INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Information Technology

Information Technology

Diverse formats and layouts are typical of jobs in the information technology field. Some of the different areas of study for jobs in the field include the design, development, installation, and implementation of information systems. Technical components include acquiring technical skills for integrating systems and the information technology standards for rules that are used to implement the logical architecture of computers and networks. Staff members in the information technology industry are accountable for keeping the computer systems and networks functioning and running smoothly. Essentially, if networks and computers are not functional, professional staff cannot complete daily tasks.

I chose information technology as a career because in 1997 it was a very lucrative field to work in. I had received my Associate's Degree in Computer Science back in 1986, and at the time, I was not able to find work in the computer field. I worked at a local bank as a teller. By 1990, I wearied of doing a teller job, and was able to take a job at Chase Mutual Fund Service Company. I worked in the fund accounting department. A few years of long hours, low pay, and little advancement without a degree opened my eyes to how cutthroat a world fund accounting really was. By late 1996, I was ready to start over again. I took the advice of my sister and examined the local technical school. I enrolled. Nine months later I was a pc/network tech.

My first job out of school was on a helpdesk at Osram Sylvania, the lighting company. I enjoyed the job, but it was a contract that would eventually end. The pay was five dollars more an hour than what I was making at Chase. By June of 1998, the job ended. I immediately landed another helpdesk job at Xerox ScanSoft. I soon felt trapped working on a helpdesk; I was tied to a phone for 8 hours a day and being monitored constantly. A light at the end of the tunnel came in February 1999; my resume had been chosen for the "job of a lifetime." I interviewed for the Year 2000 Project at Compaq and received the job. The salary was an incredible $35 an hour.

Before the year 2000, the information technology field was a booming industry. Employers would pay top dollar to workers in the field. The economy was soaring and companies had money to spend especially in the information technology area. Schools were popping up everywhere for individuals to learn computer repair, hardware, software, networking, and routing skills. These schools were turning out thousands of technicians a year. According to the article entitled "Help Wanted 1998 Executive Summary" in the Information Technology Association of America (1998) "A competent and skilled IT workforce is absolutely critical to a vibrant U.S. economy and to our personal futures".

Information technology students were in high demand in the 1990s. There were hundreds of information technology jobs available, and not enough employees to fill these ...