Understanding the Implications of a Career Switch to IT

Information technology is everywhere around us, starting from your smartphone to the internet that connects the whole world. The IT landscape has been growing exponentially with new advancements and projects driven by innovation. Therefore, the demand for IT talent has also been showcasing an upward trend in recent times.

Are you considering a career in the world’s most lucrative job market? However, is it easy to capitalize on career opportunities in IT? Candidates without any prior IT expertise could face various doubts, especially when they are switching to IT from a different field of profession. Let us try to solve some of the common questions you may have while considering a career switch to IT.

Why Should You Switch to a Career in IT?

According to CNBC, the proposition of working in IT is highly lucrative. However, the increasing need for IT workers has also resulted in a considerable shortage of talent. Therefore, businesses are ready to offer competitive pay to individuals with the right skills for filling up the talent gap.

Renowned job site, Indeed.com, has estimated that almost 89% of people switching careers to IT cited additional remuneration as their primary motive. On the other hand, people generally take around 12 months for deciding to switch careers to IT. Why?

The Need for Developing New Skills

The Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources at Indeed.com, Paul Wolfe, has stated that the need for IT training is the foremost reason that forces people to think twice about switching to an IT career. Candidates have to develop knowledge and expertise regarding specific programs, systems, processes, and technologies for IT careers. As a result, people have to invest in training and certifications to qualify for their desired IT career role.

According to Indeed.com, people have to incur expenses amounting to an average of $38,507 on their training and development for switching to IT careers. However, 81% of people switching careers to IT have easily recovered their investments in continuous IT education.

Top Paying IT Jobs

As you can notice, switching to an IT career from other fields is achievable, albeit with the requirement of intensive training and education in new technologies. So, what do you have to gain by changing to a career in IT? Let us take a look at some of the highest paying IT jobs to understand the prospects you can avail yourself of in the IT labor market.

Big Data Engineer

Big Data engineers are responsible for helping companies derive insights from structured, unstructured, and semi-structured data. The average annual salary for Big Data engineers in entry-level positions is around $118,675.

Information Systems Security Manager

Security is one of the foremost priorities of all enterprises in the modern digital landscape. Information systems security managers could command an average annual salary of up to $124,063 in entry-level positions.

Software Developer

What would the digital world look like without software and applications? Therefore, software developer roles are always in high demand. Software developers could earn an average annual salary of $105,590 in the initial stages of their careers.

Best Practices for Switching to a Career in IT

With so many prospects in IT careers, it is reasonable to focus on the best practices for switching your career. Here are some of the helpful pointers that you can follow for switching successfully to a career in IT.

Set Your Career Goals

Round up on some clear objectives for switching to a career in IT. Do you want to explore your creative side? Do you want to earn more money? You should try starting by reflecting on whether a career in IT is right for you.

Find a Job Role that Aligns with Your Goals

Now, you must select a job role that matches your objectives from an IT career point of view. Professional networking can work wonders in helping you with this step. Ask IT professionals, on your LinkedIn network and explore the various IT career options that you can try for.

Start With Fundamental IT Certifications

Once you have finalized the IT job role you want to pursue, you must focus on training and certification. You can find fundamental level certifications such as CompTIA IT Fundamentals as the best choice to start your IT education. The certification offers solid proof of your skills and knowledge regarding basic aspects of IT operations.

However, you have to invest your time, dedication, and efforts in courses for building your skills to qualify for the IT Fundamentals exam. Explore the details of the training course for the IT Fundamentals certification exam by CompTIA before making your choice.

Are You Ready to Take the Leap?

On a concluding note, it is clearly evident that you can switch to an IT career with ease through proper guidance. The demand for IT talent would continue to surge upwards in the future, with digitalization becoming more rampant across various industries. So, you need to take the initiative for capitalizing on some of the most lucrative job prospects in IT. Redefine your career goals and step into the world of IT with an enhanced set of skills right now!