature of win-win business agreements. If you are an IT freelancer or have had to sign service agreements as part of your everyday job, you know what this is all about.   

This course covers all you should take into account when approaching contracts for the first time, or how to improve your contract-making capabilities if you already have some experience. Offered by the University of Southampton, the course is backed by UK government & World Commerce & Contracting. 

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Growing your career: permanent & freelance IT Consultants

The ABC for Landing the Best IT Jobs

The ABC for Landing the Best IT Jobs
Here is a quick refresher of what you’ll need to cover to ensure you are aming for the best IT job according to your needs and aspirations.

Let’s get this out right off the bat. All jobs are fundamentally rewarding and can teach you at least one thing that you’ll be able to leverage for future assignments. But you will need a bit more focus if you want to go after the best IT jobs.

Outlining the best career path according to your needs and aspirations is an art, and; just like with every form of art; you need to start by mastering the basics. Here is a quick refresher of what you’ll need to cover to ensure you are building the career you want, one job at a time.

Define your professional aspirations

First of all, you will have to figure out what type of assignments you want to pursue. It is at this point that the choice of company and industry becomes essential.

You should learn all you can about that sector and account for the long term. Keeping in mind where you are and where you would like to get to will allow you to develop and implement a solid career strategy that sets you on the right path. For example, if you want to be in the luxury sector, you will have to prioritise companies or industries that are at least linked to it.

Position yourself for the best IT jobs

Then you should define your set of skills and position yourself according to the type of projects you want to target.

You need to make inventory of your skills and update your CV accordingly. Making sure it is aligned with your profiles on social and professional networks like LinkedIn. Define your offering and highlight the capabilities you would like to develop through your next project. And don’t make things up. Recruiters are not stupid.

What you are offering should be in line with the strategic vision of the company or industry you are targetting. Therefore, it is important to understand the current state of the business as well as the possible needs that the company may have now and in the future.

Polish your brand and organise your activity

Finally, having a polished and coherent image is key. The image you project is vital because it reflects both your personal and professional brands. It should be aligned with your offering and the needs of the industry you are targeting to maximise your chances of attracting the attention of the right recruiters.

But your image is worth nothing if you can’t deliver on it. Most recruiters will ask for references from past companies for which you have worked.

Here self-organisation and the proper management of your time are key. There are several organisational tools out there that will make your life easier and will help you optimise your workflows.

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Need tips on how to find a job in IT? Check out our IT job hunting guide.

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Growing your career: permanent & freelance IT Consultants

How to become an IT consultant that stands out from the crowd

How to Become an All-Terrain IT Pro
Standing out from the crowd as an IT professional isn't always easy. Here are a few quick pointers that will help you get to become an all-terrain IT Pro.

Nowadays, it is not enough to become an IT consultant, you need to stand out from the crowd to succeed in your career.

Here are a few quick pointers that will help succeed in your career path as an IT consultant.

Become an All-Terrain IT Pro

1# Reach a good level of experience

Cultivating a solid background at the end of your studies will allow you to differentiate yourself from candidates who are either too junior or too senior and therefore too expensive. Five to ten years of experience is usually the sweet spot in terms of employability.

2# Forget hyperspecialisation

Locking yourself into a skill and mastering it from start to finish may seem like the right way to go in order to differentiate yourself from overly generalist profiles. And in fact, there is nothing wrong with specialisation. It can be a solid career strategy. However, in the world IT —and especially if you are an independent contractor— it pays to adopt a multi-specialization approach. You don’t have to confine yourself to a single language or skill. You should not be satisfied with simple expertise either. Aim for “mastery”. Recruiters will move on quickly if mastery is not conveyed through your CV and profile.

3# Certify yourself

Having the right certification for the right position is a good approach. Certifications worth pursuing include Microsoft certifications, Ninja, Dev Star, and Code Crazy.

4# Soft Skills

Mastering the technical part of a position is not everything. Your personality will also weigh in the balance. Recruiters are looking for candidates who can be at the same time pleasant, knowledgable, committed, brilliant, altruistic, punctual, cunning, eloquent, humble, methodical, polite… Whether it is negotiation or communication, you need to master your soft skills as well. These are the essential soft skills every IT professional should have.

5# Compensation

Sensitive topic, but be realistic with your salary expectations and be ready to lower them a bit is the market calls for it. Especially considering the economic uncertainty brought about by the o pandemic.

