subject: Different jobs in IT [print this page] Different jobs in IT Different jobs in IT
IT is a huge sector of work, both directly within the technology and software industry and as part of the services required for every other sector of work. As such, IT jobs come under a huge variety of names, titles and functions and for those yet to enter the workplace - those studying on IT courses for example - the opportunities on offer can be a little bewildering.
As an aid, here's a brief breakdown of four different roles on offer in IT and computer sciences:
Network Engineer
These professionals are responsible for installing and maintaining IT networks and their infrastructure within an organisation, as well as (in general) offering ongoing support and helping link those networks to those of other organisations. Keeping server resources accessible to workstations and ensuring that different systems can communicate with one another often requires a great deal of ongoing work and extensive knowledge of different protocols, hardware standards and more - it's not unusual for larger organisations to have a team of several network engineers.
Database Administrator
Databases allow huge amounts of information to be stored, indexed and easily accessed at a moments notice. They are essential to businesses in all sectors for both administration, record keeping and accounting as well as for more specific processes such as financial projections or human resources. A database administrator ensures that these massive stores of data and information are accessible and are performing as expected (i.e. no major delays in retrieval), as well as ensuring that they are secure. This can be particularly relevant in sensitive areas such as healthcare or personal information. Administrators are also likely to be tasked with planning and developing any new database systems in addition to troubleshooting the existing infrastructure.
IT Consultant
This is one of the less process-specific roles in IT and incorporates a range of skills from different management disciplines. Different IT consultants can specialise in different areas but ultimately, the role involves giving clients objective advice on the best use of IT to solve specific problems or to help them meet commercial objectives, whether that's bringing a new product online or simply improving the structure and efficiency of their computer systems. Generally this requires a certain amount of experience as consultants are almost universally hired on how they are perceived as an authority in their area.
IT Sales executive
IT sales may not be one of the 'core' IT roles - in fact, its significantly different from most IT jobs - but its a definite possibility for anyone with a background in IT and the right personal qualities for the negotiations and pressure situations of working in sales. Generally an IT sales executive will facilitate other sales staff by giving expert insight into technological products such as hardware, software or other related services. This can be in pre-sales activities such as giving technical specifications or demonstrations of hardware and software; negotiating commercial agreements for service provision and ongoing support - or post-sales support such as trouble-shooting the initial set-up phase or selling follow-up products such as user training or on-call support.
