Dreaming IT and realizing IT....

Today we look at opportunities in the Information Technology industry. If you said, "Easier said than done...", you are probably right! The sheer intervention of IT into the lives of each and everyone on this planet today (aliens are probably feeling the heat too...), has taken careers in IT to phenomenal levels. The spread of careers in IT, or niche areas, has far outbeaten the evergrowing specializations in the field of Medicine or Engineering. So you have the Software jobs and the Hardware jobs further demarcated into domain experts (in different fields, of course...), programmers, developers, analysts, hardcore skill experts, testing experts, designing experts, embedded technology, networking, x, y, z...

Careers in the IT industry are much sought after, for many reasons. Primarily because most software companies are big and growing. Apart from the aura of being employed with one of them which inherently means that you are considered one of the best in the industry, most people move in for the great opportunities that abound to showcase their talent, get recognition for their worth, and to move up the heirarchy with relative ease (since talent does get recognized pretty fast around here). Also, for the pleasure of getting to work in a team and sharing best practices. Since each of these companies is willing to give what it takes to be heads and shoulders above their competition, one is assured of being exposed to the latest in management techniques, avenues to enhance one's current academic achievements with sponsored study programs, peer knowledge transfer, and most of all - a professional work environment. The icing on the cake is the fabulous salary package with perquisites that may range from performance-linked incentives to stock options, and opportunities to travel to different parts of the globe on on-site assignments. Not to speak of the tremendous social impact it creates about you, on your circle of family and friends.

IT as an industry, caught up in its initial years in the developed nations. Today, India has emerged as a key player in the IT industry. A good amount of Indians form a majority of the IT workforce worldwide. Indian software majors such as Infosys and Satyam are household names in the global market. With the onset of globalization and the concept of a 'global village', India is now the most favored destination for most IT majors to set up their off-shore development / technology support sites. For the jobseeker, this is a major plus, as each one of these IT majors are looking to recruit and retain the best of talent!

The pertinent question relevant here would be as to how does one successfully manage a career in software. The latest technology in IT gets outdated even before one could blink. So, essentially one needs to be in tandem with the 'in' things. Keeping up with the pace of technological advancements, a diligent worker in the IT industry, as with any industry, is a precious asset to any employer. In other words, this would mean being a 'seen' member in some very good projects, where your contribution can be assessed or spoken about in tangible yardsticks. Even if your contribution was just a part of one of the modules in the whole project! Your interpersonal relationship with your peers and your Team Lead / Project Lead do matter a lot. After all, you would want some of them to speak good about you when your new employer checks on you!

Ciao, and more on this in my next entry. In the meantime, I thought you would like to check out some very interesting openings at http://www.optionsitjobs.blogspot.com (You could also mail your career programs or queries to jyothish@optionsindia.com or sridhar@optionsindia.com who will be glad to help)