Related Career Categories

• Computer Programmer
• Computer Security Specialist
• Computer Support Specialist
• Computer Technician
• Data Analyst
• Help Desk Technician
• IT Manager
• IT Software Developer
• IT Specialist
• Network Administrator
• Project Manager
• Software Engineer
• Software Manager
• Software Quality Assurance Specialist
• Computer/Systems Administrator
• Systems Analyst
• Web Developer

School and Career Surprises: Tips From People on the Job

Career: "I'm surprised at how quickly hardware in the computer field changes yet, the core theory I learned in college is still applicable."

Career: "I was surprised that I was the one who finally able to fix the computers. I can use my mind now where I couldn't with my old job."

Best & Worst Things About This Career

"The best part of the job is that it's a continuous learning process. Technology is constantly changing. The best way of keeping up with technology is to use new tools and be open to upgrades and improvements. Lack of time is the enemy. The worst part of the job is being asked to set up the equipment for a meeting and finding you can't get it started, or having the tape run out while you are taping a school event. The technical difficulties you face are the most disappointing part of the job."

"The worst part of my job is my inability to prevent users from causing their own problems. We can only be so proactive, short of locking down everyone's desktop. Users cause themselves needless frustration because they will not practice a very few basic best practices. The best part of the job is solving a seemingly impossible problem, or amazing people with your computer skills. There is no man behind the curtain but they think there is."

"One of the things I enjoy the most about my career is the freedom I have compared to a typical job. I work alone and am expected to be responsible and self sufficient in getting my duties done. My superiors are willing to answer questions regarding what type of equipment we support and what our policies are, but I am expected to know how to do my job as far as the actual maintenance goes. I would say my least favorite part of the job is the level of stress I have to endure."

"The best part of teaching is feeling that you helped children succeed when they were having trouble and feeling bad about themselves. Another great part of teaching is getting to know your students. I develop a special relationship with each one of my students. I enjoy being a mentor and a positive role model. The worst part of my job is the stress level. You become so involved with each student it can get very frustrating when you have tried everything you can think of and nothing works. The great thing about teaching is the support you get from your school. There are an endless number of resources that you can use to surmount any obstacle."

"The best part about being an IT Specialist is the fact that it's an ever changing field. As new technology is introduced you will be exposed to it and it keeps your job experience fresh and fun. The worst part about being an IT Specialist is the time it takes to get trained. Although it's rewarding in the end, it takes away from a lot of your free time and you need to put forth a lot of effort to become proficient at this job. Having an interest in computers is a must."

"The best part of my job is constantly learning new software and doing detective work when things go wrong in the software. Once the problem is isolated, it's very rewarding to come up with a fix and provide customer satisfaction. Providing technical software support requires good customer skills and the ability to explain very complex situations in terms everyone can understand. The worst part of my job is the amount of time I have to spend analyzing data to find a solution. Customers can become very impatient waiting for a fix to their problem."

"The best part of my job is that I get to do a little bit of everything and I get to work with all the organizations in my company, from Support to Development to Quality Assurance. I get to do a little bit of project work, a little bit of testing, a little bit of development, etc. The worst part of my job is that sometimes I work alone for long stretches of time and the work that I am researching is not always useful to the company when I'm done."

"The worst part of the job is having to depend on people to get my job done, especially when those people are busy or not dependable. The best is my very flexible schedule and the fact that each day is different."

"The best part of work like this is being able to keep up with current trends in the IT field. It's good if your company has money to spend to purchase state of the art technology. The worst part of this job is the schedule I have to keep. A lot of work has to be done during off hours to keep from inconveniencing the customers. Another function of pretty much all jobs in this field is maintenance. All computers or servers require periodic maintenance. Some can be done during business hours but most is the off-hours work I mentioned. It can be tedious at times but is necessary to keep up with current operating system levels."

"If you enjoy working with the public and being around computers, then this would be the job for you. There is always a new challenge that come up, be it a new virus that has disrupted the software or a new product that's coming out. You are always learning and being challenged. If you are uneasy about working with difficult people, then this may not be the job for you. The other downside is that although the pay is not terrible, it's not great either. However, most companies typically promote from within, and there are many chances to move up. One other thing worth mentioning is that there are a lot of home call center jobs available. So if you like to work independently, that might be an avenue to check out."

"The people I work with are the best part of the job, and this includes both customers and fellow team members. People in my career field are generally jovial and good natured and are willing to help with issues. The thanks received after helping a user get back to work is something to cherish. The downside of this role is the stress involved with it. If a computer problem occurs that is beyond your control, you may get blamed even though you were not involved. Also, customers may have high expectations of your skills, which can be problematic if an issue occurs with a piece of technology that you've never worked with."

"Probably the best part of my career is the feeling I get when I've very obviously helped someone out. Getting told that I've just "saved" someone's life because I was able to retrieve their crucial customer data for their small business is really an incredible feeling. On the other hand, there are customers who will literally yell at me for not being able fix their computers, even though it may just be something that's impossible to fix. Most people who come seeking the help of a computer repair technician aren't very technically literate and think that I can perform miracles. Unfortunately, that is not always the case and the customer may wind up feeling very disappointed and unfairly lash out at me."

"Probably the best part of my career is the feeling I get when I've very obviously helped someone out. Getting told that I've just "saved" someone's life because I was able to retrieve their crucial customer data for their small business is really an incredible feeling. On the other hand, there are customers who will literally yell at me for not being able fix their computers, even though it may just be something that's impossible to fix. Most people who come seeking the help of a computer repair technician aren't very technically literate and think that I can perform miracles. Unfortunately, that is not always the case and the customer may wind up feeling very disappointed and unfairly lash out at me."

Tips for Succeeding in This Career

"In this position my job is to respond to the needs of students and teachers. Basically, you need to listen to them and find a way to help them with the task. Keep trying, there is always a solution. If you don't know, ask questions until you find answers."

"Do not be afraid to break things. You will never be able to diagnose a problem and solve it without making it worse first. Always have a back-up of the thing you are about to break. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to cover your butt if you are going to burn someone's computer either intentionally or by accident. Have a back-up plan. Keep looking at things as though no one had ever seen them before, and take notes. It's a terrible thing not to learn from your successes or mistakes."

"The best advice I can give to people pursuing a career in IT is to get certifications. There are too many different IT certifications available to count, but each one gives you a specific area of expertise. A desktop technician will benefit from having a general certification for basic desktop support, but being specialized in something like Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 administration looks better on your resume and makes you a greater asset to a company. It also helps to be very versatile. The more you can know about your job the more likely you are to succeed."

"I would suggest getting as much classroom experience as possible before entering this profession. The hands-on experience is most helpful when you're deciding whether or not teaching is the career for you. Schools are very welcoming to people who want to volunteer or students who want to observe a classroom. Taking courses is a wonderful way to start to learn about classroom management and how to develop lesson plans that will meet the needs of each student."

"Interest in computers in general is a must. Joining the army and picking this job is a way to get into the field and get and opportunity to get certified in many areas. Going for a degree (i.e. computer science) is crucial. Choosing wisely which part of the IT field you will go into is also important. Network administration, programming, information security, or just general troubleshooting from a help desk all require different types of training. Do your research before hand and choose wisely so you wont get bogged down due to a lack of interest later on down the line."

"Have a passion for learning new skills whether they're technical or professional. Be open to learning new software skills as the software industry is constantly evolving. Learn multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac and Linux. Flexibility will open doors for you. Be able to explain very technical situations to people who may not understand them. Always be on the lookout for any additional education opportunities."

"If you're interested in working with computer software, focus on learning a computer language such as Java or C++. It may be tough to learn at first, but once you've learned one it's very easy to learn others. Programming languages are always changing and improving, so working with them is very exciting. Also, learn about how businesses work. Take marketing, finance and economics courses. These are useful things to have a grasp of when you're creating applications to make it easier to run a business."

"Find an area of software that you really like and become very good at it. Strive to be the best at understanding how it works. Always treat others the way that you would like to be treated. Don't be afraid to try new software. If there is one thing that never changes in IT it is the fact that it always changes."

"If you choose to pursue a career in IT it is imperative that you start with a good basic understanding of computers and networking. Once you have that you will understand how they work and communicate and allow such things as "Facebook" or "Google" to exist. Stay current with emerging technologies. Things are always changing and what is cutting edge today may be obsolete after a year or two."

"Have a good knowledge of windows-based computers systems and hardware. All companies provide training, but having computer knowledge is of paramount importance, because you need to understand the inner workings of a computer and because of the new challenges that come up all the time. Probably the most important thing is to have good verbal skills and listening skills. You must be a people person, and most of all, have a good sense of humor. You may spend as much as four hours walking someone through a software install."

"Remember that it's okay that you don't know everything, but do your best to keep learning. Try not to take it personally when a user is angry or when an issue can't be resolved. Work in a direct customer service job for a few years before starting in this career field. People skills make this work much easier. Be prepared to get dirty sometimes. Computers accumulate a lot of dust!"

"Learn by doing. Take apart computers and put them together. You have to learn to love building computers. See if you can "break" computer software and then fix it. Much of your knowledge is going to come from doing things on your computer. Playing a game, for example, may require you to learn something about installing software drivers. Learn to deal with people; it's not always about your technical knowledge. People skills are going to be just as important."

"Learn by doing. Take apart computers and put them together. You have to learn to love building computers. See if you can "break" computer software and then fix it. Much of your knowledge is going to come from doing things on your computer. Playing a game, for example, may require you to learn something about installing software drivers. Learn to deal with people; it's not always about your technical knowledge. People skills are going to be just as important."