How do I become a T-shaped professional?

Transferring to a new job role can be overwhelming. Where do you start learning? To help you out, Global Knowledge has started publishing a monthly how to become article. In this article, you will find a learning track for a job role you might be interested in. This month, learn how you can become a T-shaped professional.

T-shaped professionals are becoming increasingly important to organizations. T-shaped professionals possess in-depth knowledge about one subject and basic knowledge about a variety of other subjects. As a T-shaped professional, you don't just deepen your knowledge about one subject, you make sure you have got an extensive skillset. We use the term T-shaped because if you list these skills, the letter T shows.

Once you have developer yourself as a T-shaped professional - it's time for the next step: M-shaped professional. It's in the name already: an M-shaped professional has in-depth knowledge on three areas and basic knowledge on a variety of other areas.

How do you become a T-shaped professional?

This edition of 'how do you become' looks slightly different to our other editions. That's because you can become a T-shaped or M-shaped professional in all kinds of areas. There is no use to sketch one specific learning path, because everyone's journey is different.

With a GK polaris subscription, you already have access to the knowledge you need to become a T-shaped professional. This month, I tell you all about the steps you need to take in order to find out which T-shaped professional you would like to become. By using the steps below, you can create your own personalized learning track.

_{All training courses mentioned in this article can be found in the GK Polaris Discovery course portfolio. With GK Polaris Discovery you get unlimited access to Virtual Classroom courses for one year, for a price that's similar to the price of one training course (€2995). Learn more about GK Polaris on this page.}

Step 1: Decide which knowledge additional knowledge suits your existing expertise

When you read this article, you probably already have one specialization. You might be security expert, architect or administrator of a Microsoft Azure environment. (Still looking for an expertise? Check out the other editions of this series on cloud and development).

If you aspire to become a T-shaped professional, it's important to ask yourself how you can broaden your set of skills (find out how to become a M-shaped expert at step 3). I have written down some questions to make deciding on a direction easier.

1. With which team members do you collaborate? 
   To decide which knowledge you need, it's a good idea to take a look at the team members you frequently collaborate with. Which skills do they have? These skills might also be useful to you. To give an example, I've used a security specialist and a developer
   
   As a security specialist, you collaborate on different projects. You might also work with infrastructures in the cloud, so it might be useful to broaden your cloud knowledge.
   
   If you work as a developer, you will find collaborating with co-workers on different teams is important. With a Scrum training course, you can develop yourself further. Invest in soft skills to increase your collaboration capabilities.
2. What interests you?
   Learn about subjects that interest you. If you do so, the knowledge you gain is more likely to stick. Find out what your interests are and expand your knowledge on these topics.
3. Which knowledge does your team lack?
   Ask yourself which knowledge your team is lacking and educate yourself on these topics. When you do this, your team will never lack knowledge.

Step 2: Decide on a training format

You have now decided about which topics you would like to know more. The next step is deciding which training format fits you best

With GK Polaris Discovery, you have got unlimited access to Virtual Classroom training courses and on-demand training courses on Skillsoft's Percipio.

What's the difference between the Virtual Classroom and Percipio?

With the on-demand training courses on Percipio, you decide when and where you train.

This is ideal if you need knowledge about a specific topic fast, or you don't have time in your schedule to attend a Virtual Classroom training course.

If you want to deepen your knowledge about a specific topic even further, I recommend Virtual Classroom training. Our instructors won't just teach your theory - you will also learn how to apply what you've learned. You receive the official course materials and attend the training course with other participants.

Which training format meets my needs?

The best way to find out which format is right for you, is by trying them out. You can find all kinds of courses on Percipio to obtain basic and advanced knowledge.

After this is done, you can attend the, for example, Microsoft Azure Fundamentals or AWS Technical Essentials training course in the Virtual Classroom. After you've tested both learning formats, you probably have a better idea which one fits your needs.

Last but not least: the learning format that fits your needs, differs per situation. If you need knowledge of specific topic fast, an on-demand training course might be enough. But if you need in depth knowledge on an application you might be working with for the first time, it's worth taking a Virtual Classroom course. Obviously, you can always decide to do both.

Step 3: Expand your knowledge

Once you have turned yourself into a T-shaped professional, it might be time for the next step: become a M-shaped professional.

For example, if you are a T-shaped security specialist with knowledge about project management and cloud? Expand this knowledge with more training courses from the GK Polaris Discovery subscription. With your newly gained skills, you can develop yourself even further to a M-shaped professional.

Do you enjoy learning at your own pace? Take a look at our GK Polaris Accelerate subscription. With GK Polaris Accelerate, you get access to challenge-based learning in real lab environments by Microsoft and AWS. That makes this subscription extra relevant if you are a cloud specialist. You can also find training course video's and certification prep in GK Polaris Accelerate.

What's next?

Have you finished your T-shaped or M-shaped learning track? You're not there yet. A real T-shaped or M-shaped professional keeps developing themselves. Talk to co-workers and see if you can do other tasks in addition or exchange of your regular work. Work on a project that you don't know that much about, because you can also learn a lot from your co-workers.

In addition to this experience, you often also benefit from extra training. With your GK Polaris subscription, you can continue to develop yourself, wherever and whenever you want.

New on-demand and Virtual Classroom training courses are added almost every month. Learn more via the button below.