Being a part of Information Technology as a career choice sounds tempting. After all, Information Technology can bridge the gap between real-life problems and their technological solutions. Is Information Technology hard to study or build a career? This query might strike your brain before selecting your major.
To be honest, every academic field has its unique challenges, and so does IT. Pursuing IT requires you to be familiar with the latest skills, adapt development capabilities, learn something new daily, and more. Apart from this, you can find unlimited resources available to quench your knowledge thirst in IT. Well, the credit goes to the easy access to the internet all over the globe.
So, IT is an excellent choice if you are tech-savvy and want to explore how things work behind those screens, applications, etc. On the other hand, you must have a knack for Mathematics and coding. Without these, you can’t pursue IT as a study or career option. Let’s crack the code about how hard Information Technology is and what you must deal with if you choose this field.
Why is Information Technology So Hard?
Nowadays, everyone is directly or indirectly connected to information technology. From neighbourhood businesses to major companies, everyone relies on IT foundations to execute their day-to-day operations, manage datasets, communicate with clients, promote their businesses, and so on. Hence, you can understand that IT helps all these platforms with these critical workflows.
So, is information technology hard as a major? The answer is yes. Pursuing information technology as a major can take time, depending on your IT field and advanced course. However, you can complete a degree in information technology if you are comfortable with statistics, mathematics, logic, coding, etc., and basic IT skills. Additionally, you must be devoted to your study and curriculum to secure a lucrative career after completing a degree in IT. Well, here are 3 main reasons why people consider Information Technology harder than Accounting or similar fields:
Dynamic Nature of Information Technology
In the past few years, the technology industry has been growing rapidly, and information technology has been a pillar of it. Since everything around IT keeps changing, you need to catch every detail that keeps shifting now and then. So, a tight grasp of fundamental IT knowledge isn’t enough to survive in the industry.
Instead, you have to spot innovations and learn them to cope with the best practices in the IT industry. As an aspirant, you must be adventurous, creative, and courageous to adapt to such dynamic changes to IT basics and advanced courses.
On top of that, IT is full of complex problems related to Mathematics, logic, statistics, programming, and more. So, staying motivated and enthusiastic is the key to surviving such complicated IT problems.
Never-Ending Technical Knowledge
Is information technology hard Reddit? Well, it’s comparatively more complex than most other streams since you dive into a deep ocean of technical knowledge. As an IT professional, you must realise countless fundamental principles and apply them to different problems to develop solutions.
However, the IT industry keeps giving birth to newer technologies, and you must keep up with them. Well, the trick is to master different principles and observe other ideas with patience and effort. So, you should be genuinely interested in IT if you want a successful career. Don’t let the complications of IT scare you and distract you from your goal.
Sharp Learning Curve
Studying IT can be time-consuming, not to mention. Especially in the beginning, you might find yourself struggling with IT studies. On the other hand, the situation can worsen if you don’t have an idea regarding programming languages and other IT practices professionals recommend.
Hence, coping with the challenges and skills associated with Information Technology hardware and software takes time. Fortunately, you can now find useful resources all over the internet to grasp fundamentals, applications, use cases, and more. Therefore, assess your IT issues and check out how quickly you can overcome them to build strong IT skills and foundation.
Skills Required to Study Information Technology
Can everyone pursue a career in information technology? Sadly, no, IT is not meant for everyone. So, consider yourself fortunate enough to pursue IT studies if you own the following skills:
- You love to think out of the box and generate solutions to critical problems.
- Additionally, you admire how Information Technology helps develop, design, manage, and implement solutions efficiently.
- Creativity skills can be a boon for IT professionals.
- In addition, IT requires strong attention to detail. A minor mistake can break computer systems down and create a technical nuisance.
- Socialising and organising skills are assets for the Information Technology hardware and software industry.
If you acquire all these traits and skills, then you are a great candidate. However, don’t lose hope even if you don’t qualify for one or two. We believe that dedicated studies with the right resources and time management skills can make you an excellent IT professional.
Things to Consider Before Selecting Information Technology as a Career
Is information technology hard? You got the answer, but there are some other aspects that you need to evaluate. Let’s check them one by one to ensure that you are ready for the IT industry and its upcoming challenges.
