Five Career Options and Certifications for IT Professionals

If you enjoy your current career in IT, congratulations! But if you’re one of the millions that find their job unsatisfying, you may need to look into new industries.

Luckily, this market is ever changing and expanding, and there are countless opportunities if you know where to look.

Here are five careers in IT you should consider in 2016.

Computer Systems Analyst

When it comes to IT, do you enjoy looking at the big picture?

According to U.S. News and World Report, computer systems analyst comes in #1 as the Best Technology Job. Computer systems analysts leverage their knowledge of information technology and business to design better computer systems and processes.

You’ll need to have strong problem solving, communications and analysis skills to be successful. If you know SQL, Oracle, Java, Linux, and UNIX, you’ll have a good foundation for landing a new career in this field at a variety of companies.

Cyber Security Professional

Have you ever had your identity stolen?

With data breaches constantly in the news, employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 18 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for other occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Companies are having trouble finding qualified analysts, testers, hackers and other security professionals, so if you’re interested in this field and qualified, you’ll be welcomed with open arms. With new threats and hacks constantly being created, you’ll have job security well into the future.

Some of the skills you need include networking fundamentals, protocols and packet analysis, encryption and tokenization technologies, and experience writing PL/SQL or SQL scripts.

Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer or Tester

Are you the kind of person who finds glitches, broken links, and system errors when using software, websites, or mobile apps?

Quality Assurance (QA) professionals make sure new products work flawlessly before being released to the public. QA engineers monitor every phase of the development process to ensure design quality and adherence to company and regulatory standards. QA engineers are also responsible for bringing functional products to market—on time and budget. QA testers work on stages of the product development process, such as verifications, activities, measurements, abilities, and commitments.

You’ll need to be detail-oriented and enjoy troubleshooting and learning to be successful as a QA professional. You’ll also need to be familiar with bug tracking systems, automation tools, and testing frameworks.

Internet of Things Architect

Are you a big picture thinker, who sees connections where others don’t?

A recent Gartner Inc. survey shows that 43 percent of organizations are using or plan to implement the Internet of Things (IoT) in 2016.  Visionaries who understand that data gathered from multiple locations and sources can create solutions for business and consumer problems are in high demand. Since IoT is still evolving, you’ll have the opportunity to define your career for yourself and others.

New IoT products are regularly being developed to harness the power of interconnected information gathered through computers, mobile devices and sensors. (Think traffic apps that alert you to traffic jams and accidents in real-time.) IoT architects need both technical and nontechnical expertise, including analysis, integration, financial management and cyber security.

Business Analyst / Data Scientist

Do you speak business and technology? Can you serve as a translator between business units?

CIO Magazine ranks Business Analyst #6 on its list of “10 Hot IT Job Skills for 2016.”   Companies are in data overload and struggle to sift through massive amounts of data from multiple internal and external sources, which is why business analysts/data scientists are in high demand. These individuals act as a liaison between the C-suite and IT department to make sure IT projects meet strategic business goals.

A business analyst/data scientist has to have a strong foundation in computer science and applications, modeling, statistics, analytics, math, and the ability to extract meaning from massive volumes of data to help companies uncover business efficiencies and find hidden revenue streams.

These are just a few of the careers in IT to consider if you’re in a career rut. If you aren’t sure which courses you’ll need to prepare yourself for your new career in IT, give us a call at (800) 288-8221.