Download Some Careers in Information Technology

Careers
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
SOME CAREERS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
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Computer Science, Technology and Database
Administration
In a Music Studio
Game Design
Web Design
Computer Hardware
Programming
Entrepreneurship
Computer Security
COMPUTER SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND DATABASE ADMINISTRATION
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A rising demand for skilled employees to develop new
software and hardware technologies has resulted from
the expansion of computer use. New and specialized job
opportunities—including database administrators,
computer scientists, and analysts—will increasingly rise
out of evolving technologies and employer practices.
Systems analysts work with the individual needs of
organizations by helping them solve their computer and
technology problems. In this way, the organization is
able to maintain optimal efficiency in investment,
business, and personnel procedures.
COMPUTER SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND DATABASE ADMINISTRATION
Computer scientists devise new ways of
developing existing and up-and-coming computer
systems. This includes designing new hardware
and software systems to maximize a computer’s
power.
 Systems analysts generally work within a specified
field related determined by the organization they
work for. Accounting, business, scientific and
engineering systems are but a few of these fields.
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COMPUTER SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND DATABASE ADMINISTRATION
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First, analysts determine the problems with the system
through discussion with the managers. Goals and
solutions are then determined and implemented, using
methods such as information engineering,
mathematical and data modeling, and cost accounting.
Determining the proper inputs and outputs of the
system serve to meet the individual users’ needs. To
assist the management in deciding financial capacity in
implementing these new systems, analysts often
prepare cost-benefit and return analyses.
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COMPUTER SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND DATABASE ADMINISTRATION
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After the system is accepted, analysts run tests
and observations to determine what hardware and
software is needed to set it up. To eliminate the
possibility of any future errors in the system
analysts will make specification charts and
diagrams for programmers to work with. Analysts
with heavier experience are often called software
quality assurance analysts. This type of analyst
performs all of the normal work in addition to
finding problems and solutions to computer
systems.
COMPUTER SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND DATABASE ADMINISTRATION
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Programmer-analysts must be proficient in both
programming and systems analysis in order to
design and improve computer software. As this
becomes process becomes more mainstream,
more of these analysts will work with client
server applications development, multimedia
and Internet technology, and object-oriented
programming languages
COMPUTER SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND DATABASE ADMINISTRATION
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Network systems and data communications
analysts design and evaluate different types of
systems. These systems include wide area
networks (WAN), local area networks (LAN),
Internet and Intranets, and others. In addition to
researching for the necessary products and
hardware and software components, analysts do
network analysis, modeling, and planning.
Telecommunications specialists work with the
overlap of computer and communications
development.
COMPUTER SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND DATABASE ADMINISTRATION
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Many design and development occupations have
grown out of the rising use of the World Wide Web
and computer graphics. Individuals with jobs such
as webmasters maintain all performance and
technical aspects of a website. This includes
approving of site content and speed access. Web
designers usually maintain day-to-date site design.
Many new jobs have been created as a result of
emerging web-technologies. Webmasters maintain
the performance of a website, while Internet
developers create and design websites.
COMPUTER SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND DATABASE ADMINISTRATION
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Computer scientists work in the diverse areas of
researching, inventing, or theorizing. Their jobs are
categorized by the amount of expertise they have
in a particular field. Academic institutions will
usually have computer scientists work with
hardware, language design, and complexity theory.
Others develop the use of human-computer
interaction, robotics, or virtual reality. Computer
scientists in the private sector also work with
information technologies, designing language and
other programming tools, knowledge-based
systems, theory application, and computer games.
CAREERS IN THE MUSIC STUDIO
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Not too long ago, musical performances were
recorded on analog tape. A single mistake
often meant that an entire passage had to be
redone. And if several musicians were working
together, things got even trickier, particularly if
they recorded their parts at different times.
Analog overdubs were very difficult, and
required an enormous amount of skill.
DEFINITIONS
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Analog – The representation of information in a
continuous stream rather than as individual
pieces of data. Analog recording media
included cassette and VHS tapes.
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Digital – The representation of information as
individual pieces of data using the numbers 1
and 0, rather than as a continuous stream.
Digital recording media include CDs and DVDs.
