Decoding the talent delusion

By: Helena Durán & Laura Romero Frías

Already in your 30's? Data reveals that most successful tech founders were 34 years old at the time of starting their business. They are known as “Super Founders” and you may know most of them, since they played a key role in revolutionizing the tech industry. So, don’t think you are doomed just because you did not spend your 20s in a garage building the most disruptive devices or services of the XX century.

The industry as we know it offers a wide range of opportunities that can guarantee you a successful career. In 2021, the tech industry offered 900K positions within the European market, a market that, as we all know, was still suffering the repercussions of COVID 19.

The growth of the tech industry is mind blowing, eminent and unstoppable. This growth pace simply cannot be compared with others in the history of civilization. The tech sector proved to be resilient, by resisting the ravages of global crises which ultimately contributed to feeding the belief of illusion and fantasy.This leads to an industry that sometimes loses a sense of reality.

The privileges of belonging

Of course, technology is at everything that we do, there is no denial in that, but, are we aware of the privileges of belonging? These privileges make themselves obvious and tangible when we look at the job market and the salaries for technical roles. Don’t you feel like you have some sort of duty to make the most of it?

When constantly in contact with the talent market, you can easily feel this parallel reality, you encounter that the industry alludes to mythological animals to simply identify candidates that meet the required qualifications for a vacancy. The only reason why they called these people unicorns is not precisely because they shine, fly or have superpowers, they just happen to belong to the tech industry and meet the criteria.

The bottom line here is, whether you are ok with just matching the requirements or you feel the urge to take the big step that will take you to the next level and face your professional ambitions.

If you picked the last one, you know that you will need to cope with the accelerated growth of technology. That means you will need to learn to surf the wave and leave the unicorn behind to embrace the Phoenix that is inside you.

Why a Phoenix? They represent renewal, they rise from the ashes, over and over again, which also implies resilience. We know you might be tired of hearing this word, especially during these last two years when it was inevitably and with good reason, linked to the pandemic. Sorry to tell you that here, the word applies. Resilience is resistance and courage at the same time. Resistance is enduring even when the wind is against us and courage in putting a lot of heart and strength to go for it.

Surf the wave

Learning to surf the wave, it’s about sustainability, about making things constant and, when speaking about growth, it implies not only continuously learning about tech and staying updated and informed about the latest technologies, but also learning a wide range of different skills that will make your brain more adaptive to any kind of challenge.

What we are saying is that good technical knowledge can put you in a good position for a very long time, but what triggers your lasting professional growth is the intentional work of your soft skills. Be aware of this, and don’t overrate the weight that your technical skills may have in your career plans.

Last but not least, humility and determination play a fundamental role in the growth of every individual. We would recommend leaving unicorns, heroes, heroines, even Phoenixes behind, to embrace the fact that we are always on a learning path, regardless of our role and years of experience.

All these skills (continuous learning, resilience, humility and determination) could seem a little obvious to you when speaking about growth. However, reality shows us something different, mostly because cultivating them requires time, patience, energy and exposure.

Since we are a privileged sector and the markets are attractive and move really fast, we might be tempted to jump from one company to another, instead of acquiring that set of skills that will ultimately take us to the next level. We usually mistake and automatically link the fact of changing jobs with exponential growth. Switching companies does not necessarily translate into professional milestones.

On the contrary, it could be also read as delaying a deeper layer of learning that prevents us from taking the big leap. Learning and being accountable for these skills requires time, effort, investment and a lot of interest, and above all, it all depends on you.

Embrace your journey

If you are willing to embark on this learning/growth journey, getting comfortable with the uncomfortable will be your new way of life. There is no professional growth without a personal one, and you will need not only good emotional intelligence but also a healthy relationship with your most vulnerable self.

Also, although all this might appear as an individual journey, a good network of support will eventually help you feel safe and bring you inspiration when we are tired of renewing ourselves.

So, the good news is that the success of tech careers is not based on years of experience. Although there are people in their 20s who have already reached their peak, most of us need time, experience and opportunities to develop the soft skills that will take us to the next level.

Looking at the latest report of the State of European talent in 2021 the range of experience in Europe is 7.5 years for founders and 5.7 for leaders.

Inspiring ? or scary? Who knows…

“We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it as not as dreadful as it appears, discovering that we have the strength to stare it down.”- Eleanor Roosevelt

Disclaimer: the statements and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the stances of Thoughtworks.

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