CAREERS IN IT

CAREERS IT The following slides provide an overview of some the common careers in IT. Even though you may not want to work in IT, in many circumstances you may be working with IT personnel. IT is heavily involved in most company projects.

DATA ENTRY A job that commonly requires the employee to take information from a hard copy or other source and enter it into an electronic format. Position may also be taking electronic data and entering it into a database for easy sorting and locating..

CUSTOMER SERVICE Help customers with general questions relating to the company, ordering, status on orders, account information or status, etc. Good communication skills and a general understanding of the company and its products.

SOFTWARE/SYSTEM SALES Sells a product or service to another person or company. Typical sales position but a decent understanding of technology is beneficial.

COMPUTER REPAIR TECH fix and repair computer and computer equipment. Often this involves removing a component from within the computer and replacing it with a good component. A good understanding of computer hardware, computer disassembly, proper tools, and good troubleshooting skills.

TECHNICAL WRITING This position often involves creating or editing technical papers or manuals. Daily tasks include working with technical staff, product developers and customers to determine the technical documentation needs of end users. Technical writers organize and write supporting documents for products, and choose appropriate photographs, charts, drawings and diagrams to increase understanding According to a 2011 nationwide survey (USA), technical writers earned a median annual wage of $64,610.

ACCOUNT MANAGERS Account Managers typically look after the post sales relationship between the company and the customer. Heavily focused on customer service but also require a solid understanding of technology.

COMPUTER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT Computer support specialists and technical support personnel provide assistance and advice to computer users having technical issues with their machines. As with software engineers, support specialists can work for a large development house, providing support to customers who’ve purchased their software, or they may provide support internally within a company, helping other employees deal with their computer issues Computer support specialist positions are expected to grow by around 14 percent in the coming year, still faster than the national average Computer support specialists earn median wages of around $43,000, with most earning between $33,000 and 55,000.

SOFTWARE ARCHITECT This is your go-to team member. This is the person responsible for the big picture. He or she creates and delivers blueprints in the diagrams and other documentation tools. – These diagrams are the roadmap the rest of the team will follow to actually develop the application.

SOFTWARE DESIGNER This team member would be responsible for designing the individual modules or components of a software application. The skills of a software architect and a software designer may overlap.

SOFTWARE OR SYSTEMS ANALYST An analyst plays a supportive role for both the architect and the designer. This team member is responsible for collecting or developing the information needed to determine the project specifications and requirements. The analyst is the liaison between the software team and the business team – someone who’s good at understanding the purpose of the application from a business perspective. rated 10th best job

SOFTWARE ENGINEER An engineer is a software developer who actually creates code. However, the engineer is usually a high level programmer and may take on the role of project manager for your team rather than doing the “grunt work”. The person who typically understands the whole development process from requirements and design to development and implementation. An experienced software build engineer will command a much higher salary than a mid- level software developer. Software engineers earn a median salary of around $85,000, with the majority earning between $68,000 and $104,000. Software engineer career opportunities are expected to grow by over 30 percent in the coming years, much faster than the national average for all occupations. rated # 3 best job

COMPUTER PROGRAMMER Writes the code that computers read in order to operate properly. Computer programmers made an average median salary of more than $71,000 in 2010, according to BLS figures. The top 10% made more than $114,180 ranked 25 best job

QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA), SYSTEM ANALYST OR TESTER This job requires that the employee test out all features of a product for any problems or usability issues. A good understanding of computer software, hardware, and the product being tested is needed.

SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATORS AND IT MANAGERS systems administrators and IT managers coordinate and oversee all of the IT within a company. From making sure all the hardware is up to spec to ensuring that all software is up-to-date, systems administrators and managers can have their hands in all sorts of activities. Systems administrators and IT managers earn a median salary of $112,000, with most earning between $88,000 and 141,000. Systems administrators and IT managers will see an expansion in employment of around 17 percent, as technology is applied in more ways, those with expertise in managing those systems will find work

COMPUTER HARDWARE ENGINEER C omputer hardware engineers are the people at the core of the computing world; researching, designing, and testing the creation and refinement of the entire range of computer products. From microchips to circuit boards to physical memory, computer hardware engineers help create the devices we use everyday. Computer hardware engineers earn a median salary of around $97,000, and most can expect to earn between $76, ,000. computer hardware engineers are expected to see their profession grow at a much slower rate than the national average: 4 percent.

NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR Network administrators and network security specialists keep companies’ internal and external networks humming along at full speed. From installing and maintaining routers, hubs, and wireless adapters, to installing and configuring networking software, network professionals make sure all of a companies’ employees stay in constant contact with each other Network administrators and security specialists earn a median salary of just over $66,000, with most earning between $51,000 and 84,000. Salary for this position varies wildly depending on the industry in which they work: those working for large companies and enterprises, for example, earn median salaries of over $70,000, while those working for elementary and secondary schools earn around $56,000. Network administrators and security specialists are expected to see an increase in employment of around 30 percent, as firms continue to invest in new communications technologies and need to keep those systems working smoothly.

SECURITY EXPERT Test and find vulnerabilities in a system, hardware device, or software program. These information technology (IT) professionals are often employed by IT service providers, banking and financial services, government agencies and healthcare companies This position is for someone who has a strong familiarity with how software, hardware, and networks work and how to exploit them. Often, you will need to have a good understanding of how the overall system works as well as good programming skills.

DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR Database administrators work with database management software to determine ways to efficiently store and utilize data. Identifying the database needs of the business, they maintain the database system, implement new features, and troubleshoot issues as they arise. Often they work with network administrators to ensure system security. The median annual salary for database administrators in 2008 was $69,740, with the highest 10% earning more than $111,950.

WEB DEVELOPER Web developers are responsible for the way websites function. They tend to sites' technical aspects. Web developers earned a median annual salary of $77,010 in Web masters maintain websites and tend to tasks such as design, analysis of user data and responding to user feedback.

WORK CITED html html CareerCast.com, a career website, ranked 200 jobs from best to worst based on five criteria: physical demands, work environment, income, stress, and hiring outlook. To compile its list, the firm primarily used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other government agencies