INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
THE
FAST-GROWING
FIELD OF IT
If you’re interested in a career in information
technology and computing, chances are you’ll
find an employer who’s interested in you ... if
you’re prepared.
According to the Career Guide to Industries,
the computer systems design and services
industry is expected to be one of the top 10
fastest-growing industries in the economy,
adding more than 600,000 jobs between 2002
and 2012 (http:// www.bls.gov/oco
/cg/cgs033.htm). Further, employment in the
software publishing industry is projected to
increase 68 percent between 2002 and 2012,
adding 174,000 jobs (http://www.bls.gov
/oco/cg/cgs051.htm). Other employers in
business, education and government need computer specialists as well to maintain hardware,
software, networking and handle a host of
other duties.
So how do you prepare for a job in IT?
First check with your school counselor.
There’s a good chance you’ll be able to start
preparing for your future in a career-technical
education program that offers both academic
education, hands-on training opportunities and
certification similar to the kind described in the
TechCareer Compass story. In some school districts, you might be able to get dual high
school and community college credit for some
of the classes you take.
Then, depending on the career you
choose (the chart on page 44 lists many of
them), you may want a certificate or a
degree from a career-technical school,
community college or college. And, of
course, as technology changes, you’ll
need to update skills. So lifelong
learning will be essential to your
future success.
If you’re willing to go where the
jobs are, you’ll discover a pleasant
working environment, interesting
job challenges and good people
to work with. In all, the rewards
are great if you decide choose
a computing career.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
The Information Technology career cluster is related to building linkages in the IT occupations
framework for the entry level, technical and professional careers related to the design, development,
support and management of hardware, software, multimedia and systems integration services.
Cluster Pathways
Network systems
Information support and services
Interactive media
Programming and software development
Cluster Knowledge and Skills
Academic foundations
Communications
Problem solving and critical thinking
Information technology applications
Systems
Safety, health and environmental
practices
Leadership and teamwork
Ethics and legal responsibilities
Employability and career
development skills
Technical skills
Materials © 2005 Career Communications, Inc./American Careers Education Programs. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
EXPLORE IT
WITH THE TECH CAREER COMPASS
Start to explore the world of information and communication technology (ICT), and you’ll find over
100 job descriptions and more than 750 industrywide certifications. Is it any wonder that it’s
difficult to know how to get started in this field?
But don’t let this deter you from what is
considered a lucrative career path. The Computing
Technology Industry Association (http://www
.comptia.org), also known as CompTIA, is a
global IT trade association. The association is helping students find their way through this high tech
playing field with a free web-based tool, TechCareer
Compass (TCC), at http://tcc.comptia.org.
“It is a free resource that outlines careers in IT
and the skill standards needed to get there,” said
Tara Manzow, product manager for TCC.
Launched three years ago, TCC was developed
out of a growing need to map skill requirements
with the various job roles in the ICT industry.
Employers were finding a mismatch between the
job skills of applicants and the skills required for
the job.
However, don’t confuse TCC with job banks.
While it does provide links to employment
resources, job-hunting is not the focus of the tool.
The tool was designed and developed by a committee that included academia, government and
industry. Employers, such as Cisco, CompuCom,
IBM and Intel, were heavily involved, as were
thousands of other people. Employers and frontline workers continue to be involved, as the content included on the site must be maintained to
remain current with emerging technologies.
As a first step, Manzow suggests checking out the
IT Interests Quiz on the assessments page (http://
tcc.comptia.org/assessment.aspx). It is a quick
10-question quiz that provides you with suggestions
on what ICT careers may be of interest to you.
If you know exactly what you are looking for,
you can use the site to research different careers in
IT based on a particular job title. Or, if you’re still
unsure, you can look at the jobs listed under any
one of seven job categories.
Categories include database development and
administration, digital media, network devices, network infrastructure, programming, technical writing, and web development and administration.
Job descriptions, main responsibilities and activities, and required skills to perform that job at the
Materials © 2005 Career Communications, Inc./American Careers Education Programs. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
entry, intermediate and senior
levels are provided for each job
title. The top certifications needed
to obtain employment in that
particular job are also displayed.
Certification information is
available and is listed by vendor.
CompTIA offers vendor-neutral
certification programs, such as
their A+ certification, to help students break in to the IT industry.
But there are many others, from
vendors such as Cisco, IBM and
Avaya, included on the site.
There is even a skills gap
assessment that can be used to
pinpoint training needed to
achieve different certifications.
“Once they know what certifications they need, they can look at
the training provider tool,” said
Manzow.
Training providers can be
found based on several search
criteria. You can search based on
the method of training you’d like,
from web-based to instructor-led,
and the type of training you’d
prefer, such as two-year college,
technical school or companyprovided certification.
So, who uses TCC?
“The number one group of people coming to this site are students
and existing professionals looking
to move around in their career,”
said Manzow. “This is basically the
largest audience of the site. The
second is employers.”
Rick Melone, a network operations analyst from Chicago, is
using TCC to enhance his IT
skills. His goal is to move up to a
business analyst or a project manager. He took the skills gap
assessment to see what skills and
certifications were necessary for
the project manager job.
“It was very easy to use the
tool,” said Melone. “It breaks it
down into the various skill competencies needed for the position.
If you’re honest with yourself,
you’re not going to have all the
DATA GATHERING
Network systems
Computer specialists
Computer security specialist
Network systems, data
communication analysts
Network, computer systems
administrators
Operations analysts
Operations research analysts
Technical writers,
computer-related
__________
Monika G. Vaccaro is a freelance writer
and a certified project management
professional who worked in the ICT field
for 15+ years.
Education Needed • Median Income
A, B pref.
A, B
A, B pref
$ 54,070
57,100*
58,420
A, B pref.
54,810
Some college,
B pref.
59,100*
Information support and services
Computer support specialists
A, B pref.
Computer systems analysts
A, B pref.
Customer service representatives, HS, computer
electronic shopping and
skills
mail-order houses
Database administrators
B
Data and information
HS, computer
processing workers
skills
Help desk specialists
A, B pref.
Management analysts
Mathematical technicians
skills you think you have.”
Manzow offers a bit of advice
for the newcomer to the IT field:
“Once you’ve decided on a career
in IT, first look at newspapers
and job banks to see what
employers are looking for in
your area. Then, when you’ve
narrowed it down, go online to
use the tool.”
You’ll find no advertisers on the
site, which makes the tool
unique. However, word must be
getting out. The site averages
18,000 hits per day with 1,000
visitors each day averaging about
9 minutes per visit.
If you think a career in the ICT
industry is the right path for you,
take a look at the TechCareer
Compass. It’s free, easy to use
and will help point you in the
right direction.
B pref.
Some college,
B pref.
Some college,
B pref.
B, technical
knowledge
39,100
62,890
21,530
55,480
19,720 24,140
27,500 56,500
63,100*
37,400*
59,100*
51,730
Interactive media
Computer, information systems
managers
Multimedia artists, animators
Web developers, designers,
Webmasters
Web interface designer, senior
B, M pref.
85,240
B pref.
CTE, A,
graphic skills
B, Web-based
applications
43,980
54,070
65,975 83,685**
Programming and software development
Computer, information scientists B,higher
In research
77,760
In computer systems design
78,730
and related services
Computer applications software
B
70,900
engineers
Computer hardware engineers
B
72,150
Computer systems software
B
74,040
engineers
Computer programmers
cert., A, B
60,290
________
Abbreviations: A = two-year associate’s degree; B = four-year
bachelor’s degree; cert. = certificate; CTE = career-technical education; pref. = preferred; Source: 2004-05 Occupational Outlook
Handbook, http://www.bls.gov /oco. *Occupational Information
Network, http://online.onetcenter.org, and America’s Career
InfoNet, http://www.acinet.org. **Salary.com, http://salary.com
(type “instructional designer” under “Personal/Salary Wizard.”
Materials © 2005 Career Communications, Inc./American Careers Education Programs. All rights reserved. Used with permission.