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CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4. IT CAREER. Current jobs in IT sectors. Software and Hardware Engineers Hardware engineers create, test and supervise systems that run the computers and enable processes. They ensure that hardware systems are up and running at all times without interrupting the flow of work.

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CHAPTER 4

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  1. CHAPTER 4 IT CAREER

  2. Current jobs in IT sectors • Software and Hardware Engineers • Hardware engineers create, test and supervise systems that run the computers and enable processes. They ensure that hardware systems are up and running at all times without interrupting the flow of work. • Software engineers design and develop software applications that aid businesses run multiple processes in an automated manner.

  3. Current jobs in IT sectors(cont.) • These jobs may also involve: • Study client processes to determine their needs for software and hardware • Manage a team of developers and engineers • Analyze, design and develop software processes • Monitor systems, control quality and maintain supplies • Evaluation of various flows and processes • Fresh Graduates can start as junior or support engineers. Candidates with over 3-5 years of experience can be considered for the role of Project Leader/Manager. Project Managers generally play a supervisory role and mange a team of computer engineers and information technology specialists.

  4. Current jobs in IT sectors(cont.) • IT Consultants • Play the role of consultants to various business. • They study the processes like supply chain, inventory management etc and recommend information technology based solutions that will basically make the process error free, simpler and quicker. • Required across various industry segments to right up to government organizations. • Entrepreneurial information technology consultants can also set up their own consulting firms and advice clients independently on how information technology can help their business and augment profits.

  5. Current jobs in IT sectors(cont.) • Network Administrator • Runs a smoothly functioning computer network; free of bugs, glitches, and interruptions. • Example of what a network administrator may do during his day can include computer software; get computer/network up and running again after it crashes; set up new devices and solving computer problems on a consistent basis. • This job provides hands on experience on working on networks and administration.

  6. Current jobs in IT sectors(cont.) • Database Specialist • Creates, customizes and maintains database applications for businesses. • Will incorporate not only programming but also planning and design with working with popular database applications such as SQL and Access. • Database programs may range from reporting POS transactions, customer details or web-based applications. • Database specialization is a growing area of expertise within IT as well as one very well paid.

  7. Current jobs in IT sectors(cont.) • Systems Analyst • Collect information to analyze and evaluate existing or proposed systems. • Research, plan, install, configure, troubleshoot, maintain and upgrade hardware and software interfaces with the operating system. • Prepare detailed flow charts and diagrams outlining systems capabilities and processes. • Research and recommend hardware and software development, purchase, and use. • Conduct technical research on system upgrades to determine feasibility, cost, time required, and compatibility with current system. • Document system problems and resolutions for future reference.

  8. Current jobs in IT sectors(cont.) • Webmaster • Programmer • System Administrator • Disaster Recovery Coordinator • Chief Information Officer • Chief Technology Officer • Director Electronic Commerce

  9. Current jobs in IT sectors(cont.) • HCI Specialist • Computer System and Security Auditor • Computer Engineer Tasks: 1. List out and elaborate some other jobs in the IT and engineering fields not listed here. 2. Identify some of the emerging jobs in these two fields. 3. What job(s) are you aiming for? Why?

  10. New Career Trends in IT Sectors • Workers enter the IT field from many fields; only a modest share of IT workers require computer science degrees; moreover, a very large share of those working in IT fields move to other fields frequently. • The three primary census occupational classifications for IT workers are: computer systems analysts and scientists, computer programmers, and operations and systems researchers.

  11. New Career Trends in IT Sectors (cont.) • Computer engineers work with the hardware and software aspects of systems design and development and often work in teams that design new computing devices or computer-related equipment. • Software engineers design and develop both packaged and systems software. • Database administrators work with database management systems software, reorganize and restructure data and are responsible for maintaining the efficiency of databases and system security.

  12. New Career Trends in IT Sectors (cont.) • Computer support analysts provide assistance and advice to users, interpret problems and provide technical support for hardware, software, and systems. • Systems analysts implement computer technology to meet the individual needs of an organization. • Computer programmers write and maintain the detailed instructions that list in a logical order the steps that computers must execute to perform their functions.

  13. New Career Trends in IT Sectors (cont.)

  14. New Career Trends in IT Sectors (cont.) • Despite the extravagant claims of a shortage of IT workers, the indicators are mixed. The employment trends shown in the chart reveal rapid growth in the computer systems analysts and scientists. • In spite of weak employment growth in two of the three IT occupations, one might still argue that a shortage of workers prevented employers from hiring in these fields.

  15. New Career Trends in IT Sectors (cont.) • The most prevalent trend has been that of technological innovation. Revolutions in technology continue to cause rapid, almost un-predictable changes in career demand. • Changes in technology can obsolete your job causing you to be laid off, downsized, right sized, and just plain inconvenienced. • Few examples of jobs which were once in great demand but are now declining or totally extinct: Typesetting, IBM punch card operator, Telex (TWX) Operator, Telephone Operators.

