How to Decide What IT Path Is Best for You?
Posted June 9th, 2019
The world of IT is surprisingly vast. While many lump all of the various tech jobs together, it isn’t uncommon for each role to require a dramatically different skill set or expertise. As a result, those who pursue a career in IT need to pick a path, ensuring their capabilities align with their ideal position.
Figuring out which IT path is right for you can seem challenging, particularly since there are so many options. However, you can simplify the selection process significantly by examining the various careers in the proper light. Here’s how to get started.
Look to Your Favorite Tasks and Skills
Whether you are dabbling in the IT field, exploring options to study a particular tech arena, or already have a career in IT, your favorite tasks and skills to use can give you insights when you need to select a path. Not all tech professionals enjoy the same things, and what you like should be a factor in your decision.
For example, some people genuinely love coding. They feel like they are creating when they code and can visualize the outcome as they write each line. This may make a career as a programmer a great option for them. However, for others, coding looks like nothing more than walls of text, and staring at the letters, numbers, and symbols all day long is essentially headache inducing. In those cases, being a programmer may not be the right career choice.
If you have an IT skill that you like to use or always find certain duties engaging, consider using that information to help you choose an IT path. Research roles that use those skills frequently or where those tasks make up a substantial portion of the work. Then, you can determine what else you may need to learn to move in that direction.
Fixing, Analyzing, Monitoring, or Creating
While every IT position includes some degree of troubleshooting and problem-solving, the amount of time you would spend fixing, analyzing, monitoring, or creating systems or solutions can also help you determine if an IT path is right for you. For those who enjoy helping others and repairing what’s broken, a tech support-style career may be ideal. If you would rather spend your time finding patterns and bringing meaning to data – a process that is highly analytical – then data science and analytics may be a better fit.
IT security roles often involve a substantial amount of monitoring. In order to protect systems, you can’t just put security mechanisms in place and hope that all goes well. You must be vigilant, investigating potential issues to determine if action is required.
For creative types, roles that involve making something new may be a better choice. Programming, web development, UX design, and similar IT paths have a creative component, and you get to see the results of your work in ways that can be highly visual.
Ready For a New IT Job? Contact Bayside Solutions!
By considering your likes and preferences, you can identify an IT career path that fits your needs. If you would like to know more, the professionals at Bayside Solutions can help. Contact us to speak with a member of our recruitment team today and see how our IT career expertise can benefit you.
