Why You Should Consider a Career in IT

It goes without saying that the early 21st century is the age of IT (information technology). The industry is expanding rapidly and is in such high demand that it regularly takes at least 3-5 spots on any ‘top 10 jobs’ list in 2017. Almost every aspect of our lives has come under the influence of technology in some way and the are no signs this trend will slow down. Job opportunities in the IT sector are diverse and in most cases offer quite generous wages, even for entry-level positions. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why you should keep IT in mind when thinking about your career choice.

A lot of room for vertical movement

One of the first things you should ask when applying for a position is, “Where can I go from there?” However, when it comes to an IT career, you have a simple six step ladder that allows you to move upwards hierarchically.

Let’s check out an example career path in IT:

1. After you have completed your studies and start your first job, you will begin as a trainee/computer operator. Here, your job will be to acquire as much knowledge as possible.
2. Once your supervisors estimate that you have gained enough experience, you move on to the next stage as a developer/programmer. Here you will grapple with various technical skills, which mostly consists of testing and documenting.
3. At the next stage, it is already expected that you have enough technical expertise to grapple some of the more demanding roles like the one of the analyst, architect or in some situations even that of a project manager.
4. The next step on your path are the roles of a program manager or a delivery leader. Here, you will need to improve in the area of people management and you will gradually gain more responsibility. Furthermore, it is important to mention that this is the first step towards entering the ranks of senior leadership.
5. From there the only way up is to assume some of the most valued IT leadership roles, such as that of the IT strategist, chief architect or the IT leader. In this situation, you will be the one setting technical directions for the entire department. It is also at this point that you will become in charge of major projects that the corporation deals with.
6. Finally, you have the position of the chief information officer (CIO) or chief technical officer (CTO), which puts you directly in charge of the entire technical strategy of the company. Some of your responsibilities will be to decide on things  like partnerships and outsourcing.

While this is clearly not the case in absolutely every company, it is more or less what the IT career path looks like in major organizations. As you can see, the last two or three entries on the list will require you to learn more about the overall business management, since honing your IT skills alone will no longer be sufficient.

Better pay

One of the main reasons why people choose some professions over others in the first place is because of the paycheck they provide. When it comes to this, the IT services have something to brag about. While salaries differ from company to company in the United States, the median goes from system administrators, who earn about $64,053 per year, to the senior software engineer, which brings in about $99,421 annually. Seeing how the average salary for an advanced degree in the US goes at about $72,824, the IT industry more than keeps up.

A skill of global significance

One of the main reasons why people opt for the IT career path is that this can make the entire world into one gigantic job market. In the past, this was something exclusive to the first world countries, but today with outsourcing taking off as a global trend, you never know where you might end up. Furthermore, seeing how English is the language of the internet and IT, you won’t need to learn another language even if you go to the country that has a different mother tongue. Furthermore, you will find that the code is the Latin of the 21st century.

Friendly work environment

While IT allows you to telecommute, this would mean forgoing one of the best traits of the industry. Namely, on any list of the “coolest” offices, the great majority will definitely be in the IT niche. We are talking about great decoration, climbing rock walls in the break room, saunas and indoor parks all within the premises. Not to mention that the workspace itself is organized according to the latest ergonomic principles.

In conclusion

Once you put all the above mentioned in perspective, it becomes clear that a career in the IT brings many advantages. When you look at it from a historic perspective and see what it looked like just few decades ago, you can easily conclude that it is on a major upward spiral. To some people it offers a chance to climb the corporate ladder, to others it gives an opportunity to do the job they always dreamed off (remotely, from the Bahamas, for example). Finally, those who are more driven to achieve higher salaries will not be disappointed to choose it as a career path. A clear and undeniable win-win scenario if there ever was one.

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