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Growing your career: permanent & freelance IT Consultants

The Advantages of Working On-Site in Times of COVID-19

The Advantages of Working On-Site in Times of COVID-19
Discover why you should try to spend at least some time in the office each week. These are the advantages of working on-site.

What are the advantages of working on-site in times of Covid-19? Even with COVID-19 pushing companies to adopt higher levels of telework, as an IT professional you can really benefit from the closer contact that comes with physically joining your team at the company’s premises.

Although it might not be your choice to make depending on your company’s policies, you should try to spend at least some time in the office each week whether it is for meetings or to work on your daily activities. These are the advantages of working on-site.

First of advantages of working at the office: a teamwork booster

Many companies prefer having their employees working from the office rather than remotely. The reasons behind this choice are numerous and tend to vary depending on the type of industry, the country’s regulations and company culture. It also depends on whether or not the company is able to facilitate a COVID-free space for employees to work safely.

The biggest advantage of working on site is that it makes it easier to interact and bond with the rest of the team, promoting integration and speeding up progress on your projects.

You can also take advantage of all the company’s amenities: the printer, the Internet network, the cafeteria, gym, etc. Small advantages which can contribute a great deal to your general well-being and job satisfaction.

A remedy for isolation

Remote workers often complain about the feeling of loneliness and isolation that comes with working only from home. Recent global lockdowns made us all quite aware of this problematic. It can be difficult to be alone in front of your computer all day long. Going to work at the office allows you to share your day with colleagues and set a stable rhythm for both life and work. 

It can be easy for home workers to become demotivated and procrastinate. Having to go into the office at fixed times and being able to leave once the job is finished allows for better time management while guaranteeing a real break between the private and professional worlds.

IT Pros: How to Work On Remote in the Post-Pandemic World

Develop stronger relationships

Working on-site gives you greater access to all the key interlocutors involved in the project and helps you not get stuck in case of doubt or lack of direction. But, most importantly, being physically present lets you develop stronger links with your colleagues and superiors and improves transparency.

Discover our special IT pros guide: IT Job Hunting Done Well: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Growing your career: permanent & freelance IT Consultants

A Microsoft Technologies Careers Guide

A Microsoft Technologies Careers Guide
Learn all about Microsoft careers and the various paths one can take within the Microsoft Technologies ecosystem with this comprehensive series of articles.

Learn all about Microsoft careers and the various paths one can take within the Microsoft Technologies ecosystem with this guide.

It was not that long ago that Microsoft seemed on track to take a more secondary role in the future of enterprise technology.

Software sales had been sluggish for some time, and the company seemed unable to keep up with the pace of innovation of its competitors. Well, things change quickly, especially in IT.

To the surprise of some, Microsoft has managed to bounce back in just a few years. It has indeed delivered its finest OS to date, Windows 10, created a new line of successful hardware products like the Surface. Thus it become a top contender in the cloud wars. Moreover, Microsoft is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the current situation. Being incredibly fortunate with cloud-based collaboration tools ranging from Azure and Office 365 to Microsoft Teams.

Hence, investing time and resources in pursuing one of the many Microsoft careers is a solid career bet. Here is a little roadmap that we hope helps guide you on your journey to personal and IT professional success.

Microsoft careers: a solid IT career investment

Microsoft careers: a solid career investment

The surge in remote work caused by COVID-19 has greatly helped the cloud industry. Microsoft’s Azure business keeps on growing, consolidating the company’s position as the world’s second-largest cloud provider with only Amazon ahead. In turn, the increased demand for cloud know-how has led to a severe drought of talent, especially in areas like cybersecurity. Both cloud and security are highly coveted these days.

Additionally, in a world dominated by data, business intelligence is key. Here, Microsoft also reigns supreme with tools like Microsoft Power BI — a business intelligence platform that caters to business users. As an IT professional, knowing your way around MS Power BI will make you a great asset in today’s enterprise. There will always be someone in need of an expert to set up the environment, train end-users and troubleshoot.

Finally, Microsoft’s sheer size and reach, as well as its tools and platforms focused on developers. This means that a vast amount of applications and solutions are developed using Microsoft’s technology.

Ubiquity, scalability, flexibility and endless possibilities are the words that come to mind when trying to explain what Microsoft stands for in this day and age.

In addition, the Redmond, Virginia company is almost everywhere and in everything, connecting the world economy across industries, practices and solutions.

