Wednesday 5 October 2011

Part Time Careers in Information Technology

By John Web


One thing that makes a degree in computer and information technology such a popular choice is the flexibility it can afford you. If you are unable or unwilling to work a traditional full-time job, there are scores of part-time positions in the IT world, just waiting for you. Many positions even allow you to work from home on your own schedule-a boon for people with families and people with disabilities. Working in the field of information technology is fun and challenging, and you will love staying on the forefront of this fast-moving industry.

First of all, one thing should be clear: there is no one-size-fits-all, generic IT job. Jobs in this field vary just as much as the people who have them. However, there seems to be an air of mystery surrounding the notion of IT careers, so what follows will be a discussion of the many positions characterized by their flexible hours and work-from-home options.

The range of IT jobs is vast, and includes web design, Internet security, and computer repair. You may be building and repairing hardware, or addressing issues with software, like information and data systems. You may work in tech support, or as a systems analyst or program manager. Because computer technology develops at such a rapid pace, you will always be learning and growing. As a part-time job, you can choose to do contract work or freelance.

If you choose to work from home, or telecommute, there are certain skills you will likely need. You will have to be something of a people-person, as you may be making and receiving several calls throughout your day. Good writing skills are another asset, as you may be creating web pages or blogs for your clients. If this is the case, you will also need to be a patient, good listener-adept at putting the ideas of others into action. You may also be posting videos or working with animation software to create game engines.

On the other hand, the work you do from home may be more insular, and you might spend your time compiling and organizing data, building web applications, or conducting code analyses. Testing and debugging software, and building and maintaining networks, or creating a cloud-computing platform are a few other possibilities.

Most of the work you will do in positions such as these will be project-based, and as such will usually work on a contract system. While many contracts hold the possibility of renewal, jobs often last only a few months, so keep that in mind when you are making the decision to work part-time. Of course if you are persistent and you do good work, you may find yourself in a nearly full-time position before you know it. And it never hurts to gain more experience in your field. If you decide to go in for full-time work, or if you take the plunge into self-employment, you will have a catalog of references on hand who will help you on the road to success.




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