Times changed quickly when we all started dialing up in the 90’s and you don’t have to look any further than “corporate millennial TikTok” to see how infiltrated working in technology has become in careers across the industry spectrum.If you’ve ever found yourself searching for Information Technology courses or certifications to give yourself an edge, then keep reading. This is for you.

What is Information Technology?

When you think about what information technology (IT) is, what do you picture? Is it guys with horn-rimmed glasses that emerge from basements? Or grumpy, coffee addicted night owls wearing comic book t-shirts? Perhaps you’re more realistic and you see the overworked employee, who is seasoned by 10 years working in the trenches of technological difficulties and incident response. No matter what you see, your scope is too narrow. IT is like blood in a body, essential, and everywhere.

Digging Deeper

Especially in our current remote work model, IT isn’t a central location or physical department as much as it is a resource used universally throughout a company. Think about how an average company is structured, and what you use to operate:

• Company-wide basic authentication credentials
• Company issued computers and phones
• Communication platforms
• Internal systems and software
• Third-party integrations
• Applications
• Internal networks

The list can be endless, but we’ll stop here. At its traditional core, Information Technology is responsible for installing and configuring computer hardware, software, systems, networks, and connected devices, in addition to monitoring and maintaining computer systems and networks. A quick search for IT job descriptions will tell you that the above list is limiting in today’s landscape but not all companies are aware that they may need a variety of technical roles filled from system administrators, to security managers - but until they make the realization, all can be under the Information Technology umbrella.

Specialize or Generalize?

IT is needed in every industry from medicine to startups but is IT the same in each of these sectors? The short answer is no.Each role, no matter the industry, has a unique set of requirements - that often show themselves in the form of certifications like AWS certified solutions architect, or Cisco Certified Internet Expert. With the massive amount of IT related needs and troubleshooting needed now that a growing number of roles require IT related knowledge (think marketing, design, even sales), it's necessary to start picking up knowledge, but also key that you know when you need and expert, and what you need an expert in.

When to Call an Information Technology Pro

Let’s take a look at some scenarios that require a wealth of IT knowledge and experience.Integrating with a New SoftwareIntegrating with a new software, app, or third-party technology is an involved process. Some steps you may not need IT assistance for like vetting the marketplace and selecting your program - though it wouldn’t hurt to consult with a pro to see if the software is compatible.Once you know what your direction is, there are a few key steps:

1. Define your requirements and specifications
2. Perform an analysis of the software
3. Develop and plan your integration architecture
4. Create the system for the integration
5. Begin testing
6. Evaluate for performance

Often the above list falls into the laps of Information Technology instead of Dev, why would you need developers to integrate an existing software? Well, you don’t but you sure do need someone skilled in information tech to orchestrate and understand the process. Solving Network Infrastructure IssuesInternal systems can be a painful maze to navigate. Computers and devices talk to one another, and when something goes wrong you need someone to speak their language. This means an Information Technology professional who is specifically adept at network systems, particular performance issues with specific device types, troubleshooting, and incident resolution. Solving network issues requires a similar skillset as configuring a new software but it isn’t an identical list. Where software integration may require a deeper knowledge of something like AWS, internal network infrastructure needs a base understanding of hardware related skills.

High Skill, Low Credit

IT is unsung. It’s not often that congratulations are given for a job well done each day - and perhaps that’s because the day never really ends for IT professionals. Computers don’t sleep unless you turn them off, and the internet certainly doesn't ever sleep (so our computers are often on 24/7).Constantly resolving issues for an ever running set of systems not only requires skill, but stamina as well as a desire to keep learning in a changing world. Need a solution? We can help.

We’ve Got You Covered

At TECKpert, we have teams of IT experts ready to deploy for all sorts of projects to build the capabilities for your organization. On the flip-side, we help IT professionals find the right jobs for their skill sets. Figuring out when you need an expert, and which experts you need to reach your goals is our specialty.Reach out to us to get started today.