Information Technology
It's Role in Today's World
Today's world of Information Technology (IT) is practically unrecognizable compared to its counterpart of yesteryear — and it's jam-packed with exciting career opportunities in a variety of fields.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) reports "Information technologies now enable, control and maintain our civil and human infrastructure – our transportation systems, our national power grid, our communications and emergency response systems and services, our healthcare enterprise, and our banking and commerce systems."
Yet, even though just-graduating students can often earn higher than average starting wages working for many different companies, the NSF notes, "only 1 percent of incoming college freshman in 2008 chose computer science as their probable major, down from a high of 3.6 percent in 1999."
That's why there's no better time than now to plan to enroll in any one (or more!) of the dozens of different IT college programs available throughout the nation.
Take a look at just a few of the many different computer programs colleges offer today:
Graphics & Gaming Simulation
Ever wonder just how they build those blockbuster video games? Computer programming for graphics, gaming and simulation can teach students how industry creates graphic-rich games, whether you want to be a programmer, an artist, or both.
You can learn skills such as game modeling, animation and texturing, and use industry-standard software, including 3-Ds Max, MotionBuilder, ZBrush, Combustion and more. And the technology is used for much more than just games.
The U.S. Military, top hospitals, the movie industry and many other industries employ hundreds of computer programmers who build, create, maintain, engineer and analyze information using the latest software and equipment.
High Performance Computing
High Performance Computing (HPC) or Supercomputing – a sort of nickname for HPC – is a high-speed process to solve computational problems for industry and the scientific community. You might think of it as a revved-up computer, but actually it's multiple computers performing parallel processing to solve complex problems society faces in our modern world.
For example, tracking a hurricane by a single computer user can take years, but with HPC (depending on the size), it can take just days or even hours. The technology of HPC is used in many important tasks to help solve the world's problems or even to save lives.
Many who select this career path may choose to work for private industries such as Google, IBM or Microsoft; general, larger industries such as the medical field, universities, the U.S. Government and others also hire HPC technicians.
Digital Forensics Investigation
Digital Forensics is one of the hottest career choices these days. Digital forensics specialists help investigators solve crimes by tracking the "digital footprints" often left behind on computers, cell phones, PDAs and other digital devices. The information they gather often becomes the key focal point in crime investigations, divorce settlements, company espionage, and more, offering lots of opportunities for experts who know their way around computers.
Students typically learn to track this information through software used by pros in the industry, such as EnCase Enterprise Security Protocols and Forensic Tool Kit (FTK). Students also learn about legal issues, incident response and handling, firewalls, network security and much more.
Network Security
Broader than Digital Forensics, Network Security is another immensely popular career track, as it's critical to society today. The recent WikiLeaks of sensitive U.S. documents and the hacking that followed of government, banking, business and even personal computers are just a few examples among thousands of breaches that occur daily in today's computer-centered world. In fact, it is estimated that as of May 2010, there have been more than 350 million breaches, and that number is most likely an underrepresentation of the many computers that have actually been attacked!
The job of protecting a computer's data has permanently moved from the obscure basement position to one of major importance as companies strive to keep hackers out and protect sensitive data. Perhaps that's why it's also one of the fastest-growing jobs in the U.S., according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Services (BLS).
It's exciting, too. Graduates hold jobs with titles such as Network Security Administrators, Network Security Consultants, Security Analysts, Network Penetration Testers or IT Emergency Response Members , and they can make as much as $67,000 annually, once they gain experience.
Computer Maintenance
In today's world, nearly everybody uses computers, both at home and at work. And when our systems crash or go "down," it can be a major inconvenience – and often a serious problem.
It can also mean plenty of job opportunities for those who know how to maintain and repair computers, as well as assist others in the process.
Those who study computer maintenance do a lot more than just tinker with computers. Some of the skills students learn range from installing, configuring and managing operating systems, to managing networks, designing and integrating systems and learning preventative measures.
What's more, it's another fast-growing occupation according to the BLS, offering openings in nearly every sector, from financial institutions and government agencies, to healthcare, education and much more. Many who work as Computer Maintenance techs also choose to open their own business at some point in their careers.
Colleges offer these and many other computer programs that students typically may not think of as a great career choice. But, a little research will reveal some amazing and exciting programs that can put skilled graduates into a great job – and fast!
Editorial provided by Mary Drennon, Communications Writer for Texas State Technical College – Waco.
