Careers in Technology

Technology encompasses so many different fields. With this, there are many different career paths that someone studying information technology can choose from. One can choose to have a very broad career that overviews technology or can specialize into a specific field and focus on a very small or specific type of technology. Every since I was a little girl, technology has been the key to my heart. As I grew up the different career paths I wanted changed, but the one constant was that they were always somewhere in the technology field. So for this last blog post for my class, I will overview some of the different career paths in information technology.

Help Desk Technicians

Help Desk Technicians are a low paying entry level job in the technology field. This job doesn’t have high experience or education requirements, but they are vital in keeping technologies running. This job entails keeping technology current and updated. They provide technical support and troubleshoot problems with existing technology. There is some controversy that these jobs are dead end, but some IT organizations are using this position as training and offering certifications to advance from this position in the future (Hoffman, 2008).

It Security

IT and Network Security is an ever-growing field because of the escalating threats of cyber warfare and other security threats. People who specialize in IT Security have to be aware of all the different types of threats that effect technology and the ways to counter them. They must monitor against outside attack, protect against network breaches. Another major job they have is to keep others educated on how to protect data. This also happens to be one of the biggest growing jobs in the IT field because security is of the upmost importance to many businesses that store consumer data and important information (IT security top for jobs, 2018).

 Computer Hardware Engineer

Computer Hardware Engineers are responsible for creating new and improved hardware for computers. These are the people responsible for creating new processors, motherboards and all the computer peripherals we buy like computers, keyboards, and even routers and modems. They deal with all the intricate hardware parts that make technology work. This job requires a lot of education because computer hardware engineers must be up-to-date on new computer technologies, electronics, and engineering in order to succeed in this career field (Moncarz, 2000).

Software Engineer

Unlike Computer Hardware Engineers, Software Engineers design, develop, and upgrade the computer programs that we use every day. Some software engineers create applications for smartphones and tablets, while others create things like operating systems, and programs for computers. They must be creative. They don’t just sit around writing programs all day. Instead, they might spend days thinking about how to solve a problem before they even get to the point of having to create the program itself. This job requires critical thinking and problem-solving skills in order to be successful.

Data Scientists

Data scientists are another field of information technology. Their job requires them to look at mass amounts of data and make sense out of it. There is so much data out there but data itself means nothing if it doesn’t have context. The job of a Data Scientist is to look at data and create predictions that can help to make sense of that data. This career field is in high demand for the health and business fields. There is an ethical concern in this field, because data scientists have so much data at their fingerprints they need to be careful what they do with it (Barocas & Boyd, 2017). When looking at mass amounts of data it can be hard to see the implications of what that data can do in the hands of others.  This job is in such high demand because they use this data alongside math and statistics to find business insights that truly help or destroy a business. They can pinpoint problems before they are even on a company’s radar which makes them highly sought-after.

Conclusion:

Each of the above lists five paths in the Information Technology Career Field is computer different from the next. Some are entry level like the Help Desk Technician, while others like Data Scientists require an absurd amount of education. The one thing each has in common is that they all are within the same field. Each is a completely valid and needed path, but it opens up many different fields for people to choose from. Each career path uses different skill sets. While one career path might not be right for someone, that doesn't mean that one of the other paths won't be a perfect fit. The IT Career field allows so many different people of different backgrounds and skill sets to find an IT career path that will fit their unique set of skills. 

References: 

Barocas, S., & Boyd, D. (2017). Computing Ethics Engaging the Ethics of Data Science in Practice: Seeking more common ground between data scientists and their critics. Communications of the ACM, 60(11), 23–25. https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1145/3144172

Hoffman, T. (2008). A help desk job: dead end or launching pad?(CAREERS). Computerworld, (20), 28. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edscpi&AN=edscpi.A179352338&site=eds-live&scope=site

IT security top for jobs. (2018). Cairns Post (Queensland, Australia). Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgin&AN=edsgcl.522254240&site=eds-live&scope=site

Moncarz, R. (2000). Computer engineers. Occupational Outlook Quarterly, 44(3), 28. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=3539137&site=eds-live&scope=site

Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. (2017). Computing technology for all. Retrieved from zybooks.zyante.com/