Career Opportunities in IT/Computers

The use of Computers is not restricted to only a few industries but has dug its talons in the functioning of all major and even some minor industries, ranging from Agriculture, Automotive, Gems, and Jewellery, Design, Education, Manufacturing, Banking, Media and Entertainment, and Space Satellites. Despite the demand for IT professionals being very high, there is a challenge as well for IT professionals. IT is a dynamic field where new technologies and programs develop very frequently, there are a few technologies that get obsolete soon. So, to be competitive in the IT field, one should keep upgrading himself so that s/he can match pace with the technological developments and can create new opportunities for himself.

With the phenomenal use of Social Media, the demand for graphic designers, creative writers, content designers have increased. Though at many times, the IT industry faced tough periods, but still it is considered as one of the highest-paid industries. India is identified as one of the richest countries where a lot of skilled IT professionals are available and are fulfilling the demand worldwide.

Let’s try to explore the career opportunities available in IT/Computer stream.

The jobs available in this field are of two types viz: Hardware and Software.

Hardware Jobs:

1.     Network Engineers/Administrators: The swift growth of computer networks has resulted in the high demand of security and administrative specialist in Networking of computers. These engineers design deploy the networking systems to smooth the functioning of information flow between various computer systems. Due to the massive use of the Internet and the use of online video conferencing, the use of Network engineers or administrators have been challenging.

Certain industry-recognized certification program in networking can be obtained by a job seeker in networking like Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) etc.

2.     Computer/Electronics Engineers: These people’s work is to design computer peripherals, equipment, chips, and other computer-related hardware and devices. Computer hardware engineers usually design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacturing of computer hardware—such as chips or device controllers.

Other hardware jobs are:

·         Systems Engineer

·         Design Engineer

·         Systems Integration Engineer

·         Project Engineer

·         Field Service Engineer

Other Networking Jobs are:

·         System administrator

·         Technical Support

·         IT administrator

·         Security Database development and administration

Software Jobs:

Programmers/Software Developers: There are two types of programming jobs available; application programmers and system programmers. The application programmers’job is to design, develop, test and maintenance of software programs which can be used by end-users for functional use, however, the system programmers are those who make programs like operating systems, compilers, etc. This job requires coding using various programming languages like C, C++, JAVA, SQL, etc.

Web Application / Website Developers: These people design and develop web applications that run over the Internet. With the extensive use of Internet technology and many companies using E-Commerce and E-Business, most platforms are in need of such developers. The skills required for these programmers are C++, VB, HTML, CSS, Jscript, JavaScript, JAVA, ASP.NET, Python, PHP, etc.

Database Administrators/MIS administrators: Companies store data in the database so that it can be used for various administrative, analysis, and decision-making purposes. To maintain the database and keep the data secured and available as and when required, its maintenance is mandatory. The consistency, speed of fetching or mining is very important when using databases. So, it is the job of database administrators to maintain databases in such a way that it protects data from being misused and data provision can take place at a faster rate. For this purpose, the database management skills, security skills, backup, restoring, maintenance, and database programming skills are required to be developed.

Other areas of Jobs:

Education (EdTech)

Online learning has emerged as the most viable tool for educators looking to ensure that the pandemic’s impact on their learners’ academic progress is minimized. So, there is a need for content developers, designers, video editors and online education system developers.

E-retail                 

To ensure compliance with social distancing, people use e-retailers for their shopping. There is a sudden increase in demand of e-retailers. To maintain an e-retailer, there is a high demand for web application developers, system engineers, network engineers, e-supply chain managers and e-payment gateway developers.

Social Media

The social media is in boom due to strict lockdown and social distancing. The companies are also using social media channels to promote their businesses. Therefore, there is a need for digital marketing professionals.

Gaming and Entertainment

Animation and VFX are on high demand and for entertainment and passing their time, people will use more online gaming and tournaments. As a gathering of audiences will be restricted so online gaming will be on high demand.

Cloud Architects

Having an understanding of the company’s cloud computing strategy, the cloud architects are responsible for deploying, managing and supporting cloud applications. Cloud architects typically have a strong understanding of multiple operating systems in addition to networking, programming, and security skills. Businesses should look for individuals with a strong knowledge of cloud services such as Amazon Web Services, as well as experience with ITSM, I&O, governance, automation, and vendor management.

Some of the skills and experience to be required for cloud architects include; knowledge of state-of-the-art cloud technologies and architectural principles, experience with scaling cloud applications, understanding of cost, performance and architecture of cloud systems, and collaboration & communication skills.

DevOps Engineer: As many companies are deploying integrated systems for better administration, decision making, and analytics, and the implementation of such huge systems requires hefty funds and time, it becomes highly important for companies that they should not fail. DevOps practices encourage faster code deployment with fewer deployment failures, so more companies are hiring engineers with DevOps experience to oversee coding, scripting, and processes development. DevOps engineers often manage IT infrastructure, provision resources, oversee software testing, and monitor performance after release. These workers help simplify code updates, enabling companies to continuously tweak and improve processes in the organization for maximum efficiency.

AI Architects: Artificial Intelligence is becoming commonplace in businesses and individual’s life. Many companies are hiring AI professionals with rich knowledge of AI technologies. Candidates with knowledge of machine learning, natural language processing, AI integration, AI application programming and change management experience are in high demand.

Robotics: With the massive use of robotics in various fields, the skilled professional who can write codes to operate robots, or robotic equipment are in high demand. Many companies are deploying robotic automation process software for error-free business processes, which is creating demand for robotic engineers and programmers.

Data Scientist and Analysts: As more and more data is being used by companies to make better decisions, delight a customer, provide the best of the services and faster product launches, there is a need for a data analyst who can use the data and processes it at a faster rate and provide reports in the form of charts, graphs, and BI techniques.

Cyber Security: In the era of the Internet, most of the companies are operating online and their crucial data is stored and available online. Many hackers try to steal the data for various malpractices. Therefore, it becomes highly crucial to secure the data of the company so that it can serve its customers better and there is no breaching of data. For that purpose, the cybersecurity professionals are hired by service providers who by using various encryption techniques make sure that the data is safe, secure, and intact and cannot be accessed by hackers.

There are many other fields in which IT professionals might be required. However, to become an IT professional, you need to have a proper UG degree, diploma, or master’s degree. Apart from a degree in a certain areas of specialization, you can also have a certification from an industry-recognized body.