Wheres the Money in IT ?

[Danny DeVito]

I'm thinking of a career change to IT so wheres the money at ?

 

[Scott_F]

Before worrying about "wheres the money at" you need to spend a lot of time considering whether you have the skills, aptitude and motivation to re-train in this area (and earn little money whilst doing so) and the commitment to turn it into a rewarding career.

It shouldn't be a whim and merely chasing money is the wrong reason for any career change.

 

[Colin_b]

Experience in specific technologies or software packages. Assuming you are taking about the decent money.

The latest is security, plenty of opportunity there, but id does need experience or solid bull****...

 

[balge]

Security as mentioned, SQL and probably sales?

 

[Danny DeVito]

Before worrying about "wheres the money at" you need to spend a lot of time considering whether you have the skills, aptitude and motivation to re-train in this area (and earn little money whilst doing so) and the commitment to turn it into a rewarding career.

It shouldn't be a whim and merely chasing money is the wrong reason for any career change.

Thanks Scott, lets say i have an opportunity at the moment to retrain and in a few months i will have to decide on a direction to follow. I would like to choose something with a future and a skill at which i can build upon and hopefully lead to better money. The career path is open right now. I have always had IT skills and experience in some ways. I may just decide to focus on it more as training is available. But of course in 10 years or 20 i'd like to be making decent money !!

 

[Peter DLM]

Networks, SANs, Cloud technology, general infrastructure.

Avoid coding as anyone on the planet can do that, and they're mostly in India.

 

[Danny DeVito]

Experience in specific technologies or software packages. Assuming you are taking about the decent money.

The latest is security, plenty of opportunity there, but id does need experience or solid bull****...

Hard to decide what technologies or packages are good. I am to start a course which should help choose from a variety of paths like MS certs, security, mobile techs etc. I have skills and a logical approach which i think is essential to pc problems, basically all ins and outs. Long term i dont want to end up repairing pcs in a little shop.

 

[Danny DeVito]

Networks, SANs, Cloud technology, general infrastructure.

Avoid coding as anyone on the planet can do that, and they're mostly in India.

A ha ! Cloud technology is a follow on course listed. Isn't cloud just a fancy new name for Internet stuff ?

 

[Danny DeVito]

Security as mentioned, SQL and probably sales?

I don't think i'd like sales too much

 

[balge]

A ha ! Cloud technology is a follow on course listed. Isn't cloud just a fancy new name for Internet stuff ?

Pretty much...

these might be of interest,


http://www.computerworld.com/slideshow/detail/119939/16-IT-skills-in-high-demand-in-2013#slide1

http://www.zdnet.com/uk/it-skills-in-2013-whats-really-in-demand-7000009291/

 

[Peter DLM]

A ha ! Cloud technology is a follow on course listed. Isn't cloud just a fancy new name for Internet stuff ?

No, not really. Virtualisation, massive data centres, shared
/hosted services etc.

 

[gerrym]

Out of the guys that work for me, the Cisco boys earn the most. The salary ceiling is very high indeed for the right skills, although it will take you many years to be earning £100k+

 

[Ian Donkin]

SAP or Oracle ERP skills - the two biggest on-going spend items for large enterprises if you are chasing money.

 

[grober]

At a more modest level I would suggest communications and networking side of IT rather than the computing/software side but may mean getting your hands dirty metaphorically speaking.

 

[st13phil]

Avoid coding as anyone on the planet can do that...

...badly.

Back in the day, good programmers had real talent and ingenuity. Today, the vast majority of programmers have little of either and rely on ever more powerful hardware to cover their incompetence. I despair when I look at some works

 

[st13phil]

SAP or Oracle ERP skills - the two biggest on-going spend items for large enterprises if you are chasing money.

Even better if you have some good solid business skills too. The market for basic SAP and Oracle ERP skills is much softer than it was, not least because it's so easily off-shored at the lower levels.

 

[Sp!ke]

I would avoid IT as a career move entirely. It is fast being off shored or moved to the cloud. Salaries heading south.

Unless you have a particular niche skill I would pick another industry ..any industry.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I'm assuming that you've not worked in IT before?

I would say the most realistic way of earning fair money quickly is to focus on Sales, Business Analysis, Management or Project Management as the primary skill in those kinds of role is something 'other' than the technology, and enables you to build on what you might already know.

Starting a new career from a dead start after a attending a few courses will be difficult.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

PS Which line of work were you in before?

 

[acej]

I'm assuming that you've not worked in IT before? I would say the most realistic way of earning fair money quickly is to focus on Sales, Business Analysis, Management or Project Management as the primary skill in those kinds of role is something 'other' than the technology, and enables you to build on what you might already know. Starting a new career from a dead start after a attending a few courses will be difficult.

Agree fully. A BA or PM is transferable in financial service a BA with 4 years experience in the relevant field can expect around £300-£400 a day contracting or £40k to £60k a year with the top end for a specialist getting £80k to £150k pa plus bonuses on a perm or 600-1000 a day contracting. A PM with experience can get any where from £300 to £1500 a day depending on experience and similar rates to a ba for perm roles. Not sure what new starters get as don't employ them without a min of 4 years relevant Xp.

Sales is the easiest route as Bobby D mentioned and this could lead to some pre-sales consultancy, then onto ba work.