How to start a career in Information Technology?

Information technology is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. With many career opportunities to choose from, people from every field are transitioning their way into information technology. As a techie, you will be required to know about computers, mobile phones, networks, and the web. You can choose to learn a programming language, scripting language, framework, or get into hardware engineering.

In the following context, you will find everything that you need to know to make a career in IT.

Why choose a career in IT?

There are many reasons to support your decision to consider IT as a career. Some of them are listed below.

• First of all, the IT industry is expected to grow 22-38% by the end of the year 2021.
• Because of the growth, there is more demand and fewer techies to get the jobs done.
• Because of the increased demand, you are guaranteed to get employed very quickly.
• To work as a techie, you don’t necessarily need to have extensive qualifications.
• Free online courses for IT from an accredited source might be enough for you to get a job.
• You can explore many career choices in IT and choose the one that suits you the best.
• In addition to paying good wages, IT jobs give you room to grow and earn more with experience.
• Job security, promotions, and other benefits of the jobs make IT even more desirable.

So with that many reasons to get into information technology, let’s dive right into knowing how you can start a career in IT right now.

Tips to start a career in IT

Getting your foot into the IT industry is the first thing needed for a successful career in Information Technology. If lack of experience is a factor that worries you, then you have nothing to worry about. 

Here are some tips that can help you overcome your fears and get the job that is perfect for you.

Do your research

Information technology is a vast field comprising numerous options to choose from. In IT, you can choose to be an IT consultant, web developer, software engineer, cybersecurity expert, project manager, database administrator, or you can choose from many other alternatives. All of these jobs require different fields of expertise, relevant experience, right certification, and they all have different job descriptions. 

You need to be sure about your abilities, interests, and expertise and make a list of all the available jobs. 

Meet the educational requirements

Once you have created a list of all the jobs and fields that interest you and match your skills, you have to meet their educational criteria. Some of the employers require a bachelor’s degree in information technology, while others don’t.

Keep in mind that degree holders from different areas of IT will also be applying for the same job. You have to regularly update your resume, learn new things, and gain experience to compete with the rest of the applicants. If you are a beginner, you can look up IT courses for beginners as well.

Build a strong networking circle

Networking with other information technology experts is the key to succeeding in this field. In a very competitive environment, a referral might make all the difference. In addition to that, taking advice from IT experts will help you broaden your vision. Looking at things with a new perspective might exactly be what you need. 

If you don’t have any IT experts in your circle, start going to information technology events. There, you will find experts from different areas of the field. Not only can they help you with referrals and information, but they might also have job openings in their firms that might be what you are looking for.

Learn & gain experience

Learning different codes such as JavaScript, Ruby, Java, and other, programming languages, taking online classes, and watching tutorials will help you keep updated with the current trends of the field. Join open-source platforms and communities and start working on projects. 

As long as gaining experience is concerned, you can always go for freelancing. Using different freelancing platforms, you can gain experience by working with clients and at the same time, earn good money to bear your expenses.

Keep on learning and wait for the right opportunity to come along. Be sure to grab it with all your effort when the time comes.