One of my biggest advantages in my career was the fact that I got a home computer early in life.
That meant I could use job search sites back when they were just evolving, or send faxes over the modem. It meant I could train myself on software and in coding whenever I wanted. it let me build resumes and skills.
Now, years later (fifteen or sixteen to be precise), the home computer is nearly omnipresent, but one fact hasn't changed: the technology in your household can be a career advantage.
Take a moment to take inventory of what technology you use – what computers, smart phones, software, etc. Write down a list.
Next, ask yourself if your knowledge and skill with these could help you in your career. Maybe a skill is useful for a job – or for finding one. Maybe your extensive use of a particular piece of technology may give you an advantage in an interview at the company that made it. Maybe you even have entire skill sets you could or have developed to use on the job.
Ask yourself, seriously, what you have and use technology-wise and if you're using it fully in developing your career. Yes, your obsessive use of every console system may seem a waste of time, but let's face it – you know the consoles and the game industry better than some (or that extensive group of gaming friends may help you with your job search).
We often overlook that which we're used to because, well, we're used to it. That can mean that we miss all the amazing things we do or can do, the tools we use, the advantages we have. We miss out – and we miss out on how we can use things we like in our careers – the definition of a good geeky job.
In closing, let me note a case for myself. I am a user of Twitter, but in my usual fashion, strategically. I am also a user of a cell phone, which I use for texting a lot. Only lately did I realize how many companies and news sources have twitter feeds, and I'm headily imagining how I can leverage these technologies to get even deeper into understanding industries and news. Obvious, yes, but I never sat down and saw it.
So take a look at your technology at home. Your future may be there.
– Steven Savage