Am I professing that IT training and careers within IT are the be-all and end-all of futures on this planet? God forbid, no. Where would we all be without the highly paid football stars who entertain us so well on a week by week basis? But there has to be a reason why increasing numbers of people are studying for careers within the IT industry. A development I find interesting has been the increase in IT training amongst people who are seeking a career change or an enhancement to their existing skill sets.

Reviewing this, I’m intrigued as to why IT continues to offer the attraction, and is this really a viable option? Whilst we all accept that in relationships, people and key elements can change. A boyfriend or girlfriend at the age of 10 is often considered a cute thing, but not expected to last. Relationships at the age of 18-20 are often less transient, but again have a higher rate of short-term lifespan than others later in life. We ask young people to make decisions and plan their working career fairly early on in life.

Yet historically there seems to be an inherent resistance to change as times passes. So if we accept that life changes, and we accept that circumstances also change, isn’t it prudent for us to accept that career paths can and indeed ought to change? The ongoing dependence of today’s society on IT, and factors related to IT, means that many people assume a career in this industry would be well paid and reliable, (based on simple economics of supply and demand). A lot see a direct correlation of how they utilise IT systems in a social environment (such as playing games and social interaction on the internet e.g. facebook etc.) and transfer that into a career.

Could this genuinely lead to a career within IT, and what factors would be necessary for a successful career? I believe that a key element in answering this is an understanding that a career in IT is as dependent on factors such as an employer (or client base if self-employed,) and economic issues, as any other career path. However, there is considerable evidence to suggest that professional people within the IT industry can move between employers and industry sectors more freely, due to the wide dependence on IT services across both geographic and industry models.

One of the key elements is the term ‘Professional IT People’ – just as in any other industry, employers have consistently sought human resources where the skills can be proven by both experience and an approved benchmark. This applies whether that is a degree, or recognised apprenticeship culminating in an industry standard qualification, such as electrician and plumber. It’s no different in the IT industry. Just because many people have a computer at home, and can experience many areas of the IT industry domestically, this is vastly different in many cases from the skills and resources required in the commercial sector.

I’m sure we’d all acknowledge that playing games for four hours a night or surfing the internet doesn’t make us a qualified games designer, or a qualified webmaster. Professional qualifications such as MCSE or MCSA within the IT field are instantly recognisable as an industry standard. Employers can rely upon the skills offered. This means there’s a reduced risk of breach of commercial insurance policies for work and services provided by such people, whether they are directly employed or self-employed. Anyone seriously considering a future within this field must look at how best to position themselves to become attractive to an employer – and surely holding a professional qualification goes a long way towards this.

As it’s the employer or client who pays the salary, we should at least be aware of what they’re looking for in recruitment or engagement. We have plenty of data in existence to support the view that the IT sector growth is faster and more resilient than many other industry sectors. We’re seeing a transitional shift in industry sectors, from the first world over to the third world. Many growing or ‘tiger’ economies are adapting to (and embracing) long standing IT systems at a very fast rate indeed.

Up to now in this article we’ve looked at the trends, which with the slow down and in some cases demise of traditional industry (and therefore traditional job-for-life expectancies), there will be an increasing propensity towards several jobs and career paths over our lifetime. What’s more, we’ve noted that the IT industry remains attractive consistently as it continues to provide both supply and demand across geographical boundaries and across industry sectors.

Todays forecasts also predict the increasing long-term dependence on IT systems overall. This includes the professional individuals who develop, utilise and maintain those systems, as they remain integral to many organisations long-term requirements. Salary forecasts remain high within this industry, with plenty of evidence to suggest that this is achievable. It’s worth noting however,that in many other sectors the top-people get paid the top-money, and just ‘being there’ isn’t good enough and doesn’t guarantee the top-money.

We’ve also argued the case that employers view recruitment for IT skills as no different to any other facet of their business. They expect the individuals to formally demonstrate their skills and qualifications, in exactly the same way as they expect their accountants and electricians to be professionally qualified to do the work they’re employed to do. I believe that there is considerable evidence to promote a career within the IT industry as a strong and viable option to many people within today’s economic and social climate.

High salaries are definitely achievable. Yet it’s equally clear and, to be fair, common sense to expect to have to achieve a recognisable professional IT qualification to be able to clearly demonstrate one’s own ability, and at the very least the attitude that you are serious about this career path and that your prospective employer can rely on you in the commercial field. (C) 2009. Go to LearningLolly.com for the best information on Framemaker 7 and Framemaker 7 Training.

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