What is Information Technology?

In today’s up-and-down job market and shaky economy, there are few career fields that are as consistent as the field of Information Technology. As a branch of engineering, Information Technology, specializes specifically in using computer technology and telecommunications technology to transmit, translate and store various types of information- although there are a ton of other types of jobs that do fall under the Information Technology umbrella.
What exactly does Information Technology entail?

Essentially information technology is all about using information as a commodity or resource, just like any other job. The information that is being translated, disseminated, stored, transmitted, etc. is usually in the forms of audio, video, textual and numerical information and is processed through the use of microelectronics and computers.

The field of Information Technology is usually used to describe a whole series of jobs, but in reality, there are tons of jobs that are called Information Technology jobs, but are actual part of a subcategory like Management Information Services and Information Services.

Once upon a time, the Information Technology center of a business would have been composed of just one guy sitting at a computer all day. But, as computer technology has advanced, and information has become more valuable, the Information Technology center grew with it. Now, a company will either have a gigantic IT center, or they may need so many specialists that they actually contract out the Info-tech needs to an entirely separate company. Now, in order to successfully run an Information Technology center, a company would need at least a database management system, a cryptographer, some system administrators, some database administrators, at least one information manager and a Chief Information Office (CIO,) who is the head honcho of the whole shabang.
The Top 10 Technical Skills Needed for a Career in Information Technology

The following is a list of the most common skills, knowledge and experience that is needed for a job in the Information Technology career field. Because Information Technology relies so much on information and keeping it secure, it is imperative to have a good grasp on things like programming languages, operating systems and management expertise.

1. Unix Operating System knowledge
2. Linux Operating System knowledge
3. Java Language Programming experience
4. C++ Language Programming experience
5. Perl Language Programming experience
6. MySQL Database Management expertise
7. Microsoft C# Language Programming experience
8. XML- Extensible Markup Language skills
9. HTML skills (advanced)
10. Project Management abilities
Information Technology Knowledge Requirements

Depending on what type of job you are looking for, you will probably need either a degree or at least some kind of technical certificate in order to land a job in the Information Technology sector. Here is a list of some of the most common degrees and technical certificates that are required in order to have a job in the field of Information Technology:

● CISSP certificate (Information Security)
● ISSAP certificate (Information Security)
● ISSEP certificate (Information Security)
● Oracle Database Administration certificate
● Microsoft Information Specialist certificates
● Cisco Information Specialist certificates
● Doctoral or Professional degree in Computer and Information Research Science (for high-level jobs)
● Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Programming (for mid-level jobs)
● Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Systems (for mid-level jobs)
● Associate’s Degree (for low-level jobs)
The Jobs and The Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Information Technology field is growing faster than the average career, which means an Information Technology specialist would be in high-demand right out of school. Here are a few of the jobs, the growth of that job in the future and the average salaries you can expect for an entry-level position in that job: