What is the single biggest thing you can do to advance your career?

[Martin James Gehrke]

Certifications?

Education?

Switch Jobs?

I know there is no magic silver bullet, and to really advance your career takes effort and time. Where should that effort and time be invested?

[Mark Bowytz]

Based on my personal experience, I didn't advance in any way until I switched jobs. I could go on and on about the difference in cultures, difference in work I did (developer turned operations!?), etc. but honestly, getting under a set of different managers really allowed me to have a clean slate and make a new name for myself. Also, I had grown very comfortable in supporting something that was to go out of style very soon.

YMMV on certifications and education. Depends on the target industry and who might value that piece of paper. In my experience with interviewing, it could get someone's resume noticed but in my opinion, walking the walk by showing applied knowledge is WAAAY better than just talking the talk.

[Martin James Gehrke]

I think it is a sad truth about our industry that it really does take a job switch to really advance. 

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[Drew from Zhrodague]

On 3/5/15 3:52 PM, Martin James Gehrke wrote:
> I think it is a sad truth about our industry that it really does take a
> job switch to really advance.

This has been my experience also. Our industry moves too fast for
someone to stay in the same job for years doing the same thing, and
still have current skills. This is partly what drove me to startups -
newer environments with new technology. The other part is that startups
frequently do not have HR people. Without a degree (I hold a GED), it
was very hard for me to get jobs in places with an HR department.
Speaking directly to the hiring managers, I've been able to appeal to
their needs, and land the job.


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Drew from Zhrodague
post-apocalyptic ad-hoc industrialist
dr...@zhrodague.net

[G.Pitman]

I have done well through attrition and have been at the same place almost 10 years. I have done a little but not much about certifications but attending conferences and bringing that knowledge home has helped.

I do think it makes a big difference to work in a smaller (but not too small) environment so that advancements are of a greater magnitude.

This may not apply outside the education environment.

[Js Js]

I think it depends on what your idea of advancing your career is. I've seen a wide range where some people are ok with stability and the daily grind, others money is the answer, location or work life balance.  Personally I like continuing education (which may or may not include formal education and/or certifications) and just getting out there and meeting people. This may lead to switching jobs if that's what makes the most sense.  If trying to advance your career at the same place it's definitely important to be in a place that take the possibility of internal advancement seriously. If there is no path for you to follow it's hard to make your own, well unless you own the company that you make all the paths you want. 

I like this blurb from a linkedin post "CFO asks his CEO, “What happens if we invest in developing our people and then they leave the company?” CEO answers, ‘What happens if we don’t, and they stay?”

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[Jon Zeolla]

I also have to say that changing jobs was easily the biggest step up for me, especially from teams where there is a low turnover rate.

I've learned most moving around because it lets me experience different approaches to the same or similar core technology, and completely different technology solving different problems. You're just not going to get that with most degrees or certifications.