Working in IT (Part 2)

If you read the first part of this feature on working in Information Technology, you will have recognized the fact that there are various streams, factions and segments present within the absorbing career space that it encompasses. You may also have realized that you need to know the best route that can take you where you're heading, unless you want to get lost on your way there. So if you're interested in taking up studies in this field, where do you begin?

A good guideline is to check the web for a whole series of specific jobs that are currently being advertised both on a national and international level, and check out the expertise requirements listed in connection with each and every job. By doing this initial 'homework' you will be getting an inkling of where you need to go, what studies you need to aim for and what specializations are most popular. Then you can make appropriate research into focusing your studies locally or abroad.

Check out what any of these jobs require by way of skills or expertise - do not be confused by the extremely volatile character of certain occupational titles which evolve very rapidly and are indicative of the new areas of specialisation, changes in technology as well as preferences and practices of varied employers. Such titles include Analyst Programmer, Application Developer, Business Systems Analyst, Change Analyst, Computer Support Engineer, IT Consultant, Computer Programmer, Database Administrator, IT Graduate, Network Engineer, IT Support Engineer, Operations Engineer, Operations Manager, IT Training Developer, Software Developer, Software Engineer, Software Test Engineer, SQL DBA, Support Analyst, Support Engineer, Systems Engineer, Technical Analyst, Technical Author, Technical Support Consultant, IT/PC Technician VB Developer, Web Developer and many others!

This exercise will be useful to you, whether you are still at school/university, looking for your first job or already in the first stages of an IT career. By identifying the kind of IT job or specialization that interests you, you will be able to gauge the qualifications you will need for that job, assess your current skills to identify what you need to learn, and then access any training options available that will help you build the requirements you need. You may only need to be well-versed and efficient at working on a specific programme or particular application for what you have in mind, and not necessarily need to understand how the whole PC or IT system functions or be able to take it apart and re-build the whole system by yourself!

Another good way of proceeding in finding the right career track for you is to approach a school counsellor or a career counsellor whether at a senior school or at a training institute. This holds also for you if you are not a student, because these counsellors are the people keeping tabs on what's what, what's on and what's needed on the market, and who have the potential of helping you considerably.

Incidentally even visiting a career centre or a recruitment agency may prove useful as staff are also well-trained in advising job seekers on the best route to take and will know what kind of skills and requirements are currently being most commonly sought by those employers involved in the Information Technology ambience.

Consider this fact - throughout the past 10-year period, three specific occupations linked to computer applications - computer systems analyst, engineer and scientist, all three of which include a wide range of computer-related occupations - have been on a continuous mode of expansion. Their upward trend means they have been ranking among the top 20 occupations on the international job market, making them the fastest growing new jobs around.

There are various training sources in Malta. Education in Information and Communication Technology starts from senior schools but further studies are available both at MCAST, specifically at the Institute of Information and Communication Technology, as well as at a number of privately run professional institutes as well as the Bachelor's degree in IT at the University. Requesting informal interviews with whoever runs the IT training departments is also extremely helpful and you will return armed with considerable information and a handful of brochures to broaden your vision further.

From a basic foundation certificate in computing on to diploma level education to start off with, the route can gradually build up towards the career you have in mind. For most jobs a bachelor's degree is a prerequisite and for jobs of a more complex nature, post-graduate degrees may be preferred. Most courses can be quite intensive and focus on subjects that are connected with the needs of the industry. Certain qualifications allow students to approach technical and management careers whilst others are more hands-on related. You may choose to take up either short-term part-time courses or longer-term full-time studies. There are also several on-line courses to choose from but here you have to be particularly careful. Before embarking on an on-line education, you have to check whether the qualifications and certifications being offered are valid or recognized in Malta and the EU. This is important, particularly because certain companies may be affiliated with EU-based mother companies and request certain standards that are recognized uniformly. Whichever case, study can become very specific as in the case of installing, configuring or administering specific programmes or applications. You will need to learn 'new' technical jargon or languages and keep constantly abreast with fresh developments, innovative jargon and technological innovations that pop up continuously in the world of IT and its work processes. This last piece of advice holds also for the time when you will be actually employed in the IT sphere as keeping up to date with progress in this sphere is tantamount to remaining tops in your field.

From a professional level, suitable training coupled by adequate qualifications are tantamount to leading a successful career. Acquiring a degree in computing and related subjects is always a good starting point and this, in addition to substantial experience of work in a team. This last part can be quite challenging as 'home-grown' programmers tend to be lone players. This can ultimately become rather counter-productive when they get to join a team of professional software engineers.

Whichever career trend you take, it is good to remember that IT workers require certain common personal qualities and these include patience, optimism, an inquisitive nature, a willingness to be hands-on, and a humble approach when question time approaches.

Article prepared by Commercial Services Bureau (CSB) Ltd.

Since 1987, CSB Ltd. has been servicing the local and international business community with its range of employment/recruitment related services. It has helped thousands of employees improve their job conditions and careers, and employers obtain the ideal staff for their organisations.