Employment in the computer and IT world is projected to grow by 15% in the next 10 years, according to the BLS.
If you’re thinking about a career in IT, you’re making a smart choice. As the world leans further and further into technology, the need for IT professionals in various sectors is bound to follow suit.
Just because a career in IT is likely to be fruitful, it doesn’t mean that IT career paths are easy. In this post, we’re going to give you some tips for starting a successful career in IT.
Being a tech-savvy individual is a great start, but there’s more to it than that. Keep reading, and you’ll find out what you need to do to turn your passion into a career.
Figure Out Your Specialty
The IT field has many different paths that you could go down. It’s worth it to put some time into researching the different roles and positions that fall under the umbrella of IT.
There are software developers, systems administrators, and network engineers, among other things. If your interests and experience align with one specific aspect of IT, that gives you a jumping-off point when you start thinking about education and job placements.
Educational Advice
Getting into IT doesn’t necessarily require you to have any specific educational background. Many IT professionals start out in vastly different sectors and use their education to bring a fresh perspective to the world of information technology.
You can have a Chemistry degree, figure out that you want to look for IT jobs, then take the necessary IT certification classes to start working within months. For example, a CompTIA A++ certification gives you a wide variety of IT concepts to get you started.
There are dozens of certifications available. Once you figure out what you want your specialty to be, take the right courses and you’ll be ready to enter the workforce.
Gaining Experience
You may not find your dream IT job right away. Employers are still going to prefer experienced IT professionals over complete beginners. You’ll need to gain experience before you can compete for the best jobs.
Start by putting lots of effort into your coursework. This gives you a great foundation of IT knowledge that you’ll be able to draw upon later.
Beyond that, try volunteering your time to gain experience and do as much freelance work as possible. Eventually, you’ll have the tools you need to get a well-paying, full-time IT job at a quality company.
Networking
Networking is a helpful method for getting any sort of job, IT jobs included. Being open to meeting people and working in various situations will create opportunities both now and down the road.
All networking experiences are valuable, whether you get a job out of them or not. Reach out to old coworkers, friends, and family to figure out how you can work your way into a good position.
Start Your Career in IT Today
Now that you know how to approach a career in IT, you can get started ASAP. An IT job is going to give you a level of job security that you just don’t see in many other sectors. Take these tips and start to figure out what aspect of IT you want to work in, then go out there and find your dream job.
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