When I was a child, my dad was an engineer. I thought he drove trains. That was all my child brain could think of when I heard the word engineer. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized what he really did was design what were some high-tech devices at the time.

When I attended the College of Engineering at the University of New Mexico many years ago (as you can see by the picture), computer science focused on creating or designing something.

I received my bachelor’s degree in computer science with an emphasis in software design, but I have not developed any software since I started working at Marco. Technology has changed and the job opportunities certainly have changed along with it.

How you get into IT or technology as a career also has changed.

• Pick a path: What do you want to build?
  When people tell me they want to go into IT, my first question often is: What do you mean? There are two very distinct paths in the IT world today: software and hardware developers or systems integrators. We need both. While I gained my degree in the first, I have spent much of my career in the latter in various roles as what we now call a systems engineer. I help tie technologies already created together. There are rising needs for talent in this area as technology becomes both more complicated and integrated. The more traditional engineer (like my dad) designed or created something. At Marco, we often say that we don’t design or build any of the products we sell, but we are masters of making the disparate systems work together. Knowing the job you want to have in the future will help to ensure you start on the right path.
• Know what work environment you desire.
  When determining what IT career path fits you, it’s important to also consider how you prefer to work and what motivates you. Software and hardware developers often work quite independently (although team driven) whereas systems engineers work more with separate teams – often inside and outside the organization.
• Understand the education needed.
  While a four-year degree is often preferred, it is not required for many IT jobs. Some of our top network engineers at Marco have two-year degrees. A four-year degree is typically required for positions where you will be designing something, many times from scratch.
• Get certified.
  In technology, education does not stop at college. A degree often times is less important than certain certifications, particularly in the case of systems engineers. There are extensive certification tracks professionals need to complete for jobs or promotions.  Most of them are dictated by manufacturers and required by them to sell or work on their hardware and software. Microsoft and Cisco are two of the key certification programs we expect our professionals at Marco to be involved in. As I shared in my blog on Becoming a Tech Doctor, attaining certifications in technology can in some ways mirror the paths to advanced degrees. Two of Marco’s technologists recently flew to Belgium to take an industry-recognized test that earned them one of the most esteemed technology certifications. Certifications are also often required to land even more entry-level positions.
• Be ready for change.
  A career in IT requires you to be nimble and open to change. Technology will evolve and being successful in this field requires you to evolve with it. That’s what I enjoy about my job. It’s always changing. One of our employees who retired from Marco this week shared how during his 40-year-career he went from working on typewriters to extensive networks of devices. The jobs he held when he first worked at Marco no longer exist. When he started his career, he never imagined technology would take him where it did. The key is being eager to learn and adapt. Check out this video of two recent retirees.

Technology careers are not what they used to be. They are far more vast in the positions a person can hold and require a higher level of sophistication and adaptability than ever before. But the work is almost always rewarding – for those who enjoy building and problem solving.