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Choosing an Information Technology Career - Is IT Right For You?
by Paul Capicik
As a service member who developed a rewarding InformationTechnology career after leaving the military, I want toshare some perspective on factors you need to consider whenchoosing an educational program for developing your careerin IT. Talking with prospective students and attendingeducation fairs, I interact with military members lookingto advance their education and considering IT careers on aregular basis. The 4 most common situations I encounter -
The military member is:
. Seeking a specific IT degree and has the backgroundneeded to be successful
. Already employed in a career in IT and interested inpursuing that Information Technology career path, butunsure how best to proceed
. Not currently working in IT, but interested in anInformation Technology career
. Currently working a career in Information Technology, butwants to get a degree in a different field of IT
With my military and IT related experience, I feel uniquelycapable of offering relevant guidance to the member to helpthem make an informed choice of how to proceed. This 2ndarticle in my Information Technology series providesdiscussion of some initial considerations the servicemember faces in choosing an education path, as well as somethings to consider when choosing information technologycareers. Center to any decision should be the understandingthat advanced education is important for promotion purposesand to enhance the quality of life potential for you andyour family. Further, you should take advantage of theavailable funding to get your education as soon aspossible, before it is no longer available.
Three main ingredients will likely determine your successin an IT career path: your degree, your certifications, andyour relevant experience in the field. Don't short changeany one of the three if you want to maximize your potentialand worth to an employer, and minimize your likelihood ofbeing laid off or replaced. You should also be aware thatthe IT arena is constantly evolving and advancing, socontinuing-education and updating certifications will be away of life. Don't let this discourage you since this makesfor an interesting long-term career that can be tweaked invarying directions and be very satisfying and fulfilling.
As for IT careers in general, you should also understandthat Information Technology must be a strategic partner inmost successful enterprises. It is not a silver-bullet tothe organization's success but is a vital and criticalsupport component to any enterprise. As such, IT careersusually require 24/7 attention, so be prepared for varieddaily schedules, and know that IT work-weeks can benotoriously long. If you choose your path wisely, thisshould not be a problem considering that the IT field hasbeen one of the top two fields for job security andpay/benefits for the past many years.
No matter what your personality - careers in IT areavailable for you. If you are not a people-person, IT jobsare available in which you are off in a corner rarely seenor bothered by anyone (you can be like a mushroom in a darkcave.) However, if you're a socialite, InformationTechnology jobs are also available where this trait iscritical for promoting collaboration and helping keep IT avalued team player in the enterprise. Jobs abound forpersonalities in-between those.
Finally with IT career experience in your background, don'tshort change your education or experience as you move toanother career field such as business, healthcare, orcriminal justice. That knowledge and experience can makeyou more valuable to a future employer since InformationTechnology is a key ingredient in all of those fields also.
About the Author
Paul Capicik is the military program manager for AmericanSentinel University. Prior to joining American Sentinel,Paul spent over 26 years in the U.S. Air Force and another12 years in the private sector as a CIO. For moreinformation on American Sentinel University, onlineinformation technology degree programs or IT certificationtraining programs, visit americansentinel.edu/or call 1-866-922-5690.
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