Hot jobs in information technology: looking for a career in managing and processing information? It is it! - Hot Jobs

Career World, Sept, 2002 by Mark Rafenstein

Is it possible to have your technological cake and eat it too? Brigid Moore, a senior technical writer for Los Alamos Technical Associates, proved that you can. As a freshman, Moore faced a problem common to many new college students: She couldn't decide on a major. Although she liked to write, she realized that the job market for writers was not very good at the time. After a period of soul searching, Moore decided to pursue a bachelor of science degree. Her major was technical English. As she looks back on her decision, Moore believes she made a good move.

"I have always loved to write, but I also realized that many of the jobs in the coming years would be in information technology. Technical writing fit the bills for me. As a technical writer, I now have the best of both worlds. I now have the best of both worlds. I get to do a lot of writing, and I'm in a field that has plenty of jobs."

Technical writers put complex scientific and technical information into easily understandable language. It is just one of hundreds of careers in information technology (IT). According to the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), IT is the "study, design, development, implementation, support, or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware." More broadly defined, IT is a field that covers all aspects of managing and processing information.

Just a few years ago, most workers in the IT industry were employed by large IT companies. Today, however, just about every type of company imaginable needs qualified people to run and manage their information systems.

Jobs That Sizzle

The number of jobs in IT will grow tremendously in the next eight years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In fact, 8 out of the 10 fastest-growing occupations will be in IT. Here is just a sampling of some of the jobs that will experience growth in the coming years.

Instructing Computers

The job market for software engineers will be excellent in the coming years. In 2000, the nation had about 697,000 computer software engineers. By 2010, that number is expected to grow to more than 1.3 million jobs. That's about a 95 percent increase.

Software engineers create software. Software is the coded set of instructions that tells computers what to do. Some software engineers work with general computer applications software or special utility programs. Other software engineers develop and maintain entire computer systems for a company. These systems software engineers also might develop intranets. Intranets are networks that link all of the computers within a company.

Software engineers are paid very well. The average salary for software engineers working with applications was $67,670 in 2000. Engineers working with systems made about $2,000 more per year.

Most employers prefer to hire software engineers who have at least a bachelor's degree in computer science or computer information systems. Some smaller companies, however, will consider hiring people who have passed computer training programs offered by software companies.

Offering a Helping Hand

Have you ever had a computer problem that you couldn't solve? If you are like most people, you probably called a computer support specialist.

Support specialists, who hold about one out of every three IT jobs, are troubleshooters. They are trained to help people solve a variety of computer software and hardware problems. Many support specialists, particularly those just starting in the field, work at help desks. In non-IT businesses, these technicians help nontechnical people solve problems with their computers. Often these "techies" install, repair, and maintain computers and equipment such as monitors and printers. They also train people to use new programs.

Support specialists provide an important link between the IT companies and their customers. They also provide management with an important source of feedback on products. Such feedback is essential when planning new versions of products.

The employment picture for support specialists is good. In 2000, the nation had about 506,000 support specialists. By 2010, that number is expected to double.

Most companies prefer to hire support people who have at least some college experience. However, an increasing number of companies will hire people who have a computer-related associate's degree. In 2000, the average computer support specialist brought home $36,460 a year.

Fighting Off Cyberterrorists

The rapid growth of information technology has made our lives easier in many ways. Unfortunately, it also has produced many opportunities for cyberterrorists, individuals who use technology to commit crimes. These crimes include the theft of credit card numbers and sensitive company and government information. This, in turn, has created golden opportunities for information security (IS) specialists. These IT professionals develop information security measures for companies, government agencies, and other organizations.