This Microsoft careers guide connects the dots and providing a holistic perspective on the Microsoft ecosystem and the various career paths one can take within.

The Microsoft Technology Stack

Microsoft careers: The Microsoft Technology Stack

Ubiquity, productivity, scalability, flexibility. These are some of the words that come to mind when trying to explain what Microsoft stands for in this day and age. The Redmond, Virginia company is almost everywhere and in everything, connecting the world economy across industries, practices and solutions. Cloud, operating systems, repositories, collaboration tools…

But, as an IT professional, you would encompass more than enough by focusing on the company’s core solutions. Here are the principal technologies in the Microsoft Technology Stack.

The different IT career paths within Microsoft

Microsoft careers: The different career paths within Microsoft

Given the breadth and depth of Microsoft’s tech stack, the number of jobs and specialties that the environment comprises is practically impossible to capture completely and concisely at the same time. There are just too many.

However, you can identify a series of recurrent role across the various technologies. The company itself highlights these common career paths in its training programs.

Also explore our article on Microsoft career paths for an overview of the different career paths within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Developing your Microsoft expertise

Microsoft careers: Developing your Microsoft expertise

As with other proprietary families of technologies, the best way to go about learning the basics and getting a foot in the door is through official Microsoft certifications. These provide you with a solid technical foundation while validating your expertise in front of recruiters and the overall industry.

In conclusion, there is a myriad of certifications one can obtain, based on desired role or IT career path, or depending on the specific skills you would like to acquire.

Here’s a quick guide to the world of Microsoft certifications.  

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Growing your career: permanent & freelance IT Consultants

IT Contractors: How to Ensure a Constant Stream of Work

IT Contractors: How to Ensure a Constant Stream of Work
How to ensure a constant stream of work? A quick overview of best practices for maintaining a robust client portfolio that provides you with a steady stream of work.

Starting out as a freelancer is for many the realization of a life-long project. While the contractor status means there is no guarantee of job security, there are nonetheless several methods to perpetuate your collaborations and ensure a constant stream of work from loyal and happy customers. How to ensure a constant stream of work?

Here is a quick overview of best practices for maintaining a robust client portfolio that provides you with a steady stream of work.

Become indispensable

To become irreplaceable, you have to develop a unique value proposition and, of course, get your work done on time. First of all, it is important to honour your commitments as agreed upon at the signature of your contract. But then you must go beyond and work to bring added value to the project. Inject a bit of your personal touch to make yourself stand out.


Becoming indispensable means that from the very first interview, you must make sure to stand out, without going overboard. Your interview should not be a simple question/answer exchange, but a real discussion between professionals. Keep in mind that the person you will be working with is not your employer. You collaborate together, for a common goal. Anything that can bring a real, personalised touch to the project and that is not offered by all the other freelancers is to be highlighted. This will encourage your customers to seek to collaborate with you over the long term.

Finally, remember that skills alone are not enough. It is essential that you find the right positioning between professionalism, rigour and proximity. You will thus assert your personality and demonstrate charisma while projecting confidence.

Establish a healthy line of communication

Healthy communication between a freelancer and their clients is essential to ensure long, win-win collaborations. So how do you do it?

  • Check in regularly, but without being pushy or appearing overly eager
  • Show your interest in the company and its projects. Typically, contractors who show an interest in the client’s broader work are more likely to snatch long-term collaboration contracts
  • Do not hesitate to ask for feedback on your work and to be proactive in proposing ideas This is greatly appreciated
  • Do not be afraid to clarify any unspoken or perceived misunderstandings. If you do not dare to discuss a potential issue for fear of string up the waters, the problem could end up weighing heavily both on your morale and your client’s satisfaction with your work
  • Anticipate your next mission. Ask questions about or propose future projects, as well as if you can help in any other areas. Besides giving you vital insight into your client’s operations, this attitude will help you become a long-term partner who goes beyond individual assignments and provides more strategic support

Stay visible

Once a mission is completed, and if you have received positive feedback, it is advisable that you connect with your points of contact over social media and professional networks like LinkedIn. This of course requires an active presence on the various platforms, as well as a solid online image.

Keep your profiles updated and add new content on a regular basis. You can also publish promotional offers like discounts, or new services and skills you have developed. 

If you are visible enough, your clients will remember you and your professional qualities. They will call on your services again, especially if you offer them loyal-customer discounts based on the volume of work requested.

