Anyone can find success in the IT industry

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Dr Denise Taylor

5 April 2018

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The IT industry is a broader, more all-encompassing sector than it has ever been, and is something that touches on almost every aspect of our lives. From chatting to friends to ordering a takeaway or from watching a movie to sealing a business deal, if your router goes down, the chances are, you can’t do it.
This can lead to people thinking of a career with an IT focus. There are many options available and worth considering if this is right for you.

What do we mean by the IT industry?
Let’s start with being clear on what we mean by this. The industry is comprised of several different professions, all of which are related to computer software. If you take a look here you can see just how many aspects to this there are. Sure, people need professionals with expertise in creating software, but the software also needs to be testing and developed. Then there are aspects like infrastructure maintenance, to make sure the systems operate as they are supposed to.

Testing, testing
If you are happy to start at the bottom and not earn much initially, software testing is a perfect route in. It is fairly simple to learn the basic quality assurance skills you need to see whether software is performing the way it is supposed to, and for novices, it really is a case of using the software and “trying to break it.”
The great thing about testing is that while the first rung is lowly, you will learn fast and the opportunities to advance are significant.

Tech support
The other entry point that is favoured by beginners is in technical support. This is perfect for someone who might have zero technical skills but is a competent administrator and good with people. You would initially be involved in logging user requests, getting them to the right people to solve and making sure they are processed correctly.
The potential downside is that this is not always an ideal platform for developing IT skills per se. It does, however, give you a great insight into how the industry operates, and will help you decide which route your career path should take.

Sell yourself
There are many opportunities in IT, but it is still competitive so you need to stand out. One way to showcase what you can do, could be by starting your own blog, or if you are desperate to get into development, prove you have the skills by designing an app or game of your own.
You could also consider offering your services in the charity sector. Not only will you be doing a good deed, it will also look great on your CV.

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