Is it the right time for IT career switching? It depends on to whom you are asking this question. From some aspects, it is the best time to pursue an IT career, and on the other hand, some people may advise you not to run after an IT career at this moment.
Getting a job in the IT industry is a dream of many professionals around the world, and a significant number of those people are concerned about the academic requirement to get a job in the IT industry, as many of them do not have the degree required to be eligible for an IT job. There are some common myths available in the market, which are related to the job placement issue in the IT Industry.
You do not have to have a degree in IT to get a job in the IT industry. There are various other short and long term options that will pave your path towards a career in IT. After you decide what are your interests, you can find IT certification that will provide you with in-depth skills and training for your chosen IT career path. There are various certifications starting from basic level to intermediate and advanced. These certifications are focused on a particular technology or a job role and can last 3 to 6 months.
For an example, CompTIA A+ certification certifies the set of skills and knowledge, required for an entry-level IT Technician which includes repairing and assembling a computer, installing and configuring system software and application software, maintaining and troubleshooting of computer network, ensuring the safety and security of data, having required knowledge of cloud computing and etc. CompTIA A+ certified professionals earn an average annual salary of £44,350.
IT industries and the in-house IT departments of the corporate companies are going through a continuous changing phase due to rapid innovations like cloud computing and virtualization, along with the influence of social media on their business process. Such a change in IT operation impacts the IT job market as IT professionals must harness their efficiencies on these newer technologies to continue their job roles successfully.
When you are searching for a job on online career portals like monster.com, glassdoor.com, indeed.com, and looking forward to the position of software development, help desk technician, mobile application developer and/or higher positions, you may not miss that in the academic qualification section they simple mentioned ‘High School Diploma or GED required. A significant portion of IT jobs is not looking for a candidate having a four-year college degree unless that post is much more sophisticated and a bit senior level post. In most cases, Hiring personnel are looking forward to seeing if you have the required skill and knowledge to carry on with your job responsibility or not. A four-year college degree could be an added advantage, but that is not mandatory in the case of pursuing an IT job. If you are good at something, a four-year college degree can never be an obstacle to holding you back, in order to pursue your dream career.
Some IT professionals will find IT jobs as the dead-end of their career due to the availability of a comparatively less expensive IT workforce through offshoring and outsourcing. On the other hand, many IT professionals are not satisfied with their salaries or work-life balance in their careers. So they opt for IT career switching for better options.
Again, some IT professionals are very optimistic about their careers even though they face challenges due to globalization, outsourcing, offshoring, and continuous technological change. These IT professionals believe that IT jobs have huge opportunities shortly as almost every business has started adapting IT as an integral part of their business process. They can see the increasing demand for skilled IT professionals in almost every business across the world. These optimistic IT professionals can see the opportunities for IT professionals due to the innovation of new technologies like Cloud Computing, Virtualization, etc. Despite the impact of outsourcing and off-shoring, IT jobs seem to be getting more secure for some IT professionals.
Companies are now looking for IT professionals who are willing to put their effort into the organization on a long term basis instead of short tenure. Employers in the IT companies are now looking to retain a skilled workforce so that the IT professionals can adapt their skills and become familiar with the pattern of the business process, as well. Consumer technologies are currently flooding the business, and that is why IT professionals prefer this as the right time to step inside the IT profession.
Read more about various job opportunities and the expected salary range for other CompTIA certifications here.