Getting Started

IT Industry Overview

Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is “the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware.” IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve information.

Today, the term information has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and technology, and the term has become very recognizable. IT professionals perform a variety of duties that range from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases. A few of the duties that IT professionals perform may include data management, networking, telecommunications, web development, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well as the management and administration of entire systems.

When computer and communications technologies are combined, the result is information technology, or “infotech”. Information technology is a general term that describes any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or disseminate information. Presumably, when speaking of Information Technology (IT) as a whole, it is noted that the use of computers and information are associated.

It’s important to consider that most of those employed in the IT field work for small business. As a result, IT workers for small organizations will be required to wear many hats and poses a broad range of technical skills. Increasingly, employers of all sizes including enterprise level organizations are demanding strong technical and business related skills as well. In addition to being business savvy employers desire the “soft skills” or “enjoyability” skills. According to Wikipedia, soft skills is a sociological term relating to a person’s “EQ” (Emotional Intelligence Quotient), the cluster of personality traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that characterize relationships with other people. Soft skills complement hard skills (part of a person’s IQ), which are the occupational requirements of a job and many other activities.

According to Wikipedia, a person’s soft skill EQ is an important part of their individual contribution to the success of an organization. Particularly those organizations dealing with customers face-to-face are generally more successful if they train their staff to use these skills. Screening or training for personal habits or traits such as dependability and conscientiousness can yield significant return on investment for an organization. For this reason, soft skills are increasingly sought out by employers in addition to standard qualifications.

It has been suggested that in a number of professions soft skills may be more important over the long term than occupational skills. The legal profession is one example where the ability to deal with people effectively and politely, more than their mere occupational skills, can determine the professional success of a lawyer.
[edit] Examples of soft skills

* Participate in a team (see team building)
* Lead a team (see leadership)
* Unite a team amidst cultural differences
* Teach others
* Provide services
* Negotiate
* Motivate others
* Make decisions
* Solve problems
* Observe forms of etiquette
* Interact with others
* Maintain meaningless conversation (small talk)
* Maintain meaningful conversation (discussion/debate)
* Defuse arguments with timing, instructions and polite, concise language
* Feign interest and speak intelligently about any topic
* Listening
* Coaching

Strong technology skills and computer proficiency are essential for IT workers. Choosing from the variety of IT specialties can seem to be a daunting task at first. The following is a guide to a few of the more popular specialty areas:

Typical Information Technology (IT) Skills Can Include:

* Computer Networking
* Database Management
* Information Security
* Business Intelligence
* Linux
* Unix
* IT Project Management
* Web professionals

For a complete picture of the IT landscape follow the Road Map link and the IT Careers links.