The IT industry is endlessly compelling. After all, IT-related technology has become the cornerstone of modern life. Most people pick up their phone in the mornings and won’t disconnect from the Internet until they go to bed. Everything from work to recreation is tied to IT. As such, it’s natural to wonder what it’d be like to work within the IT field, but this also raises a lot of questions. Just what do IT jobs look like? Does it offer a lot of variety or are most of the positions fairly similar? And how would you go about getting into the IT field?
Why Does Someone Get Into IT?
A person’s interest in IT comes from its sheer ubiquity in modern life. It’s almost impossible to go through an average day without connecting to the Internet. And even if someone isn’t online, they’re probably still using some form of IT infrastructure. From intranets to the internet, the modern world is almost synonymous with IT. This can form the seed of interest in many people’s hearts, but people with a real passion for IT share some common traits.
Passion
One of the biggest traits is a passion for computers and related technologies. It’s true that everyone uses computers, or computing devices like smartphones, as a normal part of their lives. But people destined for IT take that to the next level. If you’re the kind of person who really delves into computers, then you might be well suited for IT.
Some people just use computers as a tool. While others want to know everything about their new devices. If you know anything about the processor, memory, or other specs of your computer or phone then there’s a good chance you’d do well in IT.
Curiosity
Many people in IT are also inherently curious about how digital devices operate. This can manifest as an interest in how their devices work on both a hardware and software level. This is also how many people get involved with IT in the first place.
Problem Solving
Initial curiosity about the operation of a device often leads to tinkering. And that tinkering can go along with a love of problem-solving. Tech issues are themselves something of a puzzle, and when you get all these traits together you get someone who’s very interested in poking around computer issues to try and solve their issues.
The end result of this curiosity is an initial self-education which often gives people a good skill set to work in IT. People interested in IT often develop many of the related skills before ever deciding on a career path. So, what do IT jobs actually look like?
What Do IT Jobs Look Like?
IT jobs focus on problem-solving. However, the nature of the problem varies depending on the job role. For example, some problems might require an IT professional to create a new infrastructure. Other problems will require opening up a computer’s internals to replace damaged components. Others still will call for work on a system’s software components, but with that in mind, IT jobs usually fall within a select number of categories.
Job #1: Computer Support Specialist
Computer support specialists operate as general support for a company’s IT-related issues. They can be thought of as a Swiss army knife of the IT world. A computer support specialist often has a secondary specialization. For example, some computer support specialists might be especially good with a particular software suite used within the company. This would make them an ideal fit to help users within that organization.
But computer support specialists can excel in almost anything related to computer support. They’re seen helping people in their company with many different computer issues, and this means in-person support. But a computer support specialist can also offer support over the phone or through remote system support software.
Job #2: Computer Systems Analyst
A computer systems analyst is, as the name suggests, involved with system analysis. They spend a lot of time carefully studying and analyzing the underlying components of a company’s computer system. This job is particularly well suited to people who love problem-solving.
Computer systems analysts are always asking themselves how a system can work better. Their main responsibility involves finding areas to improve and implement a solution to make that proposition a reality. For example, the computer systems analyst might note that database queries are taking longer than they should. They might optimize the system to improve responsiveness. In doing so they would be able to dramatically speed up the job performance of anyone who uses that database.
Job #3: Hardware Administrator
A hardware administrator takes care of a company’s computer hardware. This job involves upgrading and maintaining both servers and desktop systems within a company. A hardware administrator will also track the overall hardware performance. This job can intersect with computer systems analysts to optimize system performance.
Job #4: Software Support Technician
A software support technician specializes in a selection of software used within a company. This job role often overlaps with computer support specialists. The main difference involves the level of specialization required for software support technicians.
The software support technician will have a deep level of understanding of the subset that they’re familiar with. This means they’re heading out to perform software support in person, over the phone, or through remote support software throughout the day, with all that support revolving around a particular set of computer programs or software suites.
Job #5: Help Desk Support
Help desk support is the first tier of software support that someone will reach out to when they have a problem with their computer. Help desk support takes calls, emails, or tickets requesting help with computer issues. They will proceed to either tackle the problem directly or escalate it to an appropriate department within the company. For example, the help desk support specialist knows that a support ticket detailing an inability to access a document would go to a hardware administrator or a software support technician depending on the error message contained within the ticket.
Job #6: Computer Network Architect
Computer network architects are responsible for designing and implementing digital networks within a company. This encompasses almost every type of digital communication network. Computer network architects work with local area networks, wide area networks, intranets, and the internet.
A computer network architect also ensures that all networks can properly communicate with one another and the devices of authorized employees. This means working with different security protocols to design options that ensures everyone can get the most out of the networks.
Job #7: Server Management and Administration
Server management and administration jobs focus on a company’s servers. Servers as a whole also encompass many areas covered by other jobs. For example, a server works to supplement the network created by computer network architects and secured by network security specialists. However, server management specialists can work with many elements within the server.
Server management and administration are concerned with the server as an autonomous element. They will ensure the server works perfectly while trusting the people working on tertiary elements to do the same. This means delegating tasks to people working in other IT jobs within the company.
Job #8: Network Security
Network security specialists make sure that a company’s network is safe and secure. This involves monitoring network traffic from an office environment to detect anything unusual. However, there’s more to network security than simply taking a reactive role. Network security also works in a proactive manner to stop security issues before they have a chance to become a problem.
This defensive side of network security manifests with security policy and particular pieces of software. A network security specialist spends much of their day working through a computer terminal. However, they might also need to instruct coworkers on new security policies or common mistakes that have been observed. One of the best ways for a network security specialist to protect a system is by educating the people using it.
How Does Someone Become an IT Specialist?
If those jobs sound interesting, then you may be wondering how to become an IT specialist. While there are multiple paths to the job, an easy way to become an IT specialist is by attending a trade school. An information technology program at a trade school offers the knowledge you need to become an IT specialist. It’s a great way to learn the skills related to IT while also getting a broader overview of the IT job market as a whole.
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