The Essential Job Description of an IT Job

If you think that information technology (IT) is just a series of computer systems, you are totally wrong. Information technology is actually the utilization of computers to make, manipulate, store, and share all forms of data and information in the form of the internet. It can be used for military applications, commercial applications, academic and commercial research, telecommunication applications, social networks, email, hardware and software, personal computer, etc. IT is usually used in the context of industry-specific applications instead of entertainment or personal technology. The need for IT personnel is ever-increasing because of the ever-changing business needs.

Information technology can either be a solo venture or can be integrated with other fields and experts. Large corporations are now looking at IT departments as separate entities for the reason that they are trying to cut costs and save on operating costs. A computer scientist can either be a part-time employee or a full-time employee working off-site from the main office. IT experts can work in research labs, colleges, hospitals, and even small businesses. As information technology experts are considered more lucrative and sought-after, a growing number of jobs are opening up for them as well.

The fields in which information technology experts can explore include networking, desktop and laptop computers, embedded systems, multimedia, web, networks, mobile devices, multimedia, digital signage, handheld and web-based software, personal computers, networking systems, and the Internet itself. These fields allow for information technology specialists to solve complex problems and develop new ones. Some areas in which computer science departments provide graduates include information systems, software engineering, networking, embedded systems, computer science, software, math, physics, human-computer interaction, computer studies, cognitive science, technical, network security, multimedia, computer systems, digital signal processing, and visual communications. For many years, computer science was thought of as a liberal pursuit that ignored practicality, but today this is not so.

One type of position available in an information technology department is a computer applications specialist, responsible for implementing the most basic systems through to the most sophisticated ones. Computer applications specialists have the task of assisting the IT department in the creation, maintenance, support, and enhancement of computer applications. These computer applications specialists may be responsible for desktop programs such as word processing and spreadsheets, database programs such as Microsoft Office and Access, web-based programs such as HTML editors and Web browsers, interactive e-learning courses, and video game consoles. Other specialized positions exist as well, including database developers, who are responsible for building, maintaining, and troubleshooting the servers that store company information such as CRM, accounting records, customer information, and customer relationships. They are also responsible for implementing e-commerce systems such as shopping carts, webmail services, and network infrastructure.

Other jobs within information technology departments include network planners, network engineers, consultants, and testers. Network planners oversee the installation and maintenance of networks and they oversee security procedures such as firewall protection, internal network security, intrusion detection and prevention, configuration management, and training. Network engineers are responsible for the design and implementation of networks, maintaining current security standards, implementing new security protocols, upgrading computer hardware and software and custom-built networks. Consultants provide information technology planning, training, testing, and integration with client companies and developers write code that runs on company computers and use specialized software to accomplish company goals.

Software development and hardware engineering departments provide software developers with the information technology necessary to develop software applications, the hardware to run those applications, and the devices required to support their application. Software developers are responsible for developing the core technology that runs on company servers and client-server networks, implementing and maintaining the application software. Hardware developers create the hardware that will run the software. There are also other positions in this field that are available, including information technology management, business analysts, marketing managers, and system designers.