Adecco Engineering & Technology’s “IT Career Transition” series examines how to transition into information technology after having already started a career in another field. We’ll be sharing real-life stories along the way about professionals who’ve already embarked upon their IT careers after having left an unrelated one. Read on and continue to follow this series to learn more about why and and how to transition into IT.
Why transition into IT?
If you haven’t heard, there is a tremendous skills gap facing the U.S. when it comes to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills, especially in IT. Much of the conversation about a solution to this issue has focused on education, specifically encouraging and instructing young people who will flow into the workforce in the next decade or so.
This is all well and good, but we need a more immediate solution. Adults who’ve already embarked upon other careers need to help fill the gap. (And they’ll benefit from it, too! But don’t worry, I’ll get to that.) Brookings Institution scholar Jonathan Rothwell, who’s recently studied the STEM skills gap, agrees. He points out that,”We don’t have enough young people to fill all these vacancies; it’s going to require adults who are already in the workforce as well.”
I’ll repeat. We need current professionals to move over to IT. But why transition into IT? What are the benefits for people to jump ship on their current career and start a new one? Satisfaction, job security and money. Those sound pretty good to me!
Current job satisfaction is lacking.
In 2014, not even half of Americans were satisfied in their jobs. Most of the unhappiness is attributed to a perception of less job security, unsatisfactory healthcare coverage and poor sick leave policies. With the majority of workers feeling discontented, it begs to ask: who is happy in their role?
The best job in America.
According to Mashable.com, developers have the happiest job in America. In fact, just 1 percent of developers are not at all satisfied with their job, while 88 percent are “completely satisfied.” And did I mention that the salary range is $50-149K? Oh, and that 95 percent of those surveyed note that their career is in demand; often their own companies are currently seeking to hire even more developers. So to summarize, they are well paid and they have job security, two things many Americans feel they’re lacking in their current jobs.
It’s not too late for a career in IT!
By now are you feeling like maybe you’re in the wrong career? Regretting that you instead pursued another field? Perhaps your current self is wagging a finger at that young college student who chose to major in psychology rather than get a technical degree. One great thing about IT is that it’s never too late. Even if coding isn’t your thing, consider another IT role. Database analyst, programmer, project manager – they’re nearly all in demand and they pay well. According to Fortune, four of the top ten happiest jobs in America are in IT.
A majority of employed developers say that a degree in comp sci is not required; 56 percent stated that they actually started their careers in an entirely different field! Most developers simply learned their current skills through on-the-job-training or online courses. This is good news for you – it means that you can do it too. Need inspiration? Advice? Our IT Career Transition blog series is for you.