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Career: Want an Exciting Career? Think Technology – Really!
Long gone are the days when the "computer nerd" labored alone and unappreciated in his parents’ garage. Today, self-professed technology geeks like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are business world superstars and pop culture icons. Is it any wonder that technology now provides the fastest growing, most diverse and exciting range of career opportunities?
What may surprise some college-bound high-school grads, however, is that so few of their peers seem to be pursuing technology careers, despite ever-growing demand for qualified professionals. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of college graduates obtaining bachelor’s degrees in computer and information technology sciences dropped from 2004 to 2005. Yet federal agencies anticipate demand for technology professionals will continue to grow over the next decade.
Attracting more people to technology professions may be a matter of breaking down some long-held stereotypes, says Amita Suhrid, associate dean of the College of Engineering and Information Sciences at DeVry University, a leader in technology education.
"Stereotypes that label technology, engineering, math and science careers as dull, and the people who pursue them as isolated from human interaction by the nature of their jobs, couldn’t be farther from modern reality," Suhrid says. "Technology touches virtually every aspect of our lives, and that means a technology degree can open a door for you in many fields outside the immediate world of computers."
The Information Technology Association of America reports that 92 percent of all information technology graduates are employed outside the industry. Technology degree holders are finding rewarding, profitable employment in a range of fields – from health care, pharmaceutical development and finance to education, automotive, security, environmental protection and even the military.
And anyone who wants a technology career that encompasses creativity and human interaction will have no trouble finding hundreds of applications for their degree and skills, Suhrid adds.
Tina Gaddy, Director of Career Services at DeVry’s Pennsylvania campus, often advises people-focused technology students to consider a career in education. "The idea of working in a hands-on repair capacity may not appeal to them," she says. "But they can put their education and skills to good uses – and enjoy a career working with people – by teaching others, either at the high school or collegiate level."
Health information technology also offers a wealth of diverse opportunities, as well as the chance to work in the largest industry in the United States without having to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars and more than a decade in school. Clinical coders, data analysts, patient information coordinators and health record technicians are in high demand, and the training for these jobs can be completed in as little as two years. The same amount of time could be spent earning an associate degree that would prepare a graduate to land a position with pharmaceutical companies, educational institutions and government agencies as well.
The rapid growth of the healthcare field also is driving demand for graduates with degrees in biomedical engineering technology. The combination of traditional engineering expertise and an understanding of biology enables these degree holders to work with physicians, therapists and other technicians to design, construct, implement and maintain the high-tech devices used in modern hospitals to save lives and improve health.
Finally, the really creative technology graduate can find a job playing games, despite any dire predictions their mothers might have made that playing video games would never put bread on the table. Video game enthusiasts pour more than $10 billion into the industry each year, and demand for new, exciting and creative games – and the people who create them – continues to be high. And, a game and simulation programming degree can also help keep our nation safe – the United States Army plans to spend $100 million for training games and simulations in the next few years.
To learn more about alternative careers in technology, visit www.devry.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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