Chapter 15 Information Technology Careers

1
Chapter 15 Information Technology Careers
Chapter 15
Information Technology Careers
2
Presentation Overview

• Career Opportunities in Information Technology
• Preparation for an IT Career
• Work Environments

3
Career Opportunities in Information Technology

• What career opportunities are there in IT?
• The following jobs are among the top 15
  fastest-growing positions from 2004 through 2014
• Computer software developers
• Computer support specialists
• Network and computer systems administrators
• Network systems and data communications analysts
• Database administrators

4
Career Opportunities in Information Technology

• There are four main categories of IT jobs,
  grouped by the main focus of the job
• Sales and support
• Software development
• Application development
• Hardware design

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Career Opportunities in Information Technology

• Sales and Support Careers
• Technical servicing is the installation and
  maintenance of hardware and software.
• A technician hooks up network wires, installs
  basic system software, and administers repairs.
• Technical support involves responding to phone
  and e-mail requests for assistance from
  customers.
• Technical support specialists sometimes have to
  go to customer sites to troubleshoot systems.

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Career Opportunities in Information Technology

• Sales and Support Careers
• Technical sales involves educating potential
  customers about the companys products so that
  they want to buy them.
• Technical salespeople are often the highest paid
  of all those working in the technical area of IT.
• Technical training involves teaching individuals
  how to use systems.
• Technical trainers are always in demand.

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Career Opportunities in Information Technology

• Sales and Support Careers
• Technical writing turns the technical skills and
  knowledge in the engineers heads into written
  documentation.
• A degree in English or technical writing is the
  foundation for becoming a technical writer.

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Career Opportunities in Information Technology

• Software Development Careers
• Software development is the creation of new
  software products for commercial sale.
• Systems programming is highly specialized and
  involves writing instructions in C, JavaScript,
  or other languages to accomplish a succession of
  tasks.
• A systems programmer specializes in the
  development of system software.

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Career Opportunities in Information Technology

• Software Development Careers
• The skills needed for application programming are
  similar to those required for systems
  programming.
• An application programmer works with application
  software rather than systems software.
• The use of computers to create images, sounds,
  and movies is called multimedia development.
• Multimedia developers include graphic artists,
  digital sound editors, and animation specialists.

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Career Opportunities in Information Technology

• Software Development Careers
• Quality assurance (QA) is the testing of new
  products before they are released to the public.
• QA testers often double as technical trainers,
  technical writers, or customer support
  specialists.

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Career Opportunities in Information Technology

• Average Annual Salaries for Jobs in Software
  Development, 2008

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Career Opportunities in Information Technology

• Application Development Careers
• Application development uses commercial software
  to develop a system for a specific organization.
• Systems analysis involves gathering the
  requirements and developing a design for systems.
• An individual who performs these tasks is called
  a systems analyst.

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Career Opportunities in Information Technology

• Application Development Careers
• Database administration is particularly important
  because the database is at the core of a
  companys information systems.
• A database administrator is responsible for the
  day-to-day operations of the database.
• Network administration involves the operations
  and maintenance of a company network.
• A network administrator performs these tasks.

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Career Opportunities in Information Technology

• Application Development Careers
• Web administration includes keeping a Web site
  working and up-to-date.
• A Web administrator, or Web master, has the job
  of developing and maintaining a Web site with
  multiple pages.

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Career Opportunities in Information Technology

• Average Annual Salaries for Jobs in Application
  Development, 2008

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Career Opportunities in Information Technology

• Hardware Design Careers
• Hardware design is the specification of computer
  hardware such as CPUs, video cards, and memory
  chips.
• Many hardware designers are electrical engineers,
  and many are computer engineers.
• Computer engineering is a hybrid training that
  includes both electrical engineering and computer
  science.

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Career Opportunities in Information Technology

• Average Annual Salaries for Jobs in Hardware
  Design, 2008

18
Preparation for an IT Career

• What training is needed to succeed in an IT
  career?
• Three main types of bachelors degree programs
  are most commonly followed to launch a career in
  IT.
• Computer science
• Computer engineering
• Computer information systems

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Preparation for an IT Career

• College Degree Programs
• Computer Science Degree
• Involves the study of the computer and its many
  applications.
• It often takes five years to complete.
• It typically requires advanced mathematics, basic
  chemistry, and basic physics as prerequisites.
• Graduates typically become programmers for
  software companies or applications developers for
  IT consulting firms.

