It does not seem so long ago that the IT department was a small team of techy types who sat in a corner of the office performing their dark arts of programming, coding and debugging.
Today, however, IT underpins every facet of a modern business. Software engineers, systems administrators and network architects are all very different people doing different roles, yet all are somehow bundled into the general category of “IT.”
Given the depth to which we rely on technology in both our home and work lives, it is a little shocking that so many people – even those at senior levels within companies – have a somewhat hazy idea about their systems and how they work.
For the diverse band of people loosely known as IT professionals, however, this can only be a good thing. It means their skills and knowledge are in high demand, and employers will pay top dollar.
If that is not enough of an argument in itself, here are some of the top reasons to get yourself onto a career path with an IT focus.
1) You will always be in demand
IT personnel are as essential to our modern day lives as car mechanics or plumbers. Yet there is a shortage of individuals with the skills and acumen that businesses need to keep their businesses running smoothly and to take their technology to the next level.
With new innovations in areas such as the integrated technologies being championed by Probrand, there has never been a better time to get involved.
2) There is plenty of support
The IT skills shortage has not gone unnoticed, and for those who want to get into areas such as software engineering and systems architecture, there is a wealth of support available.
A simple Google search will reveal an immense choice of courses available, from simple online tutorials to full-blown undergraduate degrees.
It has never been easier to acquire the skills to succeed in IT – all you need is your own dedication and drive.
3) A broad choice of career paths
As we suggested earlier, IT covers so many areas, there are innumerable specializations that can be pursued.
It is not just a choice of being a programmer, network analyst, systems administrator and so on either – with the basic IT skills in place, the world is your oyster when it comes to choosing which industry to specialize in.
Medical, manufacturing, logistics, entertainment – they all need their IT systems.
4) A handsome paycheck
IT might be a relatively new discipline, but it is still subject to the old fashioned rules of supply and demand. Where demand is high and supply is low, as is the case here, salaries can be impressive.
Web developers, software engineers and systems administrators can easily command six figure salaries. According to this article on Forbes, the role of Systems Manager is also the third highest-paying role for female professionals, ranking above both Chief Executives and Surgeons.
With women earning on average 97 percent of their male counterparts, it is also an area with one of the lowest gender inequalities in salary.
