Career opportunities in the Information Technology industry

That being said, it is also important to mention that this industry is one of the rare ones where experience and the readiness and willingness to learn is usually valued more than the education you received. This is due to the fact that this industry is experiencing such rapid growth that some things you might have learned today are already replaced by different way and new methods tomorrow.

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Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can make it in the industry without any previous knowledge. It simply means that even though you might have just the basic knowledge and understanding of things, with some right guidance and helpful pointers you can make a place for yourself in this industry. So, let’s see what are some career opportunities in the IT industry and how you can begin your journey of becoming an expert in a certain field.

Hardware engineer

Hardware engineers are the experts specializing in producing hardware solutions, either for a specific purpose in a specific company or for the purposes of distributing and selling them globally. As a hardware engineer, you will most commonly work in a team of different technology professionals and scientists and your job will be designing and troubleshooting the existing hardware or building entirely new solutions.

Also, the main focus of this profession is to boost technological efficiency, reduce the number of errors and issues and meet current technological standards and needs. To pursue a career in this field, you will need to get a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in any of the relevant engineering fields – computer or electrical engineering.

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Network administrator

Network administrators are in charge of monitoring networks and communication systems to ensure that communication and information are flowing smoothly within a certain organisation (or business). They are also in charge of implementing network hardware and software, fixing any potential issues, as well as ensuring network availability, security and performance. Here, you will also need to have a bachelor’s degree in any related fields, but some employers might also require a master’s degree.

Solutions architect

Solution architects, as their name suggests, are in charge of developing technological solutions for different organisations. Technological knowledge and critical thinking are some of the key traits of these experts that allow them to determine the organization’s goals and technological needs.

This, in turn, allows them to create a plan that will make reaching those goals possible. Solution architects are also required to communicate with different teams and departments within the organisation which allows them to precisely determine what needs to be done and come up with the best possible solution. Here, aside from the bachelor’s degree in computer science or any related field, an MBA bachelor’s degree or an AWS Certificate can also come to be useful.

Data architect

Data architects are in charge of overseeing the design and maintenance of data across various databases and information channels. They also need to make sure that any piece of data logged into a database or system is valid and accurate so they usually need to have well-developed analytical skills and field knowledge, unlike system administrators. These guys also most commonly work in teams with other IT professionals. Educational requirements are again a bachelor’s degree in any field related to information systems, technology or computer science.

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Web developer

As a web developer, you will be in charge of gathering and generating content, creating website layouts, deciding on the website navigation and coding for different web pages.

Additionally, web developers test and even optimize a website for peak performance. This includes optimising all the content, making sure that the website is secure by encrypting it with an SSL certificate, as well as making sure that everything is functioning as intended. To become a web developer, you will need to be proficient with HTML, CSS and JavaScript and have at least some basic knowledge of server-side programming languages. Also, you will be required to have at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science or any related field, but employers usually prefer candidates with a master’s degree for this position.

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Site reliability engineer

These guys are the ones that are in charge of making sure that a particular website serves its intended purpose and runs as smoothly as it should. They are also in charge of maintaining, updating and troubleshooting websites to ensure that the site remains functional and there are no unexpected interruptions. Site reliability engineers should also be proficient in various programming languages and should be familiar with website management technologies. A bachelor’s degree in programming or information technology is preferred, but other related fields are also acceptable.

Technical support specialist

Computer technical support specialists deal with both corporations and individual clientele, dealing mostly with troubleshooting and problem-solving. These experts rely mostly on the general knowledge of software, hardware and computer systems, but also knowledge of specific products that allow them to remedy different technological issues. One of the biggest challenges, when this profession is concerned, is staying up-to-date with all the current technologies and technical issues so that they can be remedied as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Therefore, choose this career option if you are someone who loves learning new things and can easily apply your previous knowledge in an effort to deal with a new situation at hand.

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Computer system analyst

A computer system analyst is in charge of recommending strategic changes that have an end goal of increasing productivity, lowering operational costs and achieving other important objectives by evaluating a company’s computer systems and other procedures. They usually oversee the development team or design and program computer system updates on their own. Computer system analysts without a programming background are the ones collaborating with the development team, while the ones that have it usually do everything on their own.

Simply put, the main goal of a computer system analyst is to maximize the ROI of the company’s (organization’s or individual’s) IT budget. Since this profession deals equal parts with both business and IT matters, aside from a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a similar field, and MBA with preferably a focus on technology might also be required by some employers.

Software engineer

Finally, software engineers are the ones that are in charge of designing, developing, testing and optimizing computer programs, usually used in fields of social networks, video games, business applications and network control systems. This IT branch is the one that encompasses probably the widest range of careers and professional roles.

From niche companies to government agencies, everyone can largely benefit from having a software engineer on their team. Software engineers usually work in teams or collaborate with different administrators. This, again, is where having a master’s degree in a relevant field is a better idea, however, some smaller companies may be happy with just a bachelor’s degree.

So, if you are looking to pursue a career in the IT industry, do know that you will have plenty of options to choose from. These were just some of the careers in this industry you might find interesting, but there are also numerous others that didn’t make it on this list. Either way, to maximise your chances, you probably should get at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science – or a similar field, but if you are feeling super motivated, feel free to go for a master’s degree as well.