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5 Online Courses to Get You Up-To-Speed with AI in 2023

Here are five online courses to get you started with the AI skills IT professionals so need to stay on top of their career game

Spoiler alert: Artificial Intelligence is the future of work. Or at least part of it. This is not to say that everyone will become an AI engineer. But in just a few years from now, a large part of job positions will require or reward AI skills that help employees be more efficient and dedicate themselves to higher-level tasks. Especially in areas like IT, where human error can have dire consequences. So what online AI courses are best to get you up-to-speed with this booming discipline?

AI has experienced a major explosion in popularity in recent years, becoming one of the fastest-growing roles in job markets across the world. Indeed, just at the beginning of the 2020, a LinkedIn report identified AI-related skills as the fourth most in-demand skills group among employers. And that was before the pandemic set in.

Since then, Artificial Intelligence has emerged as a compelling choice for students and professionals who want to keep up with innovation and trends. Analytics Insight points out very good reasons to study AI in 2023.

Bottom line: believe the hype. It’s about time you put on your AI boots if you still haven’t done so. Here are five courses to get you started that touch upon some of today’s core AI skills.

Find your next assignment on our freelance and permanent IT recruitment platform, or join Mindquest so you don’t miss out on any job opportunity!

1. Online AI courses : the basics

Artificial Intelligence

Firstly, how comfortable would you feel explaining to someone the difference between AI, machine learning and deep learning? What comes to mind when you hear the words ‘neural network’?

If you are not quite sure, start with the fundamentals. This Coursera course by IBM provides a good introductory overview of artificial intelligence and its many aspects:

2. One of the most popular online AI courses : Python

Python

Python is to AI what English is to Shakespeare’s plays. Thus, this nimble yet powerful language is one of the most popular among programmers and engineers, and, if you haven’t gotten around it already, well – you should.

This course on Udemy kicks off with a Python crash course and then gets into its data science and machine learning applications, covering the most widely used Python libraries and tools for AI (NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib…):

Need tips on how to find a job in IT? Check out our IT job hunting guide.

3. Machine learning

Machine Learning

In essence, machine learning is the use of algorithms to process data, learn from it and then act according to these learnings. Machine learning allows computers to autonomously learn and improve processes and assessments through experience, without being explicitly programmed beforehand. It’s pretty much ubiquitous these days –from your phone’s predictive keyboard to web searches.

This course by Stanford is a good starting point:

4. TensorFlow, neural networks and deep learning

TensorFlow

Moreover, developed by Google Brain Team, TensorFlow is an open-source library for numerical computation with powerful AI capabilities. TensorFlow is Python-friendly and is currently one of the most in-demand AI skills.   

This video offers a great hands-on introduction to building neural networks with TensorFlow:

The course requires previous Python literacy, so you should not jump into it before learning the language.   

5. Natural Language Processing (NPL)

Natural Language Processing (NPL)

Last but not least, NPL is a branch of artificial intelligence that focuses on analyzing, understanding and producing human language. It is an integral technology to many everyday features of the digital economy, from autocorrects to chatbots.

This Codecademy course provides a practical and project-based introduction to NPL:

Are you looking for IT mission opportunities in the Tech and IT sectors on a freelance or permanent basis? Mindquest can help you find your next IT mission opportunity. Find your next mission by browsing our freelance and permanent vacancies available on our digital recruitment platform.

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How to Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile as an IT Consultant

How to Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile as an IT Consultant
Knowing how to improve your online visibility is key to your career success. Here’s how to optimise your LinkedIn profile as a tech or IT consultant.

Knowing how to improve your online visibility is key to your career success. In terms of visibility on the web, LinkedIn is a must. Here’s how to optimise your LinkedIn profile as a tech or IT consultant and get that dream job.

IT consultants: how to highlight & optimise your LinkedIn profile

With more than 600 million users worldwide, 40% of whom are active every day, LinkedIn is a major tool for freelancers of all backgrounds. IT freelancers who manage to build a complete and optimized profile are way more likely to appear first in search results and attract the most interesting recruiters. Here are a few steps to make your LinkedIn profile shine and set yourself apart from other IT consultants.

Take care of your LinkedIn profile

The first element to take care of is your profile’s presentation. Your profile should be cared for and frequently updated, allowing you to appear in the best light possible for your future clients. This implies taking care of several elements:

A professional and impactful title

LinkedIn allows you to describe your activities in 120 characters. You need to choose an impactful title, being creative to attract the attention of recruiters while remaining professional. Note that the title is the element that appears directly in the search engine results. It is therefore important to pay particular attention to it. In addition to appearing after your name, the title will largely impact the recruiter’s first impression.