CAREERS IN THE MUSIC STUDIO
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Digital audio technology has completely
changed the way musicians and producers
work. Today, most music is recorded digitally –
all directly to a hard drive. This digital
informatin can then be manipulated, spliced,
cut, pasted, and edited, all by special editing
software. Furthermore, digital media never
wears out or degrades in quality, two major
concerns when dealing with analog tape.
CAREERS IN THE MUSIC STUDIO
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Every new technology brings with it new career
opportunities, and digital music is no
exception. Producers, musicians, and editors
now work differently than ever before, and the
new skills they use are in high demand.
CAREERS IN THE MUSIC STUDIO
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PRODUCER – works with every aspect of a music
project, and is chiefly responsible for the sound
of the finished piece. Producers are often seen
“at the helm of a recording studio’s mixing
board. Today, those mixing boards interface
with high-end computers running special
software.
CAREERS IN THE MUSIC STUDIO
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ENGINEER – understands the nuts and bolts of
the hardware and software systems. While
producers handle the artistic side of the
recording, engineers work on the technical
side, helping producers use multimedia tools to
create the sounds they desire.
CAREERS IN THE MUSIC STUDIO
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EDITOR – Once all the music has been recorded, the sound
editor works with the producer and the musicians to get all
the pieces in the right place. In many cases, dozens of
separate audio files, each representing a different
instrument or “take” have to be pieced together, overlapped
properly, and mixed. Editors use sophisticated software to
piece all these audio clips together and adjust factors such
as volume levels to make the finished product. In many
cases, the separate musicians on an album never even see
each other! Their parts might be recorded on separate days,
in separate studios. The editor combines all the parts and
polishes them to create the illusion of a complete band
performing in a single take.
CAREERS IN GAME DESIGN
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Modern computer technology has largely been
driven by the computer game market. Game
designers are constantly modifying and
expanding their designs, making their games
more innovative, faster, and visually
stimulating. Game players, always eager to try
the “latest thing”, keep hardware
manufacturers on their toes, always calling for
faster processors, more efficient operating
systems, and speedier components.
CAREERS IN GAME DESIGN
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It is hard to imagine a future without computers
and video games. And as long as there are
games, there will be a need for people who can
create them – and make them better. Although
there are many different ways to make a living
as a game designer, there are two main
categories of work.
CAREERS IN GAME DESIGN
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DESIGNER – The game designer might be a
programming expert, or might not. In many cases,
a game can be designed with paper and pencil
(although this is not as common as it once was).
The designer envisions the idea for game, creates
characters and storylines, settings, and
environments. Most importantly, the designer
creates the framework for the game itself and how
it works. What are the rules? How do different
elements of the game interact? What
mathematical computations are used to determine
which character will win in any given situation?
CAREERS IN GAME DESIGN
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PROGRAMMER – Once a design has been created
and a basic framework is in place, it is up to the
programmer to make the new world come to
life. In most cases, games are programmed in
a high-level language like C++. Modern action
games might be coded in specialized
languages made especially for games,
languages with arcane names like Xconq and
OpenGL.
CAREERS IN GAME DESIGN
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The programmer’s job is not only to create the
game from the designer’s plans, integrating
graphics with audio and special effects, but to
keep all aspects of the game balanced. For
instance, games must be optimized to use
memory and processor time as efficiently as
possible.
CAREERS IN GAME DESIGN
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Teamwork: In commercial game design,
designers and programmers work hand in
hand, checking each other’s work , and making
changes along the way. A finished game is
never the result of one person’s vision - in
most cases, dozens of people have made
suggestions, designed graphic elements,
modified rules or visuals, and contributed to
the game as a whole.
CAREERS IN WEB DESIGN
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In a relatively short amount of time, the Web
has become one of the most prevalent and
important pieces of technology in the world.
Thanks to the universal connectivity it provides,
entire new economies and businesses have
come into existence.
CAREERS IN WEB DESIGN
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All of this growth and efficiency, of course,
relies on talented people behind the scenes.
Many different technical careers are at work
making the Web the vibrant experience that it
is: hardware engineers keep servers runing
and communicating with one another; software
engineers keep UNIX talking to Windows and
Windows talking to Mac. And on top of it all,
Web designers create the code that makes the
Internet useful.
