Pros and Cons of Choosing IT as Your Career

Pros and Cons of Choosing IT as Your Career Information technology is the study/use of computers for storing, retrieving, transmitting, and manipulating data. Those who are enthusiastic about technology and who choose to specialize in it are often termed as “tech junkies” or simply “techies”.There are many fields one can specialize in under IT such as programming, networking, system support, and technical support, telecom and game development.evalBefore internet became a global phenomenon, IT specialists and techies had jobs with nominal pays. However, the tables have turned with the recent advancements in technology.Techies now surely have high paying jobs and are high in demand, making IT a competitive and a highly paid career choice. With the new-found glory IT has achieved, you must be wondering if it would be a wise decision to pursue a career in it?Here are some pros and cons to help you make your decision.PROS1. Better pay and better jobsevalEvery job and designation pays differently. However, according to Dice Salary Survey 2015, it is common for IT employees to get a salary that is much higher salary than their peers.Due to increasing demand and considerably low supply of IT professionals, they are being paid a high salary in corporate, government as well as freelance positions.2. Wide range of industriesIn today’s time and age, every business needs technology professionals and consultants. Beauty, FMCG, hospitality, automobile industry, ecommerce â€" all need technology to operate optimally. With such a wide variety of industries to choose from, techies can easily opt for any industry they want.Switching industries is also relatively easy for IT professionals as their work is not dependent on any industry but on computers and systems.evalSome companies also outsource their software and technology needs. Hence, you can also find a job in companies offering managed IT solutions to other businesses.3. GrowthEven now the full potential of technology has not been unearthed. There are many more ways in which technology can be used to assist people and businesses. With more technological advancements to be seen in times to come, IT professionals can find more areas of interest to specialize in.There will be new jobs, new opportunities, new findings regarding technology; all of which will help those already in this career grow further.4. Self-worthIT services are recognized and needed by every department in a company. An IT professional handles delicate organization systems efficiently and a small slack in the job can affect the entire business.evalCan you imagine what would happen if your network server was down the whole day at work and there was no back-up server for support?The entire company will have to face the repercussions and the techies will be immediately required to rescue the company from this crisis. Hence, the work of an IT professional is crucial for the day to day operations of a business.Moreover, since software, hardware and networks need to be updat ed on a regular basis, a career in IT requires you to always keep learning to keep yourself up-to-date with the recent developments. This may sound like hard work but it is also extremely satisfying to regularly learn new things and attend diverse workshops on IT developments.CONS1. Irrelevant complains and requestsevalNot everyone understands technology and, thus, people may assume that your job description covers various things which in reality it does not. Hence, you will often be bombarded with requests and complains regarding issues with the internet, software, laptop speed, etc. which is quite annoying.People are often so clueless about technology that you may be called to connect the internet on a laptop or find out why a laptop is not working when in fact it has run out of battery. These common sense requests and complaints can often get frustrating.2. Hard career to explainPeople who are not associated to this field are not aware of technology related jobs. For the world, y ou may be an IT professional when in fact there are many branches to IT such as programming, development, cyber security, network administration, desktop support, system admins and many more. To group all these specializations under a single category is unfair and also frustrating.3. Odd hoursIT related jobs often have odd and long hours. If a system crashes at work, you may be required to pull an all nighter with your team to get it back up by morning. This means late sittings at work with no sleep or rest the entire day.4. Screen timeTechies are always found glued to their laptop screens. This puts them at a high health risk of stooped posture, weak eye sight and weight gain. Moreover, too much screen time makes one irritable too.5. PressureIT is a highly stressful job. Be it tight deadlines for delivering services, a system break down at work, or pressure to stay abreast with all the latest information about technology; It is hard to always be studying or be on call for system cr ashes.evalA career is with you for life. Before opting for IT or any other career for that matter, take some time out to consider your passions, likes and dislikes.Choose a career where your heart and interest lies. You can only attain the benefits from any career if you are really passionate about it. If you are not really interested in IT and just want to opt for it because of your friends or societal pressure, you may not achieve the growth someone else with a passion for the field may achieve.