5 Signs an IT Job is the Right fit for You

Leaving home and finding a job and a place of their own is something many young adults look forward to once they finish schooling. However, finding the perfect job doesn’t just happen by chance. It often takes a lot of hard work and many false tries before finding the job that is the right fit, no matter what field you’re looking in.

Within the job field, though, there are a few sectors that require a few special traits in order to make it the right fit for the candidates applying. For example, for those wanting to apply for a job in architecture, the skill of drawing as well as some mathematics is going to be needed. For someone wanting to be an interior decorator, color coordination and design is going to be a necessity.

The same is true in the field of Information Technology (IT). Candidates wanting to enter this special and growing field of IT will need to make sure that they are equipped with some basic yet necessary skills.

1. You Love Working With People

When it comes to the world of IT, the one absolute necessity is that the candidates like working with people. A huge part of this job specification is the need to work with clients, whether over the telephone or in person and so it requires a high level of patience.

Clients want to know that their queries will be answered in a friendly and prompt manner. They’re calling to speak to someone who knows more about the problem than they do; someone who is willing to talk to them and help them with the issue at hand.

It goes without saying that when working with people you need to know how to communicate. It isn’t just communicating, though. As you may be aware, many IT technicians speak a language all their own which most other people can’t understand.

When it comes to helping clients understand their problem and how it is going to be solved, however, you need to be able to communicate it on a level that they will understand.

2. You’re a Problem-Solver

The realm of IT can be described as one which is filled with problems that are just waiting to be resolved. Not a day goes by when there isn’t someone who has a problem that needs sorting out. It takes collaboration on the part of IT technicians who enjoy the challenge of pinpointing the issues and finding a way to resolve them.

It’s not just about finding an answer, though. More often than not, finding solutions in the field of IT requires a candidate that is willing to think outside the box and not be afraid to let their creative side show. Solutions to problems are not always cut and dried when it comes to the realm of IT.

3. You’re Curious and Enjoy Learning New Skills

Anyone who knows anything about IT knows that nothing is cut and dried. There are quite a few times when even the most experienced IT technician will find some new phenomenon or learn a new skill that they didn’t know they needed during the process of solving a problem. This job is one that actually requires you to have an insatiable curiosity.

With that curiosity and a love of always learning, you’ll never be left behind as technology advances. Without it, though, you’ll find that you’re soon left at the back of the pack and are behind on new advances in the field.

Whilst not all IT positions require a candidate that is proficient in mathematics, science or engineering, there are quite a number of areas that do require these sorts of analytical skills. In spite of this, however, there are just as many other positions that require an analytical brain but not necessarily one that needs a degree in the aforementioned categories.

When it comes to IT, you do need to know the how and why behind the devices you are working with — if you’re in an area that requires a hands-on approach like tech support. You need to understand how the device works and what makes it tick.

The reason for this is so that you can adequately explain the problem and the solution to the customer. If you don’t understand the problem or the solution, you certainly won’t be able to explain it to someone else.

4. You Are Self-Disciplined

Due to the fact that those in IT usually work unsupervised and on a completely different time schedule to those in other jobs, it requires a level of commitment and a large quantity of self-discipline. Being able to prioritize tasks and the needs of clients is crucial when it comes to IT and therefore it is a skill that is definitely needed.

Working in IT requires the candidate to meet strict deadlines and deliver solutions in a timely manner. Clients need tasks completed on time and that requires self-discipline.

5. You Enjoy Diversity and Change

The world of IT has such a vast diversity of sectors and each one of these sectors is constantly growing and changing as technology around us evolves and grows. Being able to deal with change (quite often it can be rather rapid change) is something that will definitely be to your advantage when it comes to the field of IT.

Being willing to grow and learn as the field of information technology grows and expands is something that will be of great benefit to anyone going into this area. Diversity and change are absolutely imperative as technology is constantly moving forward and breaking new barriers.

Fitting Right In …

Giving up is unacceptable in the realm of IT and if you’re someone who is willing to stick to it until the problem is resolved then you will definitely fit right in. IT requires multi tasking individuals who are not easily fazed and who don’t allow frustration to get the better of them.

If you find that some, or even all, of the above points describe you, then IT is definitely a right fit for you. Added to the aforementioned points, if you are someone who doesn’t mind working outside of normal office hours, then you’re most certainly on the right track, career-wise. IT is not only about enriching and improving people’s lives; it also requires tenacity and the ability to forge ahead until you find a solution.

Information technology is surging ahead and the need for more IT technicians is growing. By examining yourself and these few tell-tale signs mentioned above you can soon find out whether or not you’re on the right track career wise. A die-hard IT technician lives and breathes IT, doing all it takes to stay ahead of the game, right at the cutting edge of technological advancement.