Information Technology (IT) is one of the fastest growing fields in the world — with new positions opening every day for aspiring IT professionals. Whether you want to help companies build cloud networks, manage digital data or protect against cyberattacks, there’s an IT role that’s ideal for you.
Your path to a preferred IT career might look different than your coworkers’, but you’ll share a few steps along the way. For example, all IT careers require the right blend of skill and experience in order to qualify for meaningful IT employment.
What skills do I need for a career in IT?
IT professionals depend on skills in programming, troubleshooting, cloud architecture, DevOps and machine learning to protect their organization’s networks and digital data.
The exact IT skills you will need to learn will depend on the nature of your position. For example, the skills a cloud architect needs are different from the skills an information security analyst might depend on. There are, however, certain foundational skills you’ll be expected to have a basic understanding of for most IT positions.
Some of the top IT skills you will likely need are:
- Basic technical capabilities (technical writing, coding, database management, network configuration and operations)
- Foundational soft skills (communication, organization, collaboration, time management)
- Security troubleshooting and optimization
- Application architecture and development
- Creativity and ability to think outside of the box for solutions
- Logic, analysis and the ability to clearly make decisions
The skills needed in IT are diverse. In this industry, it’s important to develop — and refresh — skills that you’ll depend on every day.
What IT careers should I consider?
The Information Technology industry is more diverse than we can fully address in this article alone. IT careers require a unique blen