It is advisable to include in the title the mention of your consultant status as well as your area of expertise. The title should include the main search keywords related to your profile.

A professional photo that represents you

A profile with a photo is always more likely to stand out. The photo must be taken from the front, always clear and of good quality. Preferably, you should be smiling –, without exaggeration of course.

A concise summary of your profile and the opportunities you seek

In this rather summary, list your skills and detail your professional experience. So, if you are hyper-specialized in a particular sector, do not hesitate to include that in your summary: this may interest recruiters looking for very technical skills. It is also an opportunity to add your diplomas, your most significant professional successes and everything that makes a company more likely to choose you than another consultant. Try to demonstrate as much as possible that you know how to anticipate the needs of a business.

Also do not forget that your LinkedIn profile allows you to give information on what you are looking for: types of job, location, aspirations in terms of projects and professional development … With this simple step, you will avoid being contacted by recruiters who would approach you with ill-suited assignments or positions.

A more detailed summary of your past experiences to optimise your LinkedIn profile

Your LinkedIn profile is the ideal support for detailing your experience and the various positions you have held — just as you would do on your CV. You can provide background information, technical stacks, and tasks associated with these projects. Focus on your accomplishments by highlighting concrete results.

Share relevant content about IT consulting on LinkedIn

To improve your visibility on LinkedIn as an IT freelancer, it is strongly advised to share content frequently. You can share all kinds of content, including:

  • Links to articles related to your area of ​​expertise and your favourite subjects
  • Infographics or videos to spread a message visually and thus make it more impactful
  • Posts in text form, to share news about your professional life for example.
  • Articles that you have written on the platform, to highlight your knowledge of specific subject. This requires a certain investment in terms of time but can really help you enhance your profile.

It is better to share content regularly, without necessarily looking for the quantity. Unlike other platforms where the organic reach of posts requires sharing content on a daily basis, LinkedIn works differently. Also, remember that LinkedIn now accepts user tags and hashtags, which improves thematic search.

Last tip: don’t hesitate to share and comment on the posts of other people in your network. Taking part in conversations about your areas of expertise will allow you to position yourself as an expert and to be identified by recruiters for the best missions.

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Microsoft Career Paths

Microsoft Career Paths
Here is an overview of the different Microsoft career paths and what every different role implies in terms of roles and responsibilities.

Here is an overview of the different Microsoft career paths and what every different role implies in terms of roles and responsibilities.

The Microsoft Career Paths

Administrator

Administrators oversee the implementation of Microsoft platforms and maintain solutions for storage, networking, computing and security.

Responsibilities and skills include:

  • Managing subscriptions and resources
  • Implementing and managing storage
  • Deploying and managing virtual machines
  • Configuring and managing virtual networks
  • Managing identities

AI Engineer

AI engineers design and implement artificial intelligence solutions by leveraging different MS tools.

Cognitive Services, Machine Learning, and Knowledge Mining are part of their toolset. For Azure, for example, areas of focus include:

  • Natural language processing
  • Speech
  • Bots and agents
  • Computer vision

Data Engineer

In charge of mapping out and executing the management, monitoring, security, and privacy of data. Data Engineers are proficient in a platform’s different data services and tools, using them to:

  • Implement data storage solutions
  • Manage and develop data processing
  • Monitor and optimize data solutions
  • Design data storage solutions
  • Design data processing solutions
  • Design for data security and compliance

Data Scientist

Not to be confused with a Data Engineer, this role requires deep knowledge of data science and machine learning. Expertise in data modelling is a must.

A good MS Data Scientist knows well how to:

  • Set up data lake relationships
  • Learning workspace
  • Run experiments and train models
  • Optimize and manage models
  • Deploy and consume models

Developer

At the frontlines of deployment and operations, developers partner with architects and administrators to design, create, test and maintain cloud applications and services.

Among the core competences of developers:

  • Development of infrastructure and storage
  • Development of platforms and solutions
  • Implementation of security
  • Monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimising solutions
  • Connecting to third-party services

DevOps Engineer

Advocates of agile methodologies for software development, DevOps professionals unify teams, processes and technologies to streamline the product pipeline.

