Careers in IT

If there’s one certainty in these uncertain times, it’s that technology will continue to expand and develop at a breathtaking pace. Few people, if any, could claim that the technological changes of the past two decades have not had far-reaching and significant impacts on their day to day lives. Whether you use a navigation device within your car to traverse the country, rely upon a blackberry to keep you up to date with appointments, or pay your bills online, technology doubtless plays a meaningful role in your life.  With all the excitement that each new discovery and gadget brings, why wouldn’t you want to pursue a career in the Information Technology field? With so many industries sinking due to an inability to keep pace with the myriad changes the information age has brought, the one industry you can count on for endless opportunities is the IT field.

As with any career change, it can be difficult to know where to begin. What skills do you already have that will be of use in your new career? Where should you go to learn, update or expand your skills? The first thing to know is that many of us are more skilled in IT that we perhaps appreciate. If you use your home computer for areas that extend beyond checking Facebook and looking up the long-range weather forecast, you are probably equipped with a bit of tech know-how already. Familiarity with Photoshop, Excel, Word, for example, all count toward your existing IT knowledge bank.

The next step is working out what area of IT you would like to go into. If you know anyone already working in the field, find the time to sit them down for a good chat about what they know and how they advise approaching your new career. People who love their jobs are equally as passionate about sharing their knowledge and will be happy for a captive and curious audience. Get them to comb through your education and employment history to gain a better of understanding of what area of IT might best suit you.

So, you’re enthusiastically anticipating your new career. You want to get a foot in the IT door. Assuming you’ve completed the requisite course,  what sort of jobs will you most likely be looking at as an entry point?  Data entry, sales, computer programming and tech support are all good places to start. If you’re prepared to put in the hard yards, your career trajectory can be gratifyingly rapid. Being a global industry, the horizon is limitless when it comes to where and what you can do.