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Preparation for an IT Career

• College Degree Programs
• Computer Engineering Degree
• A hybrid of computer science and electrical
  engineering and focuses on hardware design.
• It almost always takes at least five years to
  complete.
• Graduates often work for factory automation,
  computer hardware design, or system-level
  software design companies.

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Preparation for an IT Career

• College Degree Programs
• Computer Information Systems (CIS) Degree
• Focuses on applications rather than the
  underlying science and principles of computers.
• Most programs require a mix of business and
  computer science courses.
• Graduates often become application developers or
  Web or database administrators.

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Preparation for an IT Career

• Comparison of Entry-Level Salaries for Various
  Degree Programs

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Preparation for an IT Career

• Certificate Programs
• Consists of a series of intensive education
  courses offered primarily by large IT companies
  such as Microsoft and Cisco.
• Most programs consist of two parts
• A course of study that lasts a few weeks
• A test that grants the participant a certificate
  of achievement

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Preparation for an IT Career

• Major Types of Certification

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Preparation for an IT Career

• Major Types of Certification (continued)

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Preparation for an IT Career

• Major Types of Certification (continued)

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Preparation for an IT Career

• Certificate Programs
• CompTIA certifications are sponsored by the
  Computing Technology Industry Association.
• They are not specific to a particular vendors
  hardware or software.
• They are best known for the A certification.
• They can be obtained by taking a test at a local
  testing center.

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Preparation for an IT Career

• Certificate Programs
• Convergence Technologies Professional (CTP)
  certifications are offered by the
  Telecommunications Industry Association.
• They are offered in response to the growing
  importance of jobs involving the convergence of
  voice, data, and video over the Internet.
• Certificate holders have good grasp of telephony,
  infrastructure, signaling, and Voice over IP.
• They are entry-level and vendor-neutral.

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Preparation for an IT Career

• Certificate Programs
• Microsoft Certificates
• The Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
  certification is a starting point for people who
  wish to learn the Office suite in greater detail.
• The Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
  certification states that an individual is
  qualified to develop applications using Microsoft
  software.

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Preparation for an IT Career

• Certificate Programs
• Microsoft Certificates
• The Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD)
  certification certifies that an individual is
  qualified to use Microsoft Visual Studio and
  related products to write software.
• The Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)
  certification is targeted at network
  administrators who manage large LANs or WANs.

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Preparation for an IT Career

• Certificate Programs
• Microsoft Certificates
• The Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator
  (MCSA) certification is common for technicians
  who manage Windows-based systems.
• The Microsoft Certified Database Administrator
  (MCDBA) certification is held by database
  administrators who specialize in using Microsoft
  Access.

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Preparation for an IT Career

• Certificate Programs
• Cisco Certificates
• The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
  certificate certifies the holder to install and
  manage small networks.
• The Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA)
  certificate certifies the holder to design small
  home or office networks.
• The Cisco Certified Internetworking Professional
  (CCIP) certifies that the holder has detailed
  knowledge of the Cisco networking system.

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Preparation for an IT Career

• Certificate Programs
• Cisco Certificates
• Additional Cisco Qualified Specialist
  certifications are available in specific
  networking technologies such as cable and
  communications.
• Oracle offers certificates focusing on Oracle
  application development and database
  administration, including
• Oracle Certified Application Developer (OCAD)
• Oracle Certified Database Administrator (OCDBA)

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Work Environments

• In choosing a career, what are some factors to
  consider regarding work environment?
• Think about what kind of corporate culture is the
  best fit for you.
• Do you want to work in a large IT department, or
  do you prefer a small business?
• What type of business model are you most
  interested in product developer, IT department,
  or consultant?

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Work Environments

• In choosing a career, what are some factors to
  consider regarding work environment?
• Most IT positions above the technician level are
  salaried.
• Salaries are fairly high, but extra work hours
  are often required.
• The majority of the IT work force is young and
  male, especially at the entry level.
• The IT job market is cyclical in natureit swings
  up and down dramatically.

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Work Environments

• Ergonomics
• The science of designing equipment so that it is
  comfortable to operate and does not cause the
  user physical injury.
• A repetitive motion injury occurs when a joint or
  nerve is overused.
• Most injuries in the IT field fall into this
  category.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome is an example of this type
  of injury.

37
On the Horizon

• Based on the information presented in this
  chapter and your own experience, what do you
  think is on the horizon?