"In this post, we'll explore 5 high paying career paths, within the It Industry"
Have you ever been in conversation with some one. Then they ask "How do I get in IT"?
This is the one question, that IT professional's get asked the most. One of my first questions back is always, "What are your interest in IT" or "What part of IT do you see yourself doing"? One common misconception, is that IT is small. Or IT, is one large department where everyone knows how to do everything.
Today, we'll explore the many avenues in IT that you should consider. Especially if your interested in becoming a IT professional.
Software Development
Code is all around us. If your reading this on your smart phone, your utilizing code. From social media apps to electric cars, code is always used in some shape or form. I often say that learning how to code is "The closest thing to being a super hero". Being able to go from idea to product is a great skill to have. This field involves designing, coding and testing software applications. This field requires knowing, how to write code in languages like Python, C++, and Java to name a few. This is a high paid field with many avenues and specialties you can explore.
Average Salary: $105,609
Data Scientist and Analytics
Someone in this field is strong in mathematics, statistics, and computer science. Going down this path requires programming knowledge and some machine learning knowledge. If you have been on any social media site or YouTube, you have came in contact with a data scientist work. Data scientist, often are the ones that create algorithms. Algorithms is something that almost every platform we use today has. This is what determines what post or videos gets in front of who.
Average Salary: $124,243
Cybersecurity
The cybersecurity field, is one of the fastest growing fields in the IT Industry. This field involves protecting an organizations data, computers and network from getting hacked. I don't see this field drying up anytime soon. As long as criminals try to break in, someone will be needed to keep them out. One interesting thing about cybersecurity, it branches out into different areas of security. You have network security, ethical hacking, and pen testing etc. To get in this field you have a couple options. Get a degree and or a certifcation. Some certifications in this field are Security+, CEH, CCNA, CCNP Security, Palo alto and Fortinet to name a few.
Average Salary: Security Engineer $82,331
Networking
This field involves configuring and managing devices on the network. Everything in this field boils down to routing packets from source to destination. Everything runs on the network. Without it you have no infrastructure. One of the most popular and known companies in this field has to be Cisco. Cisco has been in the for front of networking since I can remember. With certifications like the CCNA, CCNP and CCIE. These certifications are an no brainer for anyone who wants to enter this field.
Average Salary: Network Engineer $96,935
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing involves with cloud-based technologies and platforms to store, manage, and process data. More and more organizations are developing their own cloud. A couple of the major players are Microsoft with Azure, and Amazon with AWS. These two are the ones you see in job requisitions the most. With more and more companies transitioning to the cloud, learning the cloud is a plus for anyone. Every cloud provider has a set of certifications for their cloud product. Cloud computing has been one of those fields were someone with no experience, could learn the cloud and land an entry level role.
Average Salary: Cloud Engineer $126,143
The secret to success in almost all fields is large, uninterrupted blocks of focused time - Ryan Holiday Discipline is Destiny
Getting in the IT Industry can be a hard task, but it is possible. Hard work, dedication and being genuinely interested will work in your favor. When I think about how I got into the IT Industry, it was a little luck along with not giving up. Most people will give up, if things don't go their way in a short amount of time. My advice to anyone is to not give up and trust the process. Life is about the journey not the destination.