  16. New Career Trends in IT Sectors (cont.) • Trends are about change and every change has at its core, a "driver”: • The need to save time • The need to reduce cost • The need to do things faster • The need to make things easier to use • The need to improve safety and reliability • The need to lessen the impact on the environment

  17. New Career Trends in IT Sectors (cont.) • Top IT Jobs in relatively high demand throughout the next 10 years: • Computer Systems Analysts • WEB Specialists - Network Support Technicians • Java Programmer - IT Manager • Web Developer - Data Base Administrator • Network Engineer - Computer Engineers • References: • http://www.urban.org/publications/900276.html • http://www.careerplanner.com/Career-Articles/Top_Jobs.htm

  18. New Career Trends in IT Sectors (cont.) • No field offers more opportunities to a wider variety of people than computers and information. Advances in technology have changed the way people contribute in the workplace, offering jobs to many who would have been considered unemployable. • Telecommuting offers special opportunities to women, the disabled, and others who need to work from the home or a neighborhood center. • The term telecommuting encompasses everything from occasional work at home to permanent work arrangements away from the office. • The concept of telecommuting has caught on for a number of reasons.

  19. New Career Trends in IT Sectors (cont.) • Telecommuting gives companies the flexibility to accommodate and retain their most productive workers. • Lack of distractions and interruptions is a major advantage of telecommuting. • Many careers in the information field lend themselves to independent work outside the office, and everyone has a chance at them without being subjected to gender, race, age, and other types of biases. • This is not to say that placement in computer careers is free from any of this type of discrimination, but because of a number of factors, this discrimination is less than for most other career areas.

  20. New Career Trends in IT Sectors (cont.) • The demand for skilled personnel in rapidly growing computer fields. Managers have not been in a position to overlook the talent of women and minorities. • They have had to focus on getting enough qualified people to do the job. • The percentage of male workers will decline as the percentage of female workers increases. • Temporary services offer an alternative to full-time permanent positions. • Temporary-service firms have expanded from offering low-skill workers to offering workers with computer skills. Automation skills make up a large portion of the business of temporary-service firms.

  21. Future Directions of IT Sectors • Case study in UK (2004): • The IT workforce is almost 1.2 million strong. The sector is divided into two parts: • those working in the IT industry; • IT professionals working in other areas. • There are almost 580,000 people working in companies in the UK whose primary function and business is IT; this accounts for approximately 2% of UK employment.

  22. Future Directions of IT Sectors (cont.) • IT professionals typically fill roles in: • IT services (eg, internet and web design services), technology development, systems analysis and testing, programming. • Just under a third of those working inside the industry are employed in other, less technical occupations, for example in: • sales and marketing, consultancy, customer support, management.

  23. Future Directions of IT Sectors (cont.) • There are almost 590,000 IT professionals working in other sectors in the UK. These are people whose primary role is IT orientated – they often work in IT departments or as IT support staff within organisations. • Outside the IT industry, the largest numbers of IT professionals can be found in manufacturing, financial services, retail and the public sector, although there are opportunities in just about every sector.

  24. Future Directions of IT Sectors (cont.) • Areas of work include: • development (ie, creating systems, networks and applications), operations (ie, running and improving the speed of access to systems, networks and applications), and user support. • Four out of ten UK businesses employ IT professionals. Levels of employment in specific IT roles can be distributed as follows: • IT/Telecoms managers (32%), Technical support staff (28%), PC support staff (9%), Systems designers (7%), Systems developers (6%), Programmers (5%), Software engineers (5%), Operations staff (3%), Networking staff (3%), Internet professionals (2%), Database staff (1%).

  25. Future Directions of IT Sectors (cont.) • The number of IT jobs advertised in 2004 fell from the previous two years. However, there is substantial evidence to suggest this trend has begun to change for the period 2005-2006. • The most common roles for all new graduates are: • software engineer; computer/IT consultant; computer programmer; systems analyst; computer analyst/programmer; computer operations manager.

  26. Future Directions of IT Sectors (cont.) • Comments from graduates about what they enjoy most about working in IT reinforce perceptions of a dynamic industry that is often informal, but always focused on achievement. Highlights include: • constant challenges and changes; enormous variety of work; relaxed work environment; culture of delivery and getting things done; part of a forever evolving and fast-moving industry; enthusiasm and intelligence of colleagues; good work/life balance.

  27. Future Directions of IT Sectors (cont.) • Women form less than 20% (one in five) of the IT workforce, which is significantly low in comparison with the 45% of the UK workforce overall. Women do, however, have a higher presence in operations and user support technician roles. • The IT industry invests significantly more in training than the average invested by all other industries. This often includes training in new technology. The type of training offered will depend on the business priority of the organisation.

  28. Future Directions of IT Sectors (cont.) • The industry tends to favour proven experience and ability over education and qualifications. In some roles, non-IT graduates compete with IT graduates based on the skills they have to offer, including technical and analytical skills, and not necessarily degree subject studied. • Perhaps the most significant influences on the industry at the moment are: • outsourcing - the concept of taking internal company functions and paying an outside firm to handle them; • off shoring - the relocation of IT services to a lower cost location, usually overseas.

  29. Future Directions of IT Sectors (cont.) • Four skill sets that will be needed for an IT company of any size to thrive: - Business - IT Leader / Advisor - Industry IT Specialist - Advanced Computational Technologist - Same Time / Same Place Technologist

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