Unfortunately, most people in the white collar working world today – no matter what industry or job title – spend at least 4 hours/day in front of computer – other than meetings, that's where most of communicating, planning, budgeting, designing, and other work gets done. Given that, the answer to your question depends on what you want to be doing instead of being on a computer as a tech or programmer: working directly with people? doing management work? In either case, there are other things you can do with an IT degree.
Every institution and industry needs people who are IT experts – medical, government, legal, entertainment. And in all those there are training, sales, management, and policy positions that put you more in contact with people and processes than with the guts of the machine. This is why there are Information Systems degree programs in business schools: to prepare people with IT knowledge to be trainers, sales-people, and managers rather than technicians (programmers, analysts, tech support, etc.).
Being a trainer – this includes all kinds of different jobs, including:
- trainer of the people who use your company's software and/or hardware (think high-end and proprietary);
- trainer of new employees on specific software and hardware (sales systems, specialized databases, industry-specific systems such as for hospitals);
- trainer of other trainers (very common, though it sounds odd).
Another person here said sales – there are all kinds of ways you can go with that field and it can be very lucrative. For example, the top sales people at companies that make security software/hardware (stuff the average person has never heard of because they're purchased by government and specific industries) make well into the $100k's per year. Don't just think of the consumer computer stuff you know about – there is restaurant software, jet aircraft software and hardware... you name the industry and it is likely to have it's own proprietary software, and sometimes hardware.
Project and other managers, policy analysts, and other middle-management types are hired because of their IT knowledge and training, but they work with things other than the guts and brains of the machines.
If you're interested in marketing (advertising, public relations, merchandising, etc.) there are all kinds of positions for people with IT saavy in companies seeking to market their software, hardware, and/or services to potential customers.
Or you can also be an instructor, teacher, or professor if you're so inclined.
Answered By: Another - 9/4/2007 |