IT Disciplines Project

IT Disciplines Project The purpose of this project is to overview some of the disciplines of the Information Technology field and the careers within those disciplines. The first of these disciplines or areas of study is Computer Science. Computer science is the study of real and imagined computers, their hardware and software components, and their theoretical basis and application (Chetlen). Careers in the computer science field can range all throughout IT with jobs such as software engineer, software developer, or system administrators. Professionals with a computer science degree must be familiar with all kinds of network hardware and software and be familiar with programming and coding software. The second of these disciplines is Information Systems. An information system is in essence a collection of data and information used to support management of an organization (Fox). Jobs in this career path span several different areas such as project management, system development, and even research. Career professionals might use project management tools, high level programing languages, or 4GLs. In this line of study, the software tools usually revolve around business software and the hardware used revolves around network hardware (Fox). The third discipline is engineering. Engineering focuses on the overall design and construction of software or hardware. This means IT engineers can either be coding and designing software or constructing hardware. Engineers typically must have a stronger background in math to understand computability and solvability (Fox). Engineers use complex algorithms and complex coding languages to create software and hardware and they must stay up to date on the latest programing languages and techniques. Two of the most useful and needed skills used in most of the IT career paths are programming and scripting. Programming is essentially creating a set of rules or restraints for a computer to run. All scripting languages are programming languages (Fox). Scripting doesn’t require compiling and are rather interpreted. Scripting can often be used to communicate between multiple programming languages. Scripting is a way of programming that is used often in web design and gaming as well. Programming would be used to create something such as an OS from scratch while you might use scripting to create shortcuts or visual enhancements on a website. IT Careers For an Entry level career, I have chosen a computer support specialist. Computer support specialists provide help to users and organizations. This job most closely aligns with the Information technology discipline since it doesn’t require a huge knowledge of programing or design. A professional in this field might use a help desk program or remote access software as well as a computer. This career doesn’t necessarily require a degree or prior training. Often training is performed on job. Skill gained would be basic understanding of computer functions and how to navigate a system. The mid-range job I have chosen is web developer. Web developers create and maintain websites. Digital designers develop, create, and test website or interface layout, functions, and navigation for usability (Bureau). Web design most closely relates with Information Technology and an IT degree would be useful in obtaining a web design job. Web programmers have to have understanding of HTML or other programming languages as well as knowledge of multimedia publishing tools. No certifications are required but certifications in programming languages is beneficial. The end all be all job I have chosen is Computer and Information system manager. This job most closely relates to Information Technology because it encompasses such a broad range in the IT field. Knowledge of programming and software development is useful in this career path. Computer and Information systems managers must be able to understand all aspects of IT in order to manage the system efficiently.