In order for any professional to stay at the top of their game, they need to keep their skills fresh.

Application Support Engineers have to constantly adapt and keep up to date with the range of technologies used in the business. IT Systems and products are constantly evolving, which means Application Support Engineers have to stay flexible and quick-witted in order to solve new and unexpected problems.  At the IRIS offices, we always try to encourage and enable growth, so our Application Support Engineers can stay sharp.

Here are a few tips on how ASE’s can keep their skills fresh:

Go on training courses to make sure your skills are up-to-date

Find out if your company would be willing to sponsor training courses that could help you brush up on your skills. Providing rigorous training and mentoring within the company can be highly valuable for both the employer and employee. Another great way to keep your skills fresh is to enroll in an online class. Online classes make it very easy for professionals to achieve skills without missing time on the job. You can find a myriad of free, and extremely helpful online classes on Coursera. 

Do brain exercises

Since Application Support Engineers need to have excellent problem solving skills and astute logical reasoning, doing problem solving exercises like Sudoku or logic puzzles can be surprisingly helpful. Clinically proven programs like BrainHQ and Lumosity can also help you improve your memory, or think faster, just by following their brain training exercises. Who knows, this could help you become the Sherlock Holmes of IT.

Learn by observation

It helps to work in a dynamic and supportive team where you have to opportunity to learn from your fellow employees.  Ask others what they’re working on or how they would deal with a particular problem at work. You might just learn something new without ever having to leave the office. Another great way to stay fresh is to follow blogs that suit your professional interests. Have a look at this article for a comprehensive list of some of the best blogs for Application Support Engineers to follow.

Practice

‘Learning by doing’ is one of the most effective ways you can update your skills. Whether this means experimenting with a new program or practicing a new coding language, tailor it to your interests and go crazy with it. It’s probably better not to refresh yourself on skills that you don’t really use that often. If you keep the range of skills that need updating to a minimum, it will be much easier to manage.

Stay focused

Keeping a clear mind will help you focus on the task at hand. When you’re faced with cryptic instructions from customers and difficult code fixes, it won’t help to get distracted by other things at work. Keeping your skills fresh is hard work, so make it as easy on yourself as possible. Don’t attempt to do too many things at once, because an Application Support Engineer needs to remain as focused and flexible as possible.

If you are passionate about networking and think you’d make a good fit in the IRIS offices, have a look at our website or apply for a position at IRIS here. You can also find out more about IRIS’ unique take on Network Systems on our product page.

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