326: Diversity of Experience Is Crucial and Let People Know What Excites You with Michal Juhas

In this week's show, Phil talks to Michal Juhas, who has worked in the tech industry for more than 16 years. He has held a variety of positions during his career, from software developer to chief technical officer. And in 2019 he founded Geek Recruiters and he is now an IT Talent Advisor, Recruiter, Career Coach and Trainer as well as the author of 6 books and the creator of multiple video courses. Michal joins Phil to talk about why it's crucial to gain as much experience as possible in the early days of your career, as well as the ways in which a note could help your job applications.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:   TOP CAREER TIP At the beginning of your IT career journey, look for ways to gain more experience by accepting tasks from those who need work done. This looks great on your record when you come to the interviewing process.   WORST CAREER MOMENT When Michal's company went out of business. He had built it from scratch, but it ultimately failed. Michal learned not to be too over-optimistic and be more realistic when it comes to challenges.   CAREER HIGHLIGHT Working as a coach and recruiter, Michal finds many highlights these days by discovering new talent – those who bring something special to the role they have taken.   THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The global nature of IT means that developers can now take positions around the world. Technology allows free movement in remote terms, and skills can be put to good use, no matter where we live.   THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – After a suggestion from a friend, Michal fell into IT. What's the best career advice you received? – to read more books, as they inspire the mind. What's the worst career advice you received? – What would you do if you started your career now? – Michal would experiment with more technologies and learn more programming languages. What are your current career objectives? Identifying the companies that he wants to work for. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Marketing, sales and copywriting. How do you keep your own career energized? – Working with mission-driven companies, which adds a new sense of purpose. What do you do away from technology? – Spending time with family.   FINAL CAREER TIP When applying for a job, always include a note to explain why you are excited about a particular opportunity.   BEST MOMENTS (5:08) – Michal - "Diversity of experience helps you to find solutions for different problems" (13:23) – Michal - "Shift the focus from the salary to the other benefits of the work" (20:43) – Michal – "Read lots of books!" (24:15) – Michal – "Effectively, as a developer, as an IT professional, you are selling yourself on the market, so you need to be able to find your unique selling proposition"   ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions.  Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers.  And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.   CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/_PhilBurgess LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Instagram: https://instagram.com/_philburgess Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer   ABOUT THE GUEST – MICHAL JUHAS Michal Juhas has worked in the tech industry for more than 16 years. He has held a variety of positions during his career, from software developer to chief technical officer. And in 2019 he founded Geek Recruiters and he is now an IT Talent Advisor, Recruiter, Career Coach and Trainer as well as the author of 6 books and the creator of multiple video courses.   CONTACT THE GUEST – MICHAL JUHAS Michal Juhas can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaljuhas/ Personal Website: https://michaljuhas.com/welcome Career Tools Website: https://careerupgradetools.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juhas.michal/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvfRMDDiKKqNVaezfvBVR0A