Since the last decade, the Information Technology sector is one of the fastest growing industry in the country by hiring nearly 6 million individuals almost every year. It is estimated that Career in IT Sectors will collectively produce 18 percent additional jobs for global workforce between 2012 and 2022. Of the global IT industry, the significant segments include telecom services which constitute 44 percent, IT hardware – 27 percent, IT services – 18 percent and software – 11 percent. Still, there is a considerable shortage of talented and experienced professionals. According to a survey, 45% of organizations are not able to fill positions due to lack of qualified talents.

There’s no particular definition to the terminology, but Information technology can be defined as the use of computing through various components such as software, hardware, services to develop, manage, transform, share and store information in different forms.

This article serves as a guiding light to make a successful career in IT sectors. The current trends, and potential career paths that may flourish in future.

Programming & Software Development

Software engineers are behind all the applications we run on our mobile devices and computers. Programming and software development is a very vast field with many languages to work on. It is the most popular field with always on high demands for talented and experienced professionals.

To excel in this field of IT, you must have excellent skills in problem-solving, logical reasoning, and familiarity with operations, algorithms, and mathematics. To navigate through programming languages proficiently, you must add several of them to your skillset.

  • Mobile Application Developer

It is a trending field in development. Smartphones are taking over Gen X and millennials. It is the fastest growing development sector in the software development arena. As smartphones are rapidly changing the course of business, information exchange, and communication, the demand for innovative mobile applications is growing at rapid speed.

  • Software Developer

Rapid adoption of advanced technologies such as Cloud, Block-chain is driving demand for skilled application software engineers who can develop secure and robust programs.

  • Web Developer

Every minute, 70+ domain names are registered. With the rise of the internet, businesses are rapidly turning to develop websites and promote services online. Responsive websites, user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) skills are a trending commodity in this decade as displays need to adapt to varying device sizes and types. Web development sector is predicted to grow at the rate of 15% annually. With the arrival of new languages and low code platforms such as Salesforce and Mendix, website development is becoming reliable and fast.

Other positions are available in Software Development Life Cycle such as QA lead, Associate Software Tester, Business Analyst, Chief Financial Officer and much more.

Networking

A career in the networking field is responsible for designing, analyzing and implementing network systems. Networking and telecommunications skills such as Linux/Unix, VoIP, Cisco networking are required.

  • Network Administrator

Organizations are investing in new computer systems and network technologies to increase productivity and provide optimal performance. Due to this, the demand for network administrator is on the rise. The rapid increase in networking technologies and complexities led to the increased need for network administrators and engineers.

  • Database Administrator

Businesses are increasingly in need of digital information for analysis to predict business trends and growth. The IT sector industries demand trained and certified Database administrators store and analyze the data securely. Due to the rise in the variety of database platforms, the compatibility and integration are crucial. DBAs with information security skills are hired for protecting business data and secrets.

Digital Marketing

Evolving technologies along with market forces have compelled the businesses to hire digital marketing professionals or sink. In the current date, Digital Marketing is worth 68 billion dollars and increasing at a fast rate of 40%. With the shift in marketing practices, Digital marketing has created a pool of job opportunities making it one of the best career path for students and professionals.

  • Digital Marketing Manager

Responsibilities of a digital marketing professional include handling the team, creating marketing strategies, and other components. The manager level post requires minimum five years of experience in Digital marketing field. They are paid high salaries in metro cities.

  • Search Engine Optimizer

A good SEO strategy can get you organic traffic on search engine rather than AdWords campaigns. The responsibilities of SEO include keyword research, web page indexing, sitemap creation, analyzing traffic through tools like Google Analytics, managing duplicate content and many more areas.

  • Content Marketing Manager

Content Marketing parameters such as managing blogs, marketing campaigns, copy-writing, white paper publications, video marketing, and guest blogging are responsibilities of a content marketing manager. One of the perks of content marketing managers is that they can work from home. Freelancing in this arena can be helpful to earn an extra income.

Many other positions such as Search Engine Marketer, Social Media Marketer, PPC Campaigner are available in Digital Marketing. These positions are always in high demand and form an essential part of the Digital Marketing team.

Cyber Security

With the vast increase in information technology and communications, security jobs have splurged to a great extent with the rise in cyber crimes and frauds. Here are some of the posts in information security one can look for.

In addition to having expertise in code and programming languages, cybersecurity professionals concentrate on securing computer systems. Their job involves safeguarding software from outside threats, encrypting data, and ensuring the security of all information within a given system to prevent theft or corruption. Information security analysts and other security specialists should have comprehensive knowledge on safeguarding networks against cyber attacks.

  • Information Security Analyst

The analysts of information security work to maintain the data infrastructure of an organization ensuring that its information remains safe from cyber attacks. It is expected to grow at the rate of 22% between 2014 and 2024. The information security analysts get paid high competitive salaries.

  • Network Security Administrator

The job responsibilities of Network Security Administrator include design security approaches to makes the company’s server secure and help in creating security policies for the networks used by the company. The N/w Security administrator also protects the IT infrastructure from intruders and viruses. It is a highly responsible job since it deals with the protection of highly sensitive data within an organization which is why it is one of the top 10 positions in the IT sector of US.

Advantages of Career in IT Sectors

  • High Level of Income

While entry-level jobs in IT may not offer high salaries, once you advance in your career, you can expect a lucrative annual income. The IT industry provides a financially stable career with increased earning potential, making it an attractive option for many.
According to Statista, the highest-earning IT professionals work in aerospace and defence, communications, public relations, advertising, pharmaceuticals, medical, and biotech industries. We assure you that regardless of the IT field you choose, you will be content with your earning potential.

  • Numerous job openings are available

The IT industry offers a variety of career paths, including roles such as software engineer, video game designer, web designer, 3D animator, data analyst, systems analyst, and cybersecurity expert.
No matter what your interests or skills may be, the field of IT has a place for you. If you’re keen on pursuing a career in computing technology, a range of skill sets, including expertise in math, logical operations, and algorithms, can be applicable.

  • Assign Work Dynamically

IT projects are unique and differ from one another. Focusing on a niche like virtual reality means managing diverse client expectations. The type of job you do can require you to develop a mobile app or a web platform on different occasions. Information technology will constantly keep you alert and engaged.

To handle this type of dynamic work, you need to have a dynamic personality. If you relish confronting new challenges and are eager for a test, then the IT field might suit you well.

Disadvantages of Career in IT Sectors

  • No Free Time

Advancing in certain jobs often demands sacrificing free time to demonstrate your value. It is not an exception. Occasionally, despite careful planning, emergencies might require canceling outings or working weekends.
Many people predict that working in an IT Company is a 9 to 5 job. Balancing free time is important, but occasionally, urgent projects demand setting it aside for completion.

  • Stress Causing Environment

In the field of IT, meeting deadlines is essential. To meet a tight schedule, teams must meticulously plan, develop, test, and deliver projects to clients or for release. Typically, managers are responsible for managing the schedule, which means the development team has limited influence over it. There is no margin for error and we cannot afford to work at a slow pace.

Freelancing and self-managing demands collaborating with clients with limited IT comprehension. These clients may struggle to articulate their needs or provide specific requirements for the software they need you to develop. Nevertheless, anticipate frequent miscommunication and an ongoing deadline focus in this domain.