By R. Christopher Haines, Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer
When many people think of IT, they think of innovation, computer programmers, and cutting edge apps. They envision groups of people working on ways to make your sweeper and lawnmower talk back to you so you can know how good a job you’re doing with your housekeeping and landscaping. You know, the important stuff. Like the refrigerator with the camera inside to tell you what’s in there so you don’t waste energy while you open the door and stare in for 10 minutes deciding what on Earth you want to eat.
My entire career has been spent on the less glamorous side of IT. In the trenches, I guess you could say. Where it isn’t flashy or sexy. I’ve always helped people implement what they need. Helped them document their vision or needs so things can be built the way they require them. And then helping them test the results to make sure they get what they’re asking for. Jobs that might not be exciting but have to be done.
I’ve also done a great deal of system support. Maybe someone has an existing system and needs help getting the most out of it. Or they need assistance with the daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly tasks that go into operating a system. Again, nothing super heroic here. But things that are really important to running a stable and successful system.
And maybe the most boring job of all is writing database reports. Right now, data analytics are all the rage. But many people just want a simple report. Or they need just one field added to an existing report. To some people, that seems very mundane. But to the people needing the report, it’s very important. And it’s rewarding to help people get the data they need to do their jobs.
I really enjoy working in IT support. It’s so much bigger than most people even know. Every cool thing that ever comes out of IT requires people behind the scenes. Implementers, testers, and support personnel. The people who work through the night after the cool kids go home.
As high school and college guidance counselors are helping their students choose their careers, there’s a lot of opportunity here. The flashy parts of IT get all the attention. But there are many stable, good-paying jobs that people should know exist. They might not be sexy, but they can make a heck of a career.