Expertise is required in:

  • DevOps development processes
  • Continuous integration & continuous delivery (CI/CD)
  • Dependency management
  • Application infrastructure
  • Continuous feedback

IoT Developer

Designs, develops and maintains Internet of Things solutions and devices within MS environments. From coding to the set-up of physical devices, the IoT Developer is responsible for:

  • Implementing the Azure IoT solution infrastructure
  • Provision and management of devices
  • Implementing Edge Processing and managing data
  • Monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimising IoT solutions
  • Implementing security

Security Engineer

The title here says it all. Security professionals protect the integrity of data, applications and networks by implementing threat detection and security controls.

Functions include:

  • Managing identity and access
  • Implementing platform protection
  • Managing security operations
  • Securing data and applications

Solutions Architect

The Solutions Architect is actually the first person to be involved in a platform’s deployment process. Architects must have a deep understanding of the entire ecosystem to design solutions that run on it.

They must have expertise in:

  • Deployment and configuration of infrastructure
  • Implementing workloads and security
  • Creating and deploy apps
  • Implementing authentication and securing data
  • Developing for cloud and for other storage
  • Determining workload requirements
  • Designing for identity and security
  • Designing a data platform solution and a business continuity strategy
  • Designing for deployment, migration, and integration
  • Designing an infrastructure strategy

Want to learn more about the various Microsoft career paths and how to pursue them? Explore our comprehensive Microsoft Technologies careers guide.

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How to Advance Your Career as an IT Freelancer

How to Advance Your Career as an IT Freelancer
Freelancing is often spoken of as the future of work, the career prospects are very promising. How to advance your career as in IT freelancer?

Freelancing is often spoken of as the future of work. Many people turn to this way of life to gain more autonomy and freedom and be able to focus on the kind of work they enjoy the most. In the world of IT in particular; where the share of freelance workers keeps on growing, the career prospects are very promising. Freelancers are not limited by that many obligations and can develop professionally as they wish. How to advance your career as an IT freelancer?

When you are an employee in a company, your career development is often planned and monitored by the HR department or by management. When you are a freelancer, you have to put in place a professional development plan by yourself.

Here are a few tips on how to do that.

Technology and IT, a rewarding sector for freelancers

In the digital and technological fields, freelance workers generally have no difficulty finding new assignments, but finding the dream assignment is another story.

With equal experience, a tech or IT consultant such as a full-stack developer will have less difficulty finding interesting opportunities than a freelancer in the creative arts. The technology sector is a one particularly sought after by companies, with the best organisations competing to attract and retain the best talent out there.

Top freelancers performers in tech are in high demand, and that is an advantage for anyone who is qualified and passionate about their area of ​​expertise.

Advance your career as an IT freelancer: specialize to evolve

The top freelance consultants are usually former junior freelancers who have evolved through countless assignments over the years. The choice of your missions, then, is key in the construction of a solid professional progression.

Expert profiles, those that are very specialized in a given technology, are very popular with companies. Think carefully and specialize in a skill or technology that is booming right now or will do so in a couple of years. Consultants specializing in cloud, cybersecurity and data science are very popular right now. For example, as companies wage a war for talent to fulfil their digital transformation goals.

By choosing a promising area of ​​expertise and developing your skills over time, you can achieve a higher average daily rate (ADR). Keeo on re-skilling so that your rate can increase over time. It is about constantly re-evaluating the added value of your work for your clients.

Evolve by taking on managerial functions

Another option to progress in your career when you are an IT consultant is to become a manager. Project managers or team leaders tend to access managerial responsibilities. Which often validate their technical or business skills, and allow them to work on larger projects.

This type of evolution is often considered the golden road to progress when working in IT. Since it allows you to “climb the ladder” in a consistent way. But managerial roles are not suitable for all profiles and are not an end in themselves for many IT freelancers, who prefer to focus on their area of expertise.

Manage your own skill development in order to advance your career as an IT freelancer

To develop your career as an IT consultant, you obviously need to gain experience. But don’t neglect training! And that’s not only because technologies keep evolving at a rapid pace. But also because you need to devise a solid methodology to speed up your skill development.

But that’s not all. Companies are looking for experts with advanced technical skills, but it is also often interpersonal skills that make the difference. Soft skills, such as communication skills, leadership or creativity are more than ever essential to the success of companies’ digital transformation projects.

Many training courses exist to improve these behavioural skills, including online training. Take advantage of them.

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