Why Should I Consider an IT Career?

What are you looking for in a career?

One where you love what you do? One that’s in-demand and pays well? One where you can make a difference in life?

For many, an IT career checks all of those boxes and more. If you’re just planning for the future or considering changing your current career, you’ll find that an IT career is an exciting option. Here are a few reasons IT may be your ideal career:

Job Growth

Since technology is growing and evolving at a breakneck speed, so are many of the jobs. Some roles – including Information Security Analysts, Network Architects, and Web Developers – are seeing annual double-digit growth. Over the next decade, factors like cloud computing, cyber security, computer systems design, healthcare IT, mobile networking, and data management are contributing to the need for new IT professionals.

Industry and Job Diversity

Not interested in working for Google, IBM, or Facebook? Then you’ll be glad to know that IT is in every industry – including retail, design, insurance, banking, aerospace, energy, and healthcare. It essentially provides the infrastructure and tools every organization needs to operate and grow.

Job roles are just as diverse. All industries need designers and developers to author custom hardware, software, multimedia, and business applications to benefit their workflow and create new innovations. With these new applications in place, industries also need people who can manage and understand the inner workings of their IT systems and can provide support – internal and external. The roles in the business of IT are very diverse and require technical, social and business skills.

Strong Income

Fueled by the need for highly skilled professionals, IT pros are seeing average annual salaries of nearly $90,000. While most don’t start their careers at this salary level, they can advance their careers (and their salaries) by learning new skills, gaining work experience and earning valuable certifications.

Low Educational Costs

Unlike many high-paying careers, a four-year college or university degree may not be a necessity. Graduating from technical schools, gaining experience through internships, and completing professional certifications are successful alternatives many have used to launch their IT careers. As an IT professional, you can develop a prosperous career without investing in a master’s degree or PhD.

Fast-Changing Field

Over the past twenty years, an explosion of new IT careers have arrived on the scene:

• SEO Experts
• Mobile App Designers
• iOS Developers
• 3D Animators
• IT Data Scientists
• Information Security Analysts
• Digital Strategists

The next twenty years will give birth to new opportunities and see the evolution of existing careers. IT has become the foundation on which industries rest.

Entrepreneurial Training Ground

IT has been the proving ground of entrepreneurship. Those with great ideas and the work ethic to match can use IT to create world-changing products and organizations. Entrepreneurs with a technology skillset founded Microsoft, Apple, Google, Facebook, Twitter, eBay, and many other thriving businesses.