CAREERS IN WEB DESIGN
There are a number of different ways to make a living as
a Web designer. Each one calls for a unique set of
skills, disciplines, and strengths.
 HTML SPECIALIST – HTML, or hypertext markup
language, is the actual script language that displays
Web pages. HTML is an example of a “specification” – a
widely agreed upon set of rules as to how the language
should be used to describe a Web page. Since this
specification changes and evolves over time, it is the job
of the HTML specialist to stay educated on the latest
specification and how to use it to create cutting-edge
Web pages.
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CAREERS IN WEB DESIGN
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WEB PROGRAMMER – In many cases, HTML is not
enough to make a Web page do what it needs
to do. In these instances, Web programmers
use high-level languages to create interactive
pages that allow users to make transactions,
play games, and participate in online activities.
Programmers proficient in languages like Perl,
PHP, Java, JavaScript, and ColdFusion are
always in high demand.
CAREERS IN WEB DESIGN
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BACKEND PROGRAMMER – Most complex Web sites
are tied to a database of some sort. It might be a
search engine, or a used car shopping site, or a
mail-order company. In all of these cases, the Web
page interfaces with the database, does some
computations, and returns the appropriate results.
Backend programming is one of the most
important aspects of business on the Internet.
Talented programmers who can work on tying
databases to the Web are some of the most
sought-after employees in the computer field.
CAREERS IN COMPUTER HARDWARE
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Computers, to many people, are simply tools
that they use without much thought about how
they work. But for others, computer hardware
is the focus of an exciting career.
CAREERS IN COMPUTER HARDWARE
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RESEARCH, PURCHASING, AND ADMINISTRATION –
When companies need to buy computer
hardware, they face many decisions. Which
components should be purchased? How will
they work with the company’s existing
machines? Will the new equipment support
the existing software in use? To answer all
these questions, companies rely on hardware
experts to research and select the appropriate
equipment to meet the company’s needs.
CAREERS IN COMPUTER HARDWARE
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DESIGN – Hardware components are meticulously
designed by teams of experts with proficiencies in
electronics, engineering, and computer architecture. For
large companies that manufacture components (for
example sound cards, video cards, motherboards, etc),
there is a constant quest to make these products more
efficient, faster, and less expensive. Hardware design
can be a meticulous job. It often begins in the virtual
realm where circuit boards and wiring plans are
designed using special software and then tested for
viability. A prototype model is made and tested before
production of new units can begin.
CAREERS IN COMPUTER HARDWARE
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REPAIR – As the number of computers in the
workforce grows every day, so too does the
number of skilled technicians needed to work
on them. Computer hardware is just like any
other durable good – it wears out. It requires
maintenance, and from time to time it needs to
be replaced.
CAREERS IN COMPUTER HARDWARE
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Computer repair technicians spend much of their
time “in the field” – at the offices of their
customers – fixing machinery on the spot. In large
computing environments, where many machines
are networked together, a single computer
component that fails can have a domino effect on
multiple workstations. For instance, if a network
server’s hard drive controller has an electrical
failure, it prevents all computers on the network
from working properly.
CAREERS IN COMPUTER HARDWARE
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As a result, repair technicians are often needed
on very short notice. Large corporations
usually keep a sufficient number of repair
technicians on full-time staff, while smaller
companies will call an outside agency and pay
by the hour. Repair work by the hour,
particularly during premium times like
evenings, weekends, and holidays, can be very
lucrative.
CAREERS FOR PROGRAMMERS
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No matter how powerful or elaborate a piece of
hardware is, it is worthless without properly written
software to make it work. Think of an enormous
office building: it takes architects and
construction crews to put the beams and girders in
place, but that building is practically useless
unless the rooms inside are equipped with the
necessary tools to live, work, or play. You can
imagine computer hardware as the architecture,
and software as the tools that make that hardware
useful.
CAREERS FOR PROGRAMMERS
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Like the building itself, software has to be
constructed. In many cases, a software
program can be purchased off the shelf.
Programmers not only write this “ready to go”
software, but are also called upon to create
customized software.
CAREERS FOR PROGRAMMERS
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AUTHORING SYSTEMS – An authoring system is a
tool that allows you to construct an experience for
the computer user by putting together graphics,
text, animation, and sound, and making those
elements work in reaction to what the user does.
