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4 Key Roles Within the IT Industry

08/12/2022 12:00 AM by Admin in Tips


4 Key Roles Within the IT Industry

The IT industry is one of the fastest-growing areas of business. Globally, the tech industry is worth $5.3 trillion, as of estimates for 2022. It is an industry that is in a constant state of change and development. As technology advances and threats relating to cyber security become more advanced, so to do the skills, software, programming, and general knowledge of the staff that work in this industry.
 

Most IT professionals are expected to keep abreast of the latest tech trends and developments, as these can directly impact the work they are expected to undertake and the ever-growing skill-sets that they need to possess. The IT industry contains a vast range of different specialized roles, vocations, and career paths.
 

Earnings tend to be high in this sector and are, as a rule, well above the average salaries for jobs in other sectors. This article will explore four distinctly different roles within the IT industry as a whole and the types of activities that tend to be carried out in each of them.
 

IT Security Specialist

Within the broad definition of an IT security specialist come several key responsibilities. In general, IT security is tasked with protecting an organization against the threats posed by cybercriminals. Cyber attacks in the form of malware, viruses, and ransomware can cause extensive damage to the IT infrastructure of any company and can result in damage, financial loss, or the corruption or theft of sensitive information.
 

Estimates suggest that the average cost of a cyber attack on a business is $200,000 which can be a significant cost for larger businesses, and can even force the closure of smaller firms. An IT security specialist will have a range of skills and software knowledge at their disposal, to be able to test system vulnerabilities and minimize the risk of cyber attacks.
 

One such piece of software is burp suite, which is an integrated platform and security tool that can assess vulnerabilities in web applications and perform testing on systems. In addition, IT security specialists will play a key role in educating the workforce on how to recognize malicious emails and potential cyber-attacks.
 

IT Help Desk Support Staff

Within most medium and large-sized organizations, there is likely to be a dedicated IT help desk support team. These staff members play a key role in resolving the day-to-day problems with IT and software that can occur in a range of departments. They play a vital role in keeping the productivity of employees high as they will troubleshoot, analyse, and efficiently resolve issues to ensure that work can continue with a minimum of disruption.
 

This will include issues relating to software, hardware, and networks. In addition, many organizations that provide a product or service to the public will have help desk staff employed to answer customers' questions and issues. Such staff tend to have a range of both technical and interpersonal skills, such as programming and conflict resolution.
 

Web Designer

Web designers are in high demand across the world. Whilst there may be a range of free and paid-for software packages on the market that can help people design their websites, most larger organisations require the skill and expertise of a dedicated web designer to build their sites.
 

This is because today's firms want a unique site for their trading that is tailored to the needs of their target markets, is fast to navigate, and works to the pinnacle of SEO strategies. Web designers tend to have high levels of coding knowledge (e.g., HTML, C++ and WordPress) and work with their clients to produce a final website design that is completely representative of their functional and stylistic needs.
 

Business Analyst

Every organization needs to fully understand how it is performing and where there is scope for improvement. Business analysts tend to look at the organization as a whole and break down its various functions into measurable processes. They tend to look at large quantities of performance data and distil this down into key insights that can be communicated to senior management and executive-level staff.
 

A business analyst needs to be adept with a range of analytical platforms (e.g., Power BI) to take complex data and transform it into meaningful information. In addition, they must be able to communicate clearly both verbally and in written form. A key role of any business analyst will be to provide the organization with detailed but clear high-level reports that can form a vital part of the overall strategic planning and direction of the company.