High-Tech Foresight

by Anne Baye Ericksen, African-American Career World

Today's IT and computer systems experts determine tomorrow's technology trends.

Whether you work for a company that creates next-gen technology or one that runs a local corner convenience store, the breadth of organizations relying on an informed and skilled IT department is virtually limitless. However, not every IT practitioner is a generalist who fields all kinds of calls. Instead, the more programs and devices deployed, and the more sensitive the information collected, the bigger the need is for IT or information systems (IS) specialists to step up.

According to several sources, including Information Week and Forbes, employers are clamoring for information technology (IT) and information systems (IS) professionals to handle cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning, blockchain, and, of course, data analytics and engineering. In fact, demand for these fields kept the IT unemployment rate at a very low 3.5% during the height of the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic last summer.

The Enterprisers Project reports that nearly 70% of the top 50 technology employers actually created jobs last year. The same story is playing out this year: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has reported 23,600 IT jobs were added in April; CompTIA Industry also registered 19,500 new jobs in January.

This bodes well for IT and computers systems specialists who have become the go-to source for leveraging competitive and operational advantages. Learn from other professionals in the field who've found success.