By Meridith Levinson
Mon, September 20, 2010
CIO — Is an IT career a good idea right now? A lot of U.S. IT jobs are being lost due to offshoring and the recession. What are the odds I'll be able to get an IT job in this market, let alone keep one? What's a career in IT like? What kinds of IT jobs might I pursue, and how are IT roles changing? What skills are needed to be successful in an IT career? What IT certifications might improve my odds of landing a job or enhancing my career? Is the money good in an IT career? What are IT salaries like? I'm fed up with my corporate IT career. What other career paths might I consider,
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Is an IT career a good idea right now?
Depending upon whom you ask, it's both the best of times and the worst of times to pursue or maintain an IT career. The IT industry and corporate IT departments are undergoing dramatic changes due to the influence of social media and consumer technology, the recession and technological innovations such as cloud computing. The changes taking place in the industry and in corporate IT departments are, consequently, impacting the market for IT jobs, the skills needed to be successful in them, and IT salaries.
Those IT professionals who view their profession as a dead end cite the never-ending cycle of layoffs inside technology companies and corporate IT departments,
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On the other hand, the IT professionals who are optimistic about IT careers say that despite the challenges posed by the economy,
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Another reason why now is a good time to work in IT: Despite all the layoffs and outsourcing,
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People who wish to pursue IT careers now and in the future must be flexible and open to change. Members of Gen Y are in a particularly good position to move into IT careers, because they're so familiar with the consumer technologies currently flooding enterprises.
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