It's time to nominate IT industry's unsung heroes

Nominations for the IT Pro Day 2022 Awards are now open online at ITProDay.org.

Created by SolarWinds, the annual IT Pro Day holiday honours and recognises the critical but often unseen work IT pros do to keep our computer networks operating.

Though computer systems have become necessary for every modern organisation to function, the IT teams who ensure email, websites and applications run smoothly can often be overlooked (of course, until there’s a problem!). As companies embrace new cloud and artificial intelligence technologies as part of their digital transformation strategies, our dependency on IT teams and roles has become more significant. At the same time, workplace trends like remote work have become the norm.

“The job of an IT pro has gotten extremely difficult, but most of their colleagues in non-tech roles have no idea,” said Head Geek Chrystal Taylor.

“IT Pro Day was created to honour the critical work IT teams do every day to ensure you can do your job. There are national days recognising administrative professionals, zookeepers, thermal engineers, interns and more — so it’s only natural to honour the people who make it possible for the rest of the organisation to function.”

IT Pro Day is celebrated on the third Tuesday of each September and was established in 2015 to honour the IT pros who keep our computer networks running. The annual awards program recognises technology professionals — at any level — who have demonstrated excellence in their profession. Nominations for the IT Pro Day Awards are open to IT professionals around the world and across several categories:

• Rookie of the Year: We all start somewhere — and we want to pay special attention to the rising stars of IT. This award recognises an IT pro new to the profession making an immediate impact, whether by developing new skills (technical or otherwise), contributing to the success of a challenging project or driving measurable results for the business.
• Rockstar of the Year: This award honours an IT pro or team who has gone above and beyond the typical IT call of duty. They may have managed/executed on a shoestring budget, taken on a challenging request or led a project that generated tangible business results, picked up extra shifts in response to strained staffing resources during the height of the pandemic, or committed their free time to upskilling to have a transformational impact on their organisation.
• IT Mentor of the Year: This award recognises a seasoned IT pro who has supported and empowered others to be successful by sharing their experience with their team(s). This person regularly leads by example, helps foster growth and development, and has shown sustained commitment to the advancement of their organisation through technology.
• Trailblazer: What makes IT so crucial to modern organisations is the transformative impact new, innovative strategies and technologies can deliver. This award recognises an individual or team who has experimented with or implemented something new and out of their comfort zone. Did this person conceptualise the rollout of a DevOps approach, test automation, or begin exploring the role of data-driven operations in the data centre? Highlight why their work qualifies as ‘unprecedented’ and its potential measurable outcomes.
   

Everyone is encouraged to nominate their peers, colleagues and friends in the industry for the IT Pro Day Awards between now and 2 September 2022. The IT Pro Day Awards winners will be announced on 20 September. Visit ITProDay.org to learn more.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/deagreez