Information technology degrees are popular all over the world. This is because they offer a myriad of benefits that make them appealing. They open a world of opportunity to those who pursue them, and they contribute to helping make the world a better place. That’s why many people are choosing an IT major when they get to college.
What Does it Mean to Major in Information Technology?
First, let’s briefly explain what it means to major in information technology.
When you major in information technology, you study the theory and practice of information systems. This includes both programming and design, as well as managing these systems. Majoring in information technology will require that you take courses in computer programming, software engineering, digital media studies, computer graphics, web design and development, among other related subjects.
Once you complete your IT program, you’ll have learned the skills needed for entry-level positions to work with computers and various software programs for any organization.
Reasons to Major in IT
So why does majoring in information technology make sense for you? We came up with five reasons why you should pursue a major in IT and fast track your way to success.
1. You Can Contribute to Making the World Better
Technology is a major part of our lives as it shapes the world we live in. Businesses rely on technology to run, and we use technology in our personal lives for shopping, entertainment and completing daily tasks. We also rely on technology to obtain information such as when we research important topics, check the weather and get information about traffic updates. Parents rely on technology to track infant feedings and diaper changes, and those who must take a significant amount of medicine use technology to provide reminders and track doses. Technology can also help us to remain organized. Numerous apps allow for scheduling events on calendars and creating checklists of tasks that we must complete each day.
Technology also enables us to freely communicate with people around the world. We used to have to pay exorbitant amounts of money to phone carriers to make long-distance calls, and we were not able to talk long. Now, we can contact anyone we want for free no matter their geographic location using apps such as What’s App, Facetime, Facebook Messenger, Clubhouse, Skype and Microsoft Teams.
Technology has also made some of our wildest dreams become reality. Not too long ago, we used to fantasize about communicating using video phones. With technology, that fantasy has become a reality as we can see the faces of those with whom we communicate. We also used to dream of being able to grocery shop from our living rooms. Now, this is possible with apps such as Amazon, Shipped and Instacart.
Bottom Line…
When you pursue a major in information technology, you get to do your part in revolutionizing our world today, and you get to help shape our future. You can create innovative technological solutions to complex problems, and you can also design apps for entertainment and shopping. Additionally, you can be among those who create apps to facilitate quick and easy communication to help people remain connected, and you can create apps that help people be more productive in the workplace.
2. IT Majors Can Find Lucrative and Rewarding Jobs
No matter which IT jobs you pursue after graduation, all jobs in this field provide a lucrative salary for IT majors. For instance, the median salary for IT professionals in the United States is $86,000 annually. To get a clear picture of how lucrative and rewarding IT jobs are, let us look at the average salaries (source: Glassdoor) of each career path in the field.
- Software Developers make on average $97,763 a year.
- Computer Systems Analysts make on average $92,936 a year.
- IT Managers make on average $107,774 a year.
- Information Security Analysts make on average $99,275 a year.
- Database Administrators make on average $83,700 a year.
- Web Developers make on average $70,863 a year.
- Computer Network Architects make on average $113,488 a year.
- Accessibility Subject Matter Experts make on average 71,162 a year.
In addition to these high salaries, careers in tech often come with good benefit packages that include a decent amount of vacation time, comprehensive health insurance plans and other appealing perks such as remote work. Good salaries coupled with decent benefits make these jobs among the most rewarding.
3. Tech Jobs Are Always In-Demand
Since technology is a part of every aspect of our lives, tech jobs will always be in demand. Innovative technology is always being developed, and the technological solutions we currently have are constantly evolving to include new and innovative features. Other career fields have the potential to get saturated; however, the IT field is not one of them. There will never be a shortage of jobs in the IT sector. And majoring in information technology can prepare you for a technology job once you graduate from the program.
4. Careers in Tech Allow for Creativity and Expression
Many jobs require you to perform the same tasks day in and day out. Work becomes boring and monotonous as you find no enrichment in performing repeat tasks. You start to question your purpose in life and wonder why you exist in the first place as all you do is go to a boring job every day that takes up most of your time, and you barely have time for your family and other pleasureful activities. Tech jobs are quite different. You get to express yourself through code, and you get to bring new and innovative ideas to the table regarding features. You will work on a variety of projects, so nothing will ever remain the same. You’ll learn this about the industry during your time as an IT major.
5. IT Majors Develop Transferrable Skills Throughout Their Program
Majoring in Information Technology enables you to obtain transferrable soft skills that will set you up to have a successful IT career. The most crucial skills you will gain when studying IT are critical thinking, problem solving, paying attention to detail and analyzing. Problem solving and critical thinking will enable you to debug programs, find security breaches and solve complex issues experienced by your user base. Having good analytical skills will help you to work with algorithms and data so you can look for patterns. And finally, paying attention to detail is critical in any IT job as you can look for bugs, carefully examine code and thoroughly inspect requirements you and your team must follow during the development and design process.
Technology is responsible for making the world faster, better and more connected. We did not get to this point by waving a magic wand, however. It is thanks to the brilliant minds of those who hold IT degrees who have done their part in creating all the technology that we use in just about every aspect of our lives. Once you have obtained your degree, you can be among those who revolutionize our world.
Finding the Best Information Technology Degree
The best online information technology programs offer a flexible learning environment for students who can’t attend classes on campus, don’t want to commute to school or simply want to complete their degree at their own pace.
A great way would be to find an accredited information technology degree program that gives you the opportunity to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in information technology.