Authoring systems can create presentations, selfpaced tutorials and online education programs, or
just about anything you can imagine. The most
common software used for authoring is
Macromedia Director, and very robust and complex
program with hundreds of features and options.
CAREERS FOR PROGRAMMERS
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ANIMATIONS AND VIDEO – As broadband internet
access becomes more common, Web
publishers are seeking to offer their audience
more content that takes advantage of an
increased capability. This means more
sophisticated animation, video and audio can
be created for distribution over the Internet.
CAREERS FOR PROGRAMMERS
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BACK-END PROGRAMMING – In many cases,
multimedia applications are driven by custom
code that determines what images are
displayed and what sounds are played. Custom
programming is the backbone of most of the
business computing world. Experts in
programming languages like Visual Basic, Java,
C++, and C# are currently in demand.
TECHNOLOGY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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The entrepreneurial urge is as old as the
human race itself. Wherever communities
sprang up, commerce was quick to follow.
Recent years have seen the entrepreneurial
instinct emerge more than ever before. Much
of this is due to the rise of the Internet and the
affordability and power of modern computers.
TECHNOLOGY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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A large part of this entrepreneurial revolution is
squarely centered in the realm of multimedia.
As computers have become more graphically
advanced, businesses have used the power of
multimedia to sell their products and services,
educate customers, and train employees.
TECHNOLOGY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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Advertising: Once limited to statis print ads
and fairly basic television and radio
commercials, ad agencies can now create
content for their customers in an enormous
variety of ways. Online banner ads, liquid
crystal store displays, and animated kiosk
screens are just some of the ways multimedia
has expanded options for advertisers to
interact with customers.
TECHNOLOGY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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Small businesses can use multimedia to put
themselves in the “big leagues.” At one time,
colorful marketing materials and interactive
demonstrations and presentations were limited
to large companies with deep pockets. Now,
thanks to inexpensive hardware and software,
ENTREPRENEURS can create professional
marketing materials themselves.
TECHNOLOGY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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Video production companies can offer filming,
editing, and final production for a fraction of
the cost of conventional film studios. Digital
video technology has made high-end filmaking
tools available to companies that would never
have been able to afford traditional cameras
and lighting equipment.
TECHNOLOGY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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Perhaps the single most important aspect of
multimedia as applied to business is the
Internet. It has been said that the Internet
leveled the playing field in business, and that is
largely true. Now, a small mom-and-pop store
with one location can sell its products online,
anywhere in the world, and can reach new
customers in exactly the same manner as large
multi-million dollar retail stores.
COMPUTER SECURITY
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Computer security specialists plan, coordinate,
and maintain an organization’s information
security. These workers educate users about
computer security, install security software,
monitor networks for security breaches, respond to
cyber attacks, and, in some cases, gather data
and evidence to be used in prosecuting cyber
crime. The responsibilities of computer security
specialists have increased in recent years as cyber
attacks have become more sophisticated.
INFO FROM THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
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Get more information from O*NET—the Occupational Information Network: O*NET provides comprehensive information on key
characteristics of workers and occupations. For information on a specific occupation, select the appropriate link below. For
more information on O*NET, visit their homepage.
Business Intelligence Analysts (15-1099.10)
Computer Security Specialists (15-1071.01)
Computer Specialists, All Other (15-1099.00)
Computer Systems Engineers/Architects (15-1099.02)
Data Warehousing Specialists (15-1099.09)
Database Administrators (15-1061.00)
Database Architects (15-1099.08)
Document Management Specialists (15-1099.14)
Electronic Commerce Specialists (15-1099.12)
Geographic Information Systems Technicians (15-1099.07)
Geospatial Information Scientists and Technologists (15-1099.06)
Information Technology Project Managers (15-1099.11)
Network and Computer Systems Administrators (15-1071.00)
Network Designers (15-1099.03)
Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts (15-1081.00)
Software Quality Assurance Engineers and Testers (15-1099.01)
Telecommunications Specialists (15-1081.01)
Video Game Designers (15-1099.13)
Web Administrators (15-1099.05)
Web Developers (15-1099.04)
REFERENCES
Introduction to Multimedia (Glencoe)
 http://www.careeroverview.com/computerscience-careers.html
 Occupational Outlook Handbook
(http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco1002.htm#comp )
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