Mary-Lane Kamberg - Becoming a Systems Administrator

In todays workplace nearly every business has information technology needs. Individuals with computer skills can find job openings among a wide variety of industries.

Only a few months later, rumors flew about the possibility of the plant shutting down. He immediately began looking for a new position. Within a few weeks, he got a job as an assistant systems administrator with a mid-sized banking software company. Because the company was relatively small, he gained experience with both network and systems duties. He learned about administration of the UNIX operating system, ATM communications, web development, network load balancing, server hardware, and more. Five years later, the company needed to cut expenses. Since he lacked seniority on the team, he was one of the first to get laid off.

He soon found freelance consulting jobs doing systems administration for a variety of clients. That led to a job with a global insurance company. Eventually he was promoted to senior systems engineer. He attributes his success to his wide experience with different types of companies and different computer and network systems. Despite company layoffs and closings, his skills were always in demand and easily transferred to other employers.

Although this is only one IT professionals journey, his story is typical in the IT industry. If you think you might like to follow in his footsteps, this book will show you how.

CHAPTER ONE

WHAT IS IT?

T he worlds businesses, governments, and organizations need you! Already, employers are having trouble finding qualified workers to fill nearly 4 million existing jobs. By 2024, even more openings will be available for qualified candidates. Those job openings will be in the field of information technology (IT).

IT involves managing, storing, and processing information by using hardware, operating systems, software, databases, analysis, and research. This fast-growing industry needs workers to perform a wide variety of tasks, and salaries are high. The US Department of Labor reports that as of May 2015, the median annual wage for all computer and information technology occupations was 77 percent higher than the median wage for all occupations. Median wage is the middle amount on a list of all the wages for all jobs in the IT field or for all jobs in the United States. Half the jobs pay less and half the jobs pay more.

Demand for information technology workers is high and should continue to grow as firms invest in newer, faster technology and mobile networks. According to the US Department of Labor, the number of IT jobs will grow by nearly a half million between 2014 and 2024. The 12 percent increase is higher than the rate expected for all other jobs.

The top eight STEM-related jobs in the United States are in the information technology industry, as reported on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

The IT industry deals with the overall field of managing and processing information. It includes everything in a companys computer system: the hardware, operating system, software, databases, storage, analysis, and research. The field is so varied that its likely you can find an area that interests you.

Is IT for You?

The global IT industry needs workers in nearly every business sector and from a wide variety of job sites throughout in the worldincluding from the workers own homes.

The many advantages of pursuing a career in the IT industry include the following:

Fill different roles. The IT field has a wide variety of types of work. So whether youre more interested in how machines work or the softer side of the industry, theres likely a good fit for you.