| nformation Technology (IT) industry is well known | | | | in a jargon free and palatable manner. |
| for experiencing growing pains related to the | | | | Today, the majority of small to medium sized |
| technological advancements that are the | | | | businesses operate completely in-house. Even |
| foundation of the field itself. Advancements in | | | | larger organizations are limiting outsourced |
| technology, while necessary, often force IT | | | | personnel to the bare minimum, preferring to hire |
| professionals to focus on a particular area of | | | | specialized permanent employees to fill the |
| expertise in order to meet the specialized needs | | | | positions that were once manned by a labor force |
| of different industries. This newfound emphasis on | | | | provided by another company. Upper echelon IT |
| specialization has led to the creation of new | | | | managers are more likely to have business heavy |
| positions within the IT field with expansion | | | | education and experience credentials while their |
| resulting in job diversification. | | | | subordinates may be experts in either the |
| Not so long ago, IT managers and administrators | | | | software, hardware, or security side of IT |
| were responsible for all facets of a company's | | | | infrastructures, but rarely all three. With data |
| data systems, including development, accessibility, | | | | tampering and theft becoming a major concern in |
| storage and security. These rising stars of the | | | | recent years, the job market for data security |
| computer age were often single handedly | | | | personnel alone has risen substantially. |
| responsible for maintaining the systems that | | | | As we move forward into the future of |
| businesses relied upon to function. For many, | | | | information technology, the trend for a specialized |
| budgetary free reign was allowed for software | | | | workforce in the IT sector of employment will |
| and hardware purchasing with the singular | | | | likely continue. Even educational institutions are |
| requirement that all systems continue to run | | | | beginning to recognize this expansive |
| smoothly and effectively. Larger organizations | | | | diversification and IT degree programs with an |
| often had in-house IT administrators who worked | | | | emphasis on even the most obscure facets of |
| alongside the employees of companies that | | | | the industry can now be found. While the onset of |
| provided implementation services. The outsourced | | | | the computer age has certainly resulted in the |
| agents were a necessity for the maintenance of | | | | reduction of many positions in the overall |
| massive IT installations, while their company | | | | workforce, the weight of its own complexity may |
| counterparts served to relay information | | | | yield new positions that can balance those losses |
| regarding the purchased systems to management | | | | as we move forward. |