1: Money, money, money While it is true that you work hard for your money, IT professionals are well compensated for that hard work. The pay isn’t just good, it’s great. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ An Overview of U.S. Occupational Employment and Wages in 2010 (Chart 6, PDF), computer and mathematical sciences ranked third in 2010 of all major occupational groups with an annual mean salary of $77,230. Only the management and legal occupations had higher earnings.
2: The professionals
If you are like me, who you work with is extremely important. After all, more than one quarter of your working life will be spent with them. I have worked with
professionals and those who
weren’t so professional. I prefer the former and run from the latter. I have met professionals in other occupations, the defense industry to name one, but the professionalism of IT workers ranks right up there at the top.
3: Career continuity
The second time I left IT, I wanted to take time off and do nothing. I found out, too late, that being away from your career can make it harder to return. The biggest problem is how you are perceived by a potential employer. Employers don’t like gaps in your resume. You may have the unfortunate opportunity to discover the hard way that
discrimination of the unemployed is real.
4: The challenges
One reason I chose to write computer programs was that I found it challenging. When coding, not a day that went by that I didn’t run into at least one obstacle in my path. IT professionals thrive on solving puzzles and problems. With the right mindset (which is necessary to be successful in IT), obstacles become challenges. Information technology
is challenging, but you won’t find it boring. No matter what your role is in IT, the challenges you encounter tomorrow will likely be different from those you experience today.
