Information Technology (IT) jobs are still in great demand as businesses continue to adopt new technology systems to improve their operations and remain competitive. IT professionals work with organizations to design, implement, maintain, and upgrade their technology systems.
If you are thinking of starting a career in IT, the first thing you need to consider is that the career paths in the IT industry can be broadly classified into the two main fields of hardware and software. Under hardware, you have manufacturing, maintenance, research and development, and management. For software, the category falls on development, programming, software testing, and maintenance and support. Among related areas are computer operations, database administration, sales/marketing, and data-center management.
Regardless of your current career, you can pursue an IT career at any age as your past education and experience can be extremely valuable in your new role.
We list down these steps to navigate your career change right now.
1. Understand your interests.
As we mentioned earlier, there are two broad IT categories so choose which particular IT work you’d be interested in. For hardware, is it manufacturing or maintenance? As for software, would you like to have a career in artificial intelligence or Cloud? Narrow your focus to enable you to take the proper actions.
2. Learn some coding skills.
Not only is it technically required by many roles in IT, but coding will also teach you skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity that are highly valued in the workforce.
3. Research on the education and training needed.
Do research on the role you’re eyeing and what type of educational background it requires. A private career college offering diploma programs in less than a year could be your starting point to earn your knowledge and skills in IT.
4. Network.
Like most everything in life, your career will depend on your professional relationships. Attend a local IT networking group in your area both virtually or in-person to meet with the right people and learn about new companies, educational opportunities, and job categories.
5. Connect with IT recruiters.
Reach out to an IT-specific recruiting firm and/or job board to discover additional job opportunities. You’ll also need to learn how to craft your resume to appeal to the hiring managers through these recruiters.
We offer diploma programs in Technology to get your career started in IT. Connect with our student advisor through [email protected] to learn more.