Is a Career In IT Risky?

[JMaguire]

A reader named Paul Miller wrote in with a response to the recent article on Datamation titled "Is a Career In IT Risky?"

Here's the article:

http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/car...le.php/3705086

With Paul's permission, I'm posting his comments -- he's written a thoughtful response. Paul has been in IT since 1983, so he's seen some changes.

**Feel free to comment if you agree/disagree with Paul's comments.

Here's his reponse to the article's list of ways to stay employed in IT:

1.) Learn a specific business skill, like accounting, supply chain, marketing or human resources.
Reasonable. I've been amazed over the years how many programmers who specialize in supporting accountants don't understand a lick of accounting.

2.) Become an expert in a compliance standard like HIPAA or Sarbanes-Oxley.
Good advice, with a couple of caveats: first, choose the standard wisely after doing your homework. Second, don't expect one standard to last a career. Keep your head up and be ready to learn another one as things continue to change.

3.) Get a graduate degree to expand your horizon, such as a law degree focusing on intellectual property.
Yep, yep, good advice.

4.) Focus on becoming an IT architect, so that you are designing scalable, secure enterprise- class application delivery architectures.
Okay IF (and this is a big if) you are really willing to become an architect. I've met countless "architects" who can spout buzzwords but have no idea what it really means to design systems.

5.) Become an expert in an industry like finance, oil or health care.
Same as the standards suggestion above -- pick carefully. There are a few good manufacturing IT jobs available, for example, but _very_ few in the US.

6.) Improve your writing skills. Good technical writers are always hard to come by.
...and good technical writers generally get paid slightly less than the fry guy at McDonalds. They also get very little respect. Communication is essential but I wouldn't recommend anyone with strong technical skills abandon them to go into writing. Just my opinion.

7.) Jump into management. There won’t likely be a shortage of people needed to manage local or offshore resources.
However, keep in mind that management is a high-turnover position. There are far more unemployed managers with obsolete technical skills than open positions. If you must manage, hack the Linux kernel at night or something so you don't lose your technical edge.

8.) Dive deep into a specialization like security or networking and become an expert on topics like encryptions, intrusion protection and authentication.
See #'s 2 and 5.


**Do you agree with Paul's comments?

[ua549]

100%

Paul's comments hit the proverbial nail on the head.

I started life as a coder in the mid 1960's and soon realized that something more was needed to make a lifetime career in a fast moving technological industry. Automated coding tools were already being invented back then when people were cheap and hardware was expensive. As a result I obtained a degree in Finance another in Economics and spent 5 years as a public college treasurer polishing those skills before returning to IT with a decent CV.

I specialized in data communications and consulted worldwide with large banks and governments. I was successful mainly because I had expertise in their operational needs and could communicate with both the management and technical personnel with ease. I also served as a non-employee IT director for several firms.

To be successful one must have functional skills not only in technology, but in the areas that the technology serves. One must have verbal and written skills to communicate that knowledge to others. I spent at least 20 hours per week staying up to date in technology and the industries I served. I attended banking symposiums as well as those for the various levels of government I served.

I've been happily retired for 9 years and still keep up with trends in technology, banking and government.