After completing all your studies and meeting all the requirements to gain a diploma or degree, you might still wonder whether or not your study field has a positive job outlook. There are a number of career areas with great potential for the growth, such as healthcare and education. However, the tech field is growing today. And if you look at the recent trends, you will see that there is a high demand in almost all sectors for technical support personnel.
According to Ken Laudon of the Stern School of Business of New York University, total employment is supposed to increase by 10% between 2010 and 2018. In fact, during this same time period, the number of jobs related to the technological field is anticipated to grow by one million.
The Latest Trends in IT Jobs USA
Nonetheless, there are some interesting patterns occurring in the realm of IT jobs in the USA. According to the blog article “Silicon Valley Spotlight” on the Indeed job site, these jobs are moving away from Silicon Valley, or hiring in this area is slowing down altogether.
While this might seem ironic and even unbelievable, you may not be surprised at all by the factors that contribute to this phenomenon. Some of these influences include:
- The extremely high cost of living in the Bay Area of California.
- The demand for social change in the tech field.
- The change of leadership at the highest levels of some companies, like Uber.
On the other hand, salaries are still holding at six figures. For instance, according to the same blog on Indeed, a product development engineer can make $173,570 per year. A platform engineer can expect to top out at $154,739. The lowest paying job on Indeed’s list is a JavaScript developer who would make $142,185. Thus, if you find a job in another area, other than Silicone Valley, then you can make a fairly comfortable living depending on the cost of living.
Educational Preparation for the Field of IT
So, how can you prepare for a career in the IT field? On the site for Purdue University, for instance, different options are given for earning a post-baccalaureate certification, undergraduate degree (like a bachelor’s of science in cybersecurity), or even a Master’s degree in IT.
The courses that you can expect to take vary slightly from one university to the next, but here are a few from the University of Phoenix as an example:
- Mathematics;
- Science and Technology;
- Communication Arts;
- Humanities;
- Liberal Arts;
- Interdisciplinary S
These courses cover the foundational knowledge; thus, you can also look into the classes specifically for Software Development, Networking, Coding, and Cybersecurity. They will depend on the institution itself as well as the type of job that you’re seeking.
Necessary Skills and Abilities
In regard to specific skills, the list provided by Alison Doyle, an IT career expert, is to help you know what skills are essential if you search for a job in IT:
- Coding in at least HTML. But the more languages you know, the better situation can arise for you.
- Good communication skills (both in writing and verbal communication). As an IT specialist is often in charge of a major project or is the “go-to” expert for troubleshooting, future specialists should manage to communicate effectively.
- Networking skills. They are related to communication as well; basically, the tech person will need to share what he or she knows with colleagues.
- Time management skills. If time is effectively budgeted, a successful outcome on a project is guaranteed.
Again, the specific skills needed depend on the job that you’ll obtain. During the course of your studies, you might consider obtaining the assistance of a professional writing service to help with such a vital communication skill as writing.
Career Opportunities in the field of IT
A degree in Information Technology will apply to many areas – from law enforcement to education and healthcare. Anymore, most workplaces require the use of computers and the Internet, and the information is mostly stored in a cloud as opposed to the filing cabinet.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, some jobs that require technical skills will grow:
- Software developers/applications – 31% growth;
- Information security analysts – 28% growth;
- Operations research analysts – 27% growth
So far, the need for IT jobs USA fluctuates, but having some technical “know-how” can open the doors in just about any field.
