A career in information technology is one that you should not enter into lightly. The IT world is filled with pitfalls that you could fall into easily, and you must not allow yourself to be seduced by the prospect of making a lot of money. There are IT professionals who do very well for themselves, and there are IT professionals who work on the entry level of most companies. This list explains what you should and should not do when you begin in IT.
#1: Are You Passionate About It?
You should not consider a career in the information technology world without having a clear passion for it. Sitting in the front of a computer all day will cause problems for you that you cannot solve, and you will feel as though you are trapped behind the screen. A passion for information technology and computer science helps you get through the hardest days on the job, and some of your best times will be spent in front of a computer looking for a solution to a problem.
#2: Do You Have Prior Experience?
You can learn to work in the world of computers once you get to school, but you will have a much easier time in school if you have prior experience working with computers. Someone who enters a training program with no experience at all will feel as though they are behind all the other students in the program.
#3: Do You Know Where You Want To Work?
There are many different ways to work in the IT world, and you cannot enter the IT field without even a vague idea of where you want to work. You will do much better for yourself if you have planned to work in a certain sector. IT professionals can work for any company in the world, and there are many IT professionals who would prefer to work in a software or programming firm, but there are many more of you who would prefer to work for a large corporation.
Large corporations need people to work in their IT departments, and each person who comes to work that company can ascend to the very top of the company quickly. Your work on the ground floor of the company could include IT repairs, support, and programming, and you will ascend into management positions that could make you an executive one day. Every large company has at least one IT professional on their executive team, and that person could be you.
#4: You Can Work For Yourself
You are free to work for yourself if you are an IT professional, and you must have a good idea of the sort of company you want to start. A consultancy is helpful for many companies in your area who do not hire IT professionals to work in their offices, but you must understand the risks of running your own company. You are completely dependent on yourself for income, and you may end up working out of your home office until you retire.
#5: You Can Work On The Side
Someone who works in the IT sector every day may have a side business that involves something completely different from their day job. You may work on the website of a large company every day, but your side business may design mobile applications. You are free to ply your trade in any way you like, and you must diversify yourself as much as you possibly can. Your side business could become your full-time job one day.
#6: Keep Learning
The information you learn in school will be outdated the moment you graduate, and you should plan to keep learning once you finish school. Computers and information technology are changing every day, and you will be left behind if you do not plan to keep learning. Take a class, work with others and read about advances in the industry to keep yourself up-to-date.
A career in the IT world will help you build a comfortable life, but you cannot start this career path for the sake of making money. A career in the IT world only works if you are willing to put in the work it takes to find your niche.