The Degree
A major in Information Technology generally involves problem-solving, computer science, networking, management, logistics arrangement, and more. On the other hand, you can choose a specialisation like computer networks or web development. For example, you have to learn the following things:
- Web technologies
- Programming
- Computer fundamentals
- Database management systems
- Information systems
- Information management and more
After all, you will be destined to be in a technical team of an organisation once your studies are over.
Qualifying Factors
Not all IT degrees deserve the same role and responsibilities in the IT industry. There are entry-level, mid-level, and executive-level tasks in the industry. Higher-end job roles and responsibilities will undoubtedly demand a worthy IT degree. As a result, you will get higher salaries than other degree holders.
Generally, the following degree options are common for IT candidates:
- Certification Courses: In between 6 and 12 months
- Associate Degree Course of Study: Takes up to 2 years to complete.
- Graduate Degrees: 2 to 3 years to complete.
- Bachelor’s Degree in IT: Takes 4 years to complete.
- Master’s Degree: Takes up to 6 years.
Additionally, there are both online and on-campus courses available.
Exhausting Studies and Projects from Different Magnitudes
The complexity of web design and development, software engineering, database management, etc., is not a secret anymore. Moreover, you must deal with Advanced Data Structures, IT and its foundation, Statistics and Mathematics, Python, C++, Java, and more while pursuing IT.
On the other hand, programming and coding can be rigorous, and the tiniest mistake can make you scratch your head for hours. However, all this can take an interesting turn when you find out your knowledge and skills can help you find solutions to real-life problems.
For example, you can be engaged with different projects regarding the following aspects:
- Video games
- Computer graphics
- Computer architecture
- Evolutionary computation
- Graphical user interfaces design
As a student, you must carry out in-depth research and extensive programming tasks to complete projects and overcome the proposed challenges.
Extra Certificates & Reputed Internships
Usually, IT courses offer a high return on investment if you stay devoted and committed to your studies. However, Information Technology hardware and software courses require you to get additional certificates to escalate your value in the market.
Here are some certifications that can help you land a secure job role:
- Microsoft Certified Azure Solutions Architect
- Amazon Web Services Certified Solutions Architect Associate
- Cisco-Certified Network Professional
- Certified Cloud-Security Professional
However, you should choose a certification after verifying its relevant accreditation, validity, and demand in the market. Additionally, you can apply for renowned internships and roles before completing the certification and entering the industry as a professional. The experience of working as an intern will add an impression to your resume.
Well, an internship can make you familiar with the following skills and knowledge:
- Developing new applications, servers, and technologies
- Updating software
- Creating backups
- Investigating and understanding issues with computers, printers, servers, and more
- Keeping up hardware and software systems
- Providing customers with technical tips
- Hardware troubleshooting
So, you must focus on securing one or more internships to gain experience and acquire a satisfactory salary.
Costs
Different degrees in IT can cost you differently depending on your basic or advanced IT courses. However, Information Technology hardware and software systems degrees can start from $3000 annually and can go up to as high as $64,000 per annum. However, you can check if you are eligible for scholarships, school loans, bursaries, grants, etc.
Apart from tuition fees, you can also expect to bear expenses for the following facilities:
- Travel
- Accommodation
- Books and study materials
- Health insurance
- Electricity and water utility bills
- Food
- Internet subscription
- Laptops
- Application subscriptions
Career Opportunities with Information Technology
The Bureau of Labour Statistics has predicted that multiple positions in the IT industry will manifest growth of up to 22% by 2030. The following areas demand IT professionals:
- Networking
- Cyber Security
- Information System and Business Analysis
- Web and Mobile App Development
- Data Science
- Artificial Intelligence
- Software Technology
Is Information Technology Harder than Computer Science?
Just like IT, students are often interested in Computer Science. Well, both fields are quite similar; they are used interchangeably sometimes. However, Computer Science covers several topics that need to be included in IT.
On the other hand, Computer Science students must devote their time to programming, coding, operating system basics, and more. However, professionals have to juggle between IT and Computer Science occasionally. Reportedly, it’s comparatively harder to secure a job in Computer Science. So, access everything before you choose Information Technology or anything equivalent.
