Mechanic or Engineer?

The first question to answer is which direction do you want to go? Typically there are two types of IT Staff. Those who administer and and those who create. What do I mean by this? Ask yourself if you’d rather sit in a cube and write software, create and maintain databases and develop applications, or would you rather install software, manage an e-mail system or create a network or remote access solution.

The two areas are usually comprised of employees with very different mind sets.

The administrators tend to follow a career path that goes something like this. IT Intern or PC Technician performing break/fix tasks on PC’s. As they advance they may manage the larger rollout of operating systems or software applications. Keep in mind the focus is on more mechanical or problem solving tasks. Later in their career they may move on to network or server administration. The larger the impact of a mistake the further up the ladder in their career. Eventually they may manage a team of other administrators or perform some consulting services.

Education

If you are on the applications path than a Computer Science major is going to get you headed in the right direction. Often companies hire right out of college because they have been teaching login and application development for decades.

Once your in your in. Until your in your way out….

When I got into this field ten years ago I took a pay cut to move from my sales position to my PC Technician position. This is because it is VERY difficult to get hired if you’ve never been hired. There are so many great applicants that there is no reason to take a chance on someone who only can tell you what they know. Multiply this statement X 10 with the economic downturn after the dot com boom. So get whatever resume worthy experience and references you can as fast as you can. To land even the most entry level job you’ll need it.

How to get experience?

Internships are a great way to get in the door anywhere. These are positions that everyone understands and they are the mark of a hungry student. If you can get an internship (preferably paid) at a company so much the better. If you can’t start volunteering for any organization that will take your skills. Churches and schools or charity’s are a good start. The key is to get something on your resume that says you’ve been in the business.

More research and development is put into military technology and innovation then any other industry or field. The evolution of the battlefield has occurred right in front of us, yet many people are unaware of how advanced the weaponry of the United States army and its allies has become. The battlefields our troops currently fight on are occupied by drones known as MQ-9 reapers and Predators, as well as a variety of unmanned land vehicles such as the SWORDS weapon system. Also we can’t forget about the advances in Fighter technology with the F-22 Raptor being on the forefront of aviation innovation.

The evolution of military technology has allowed the US military to move many of its troops out of harms way by implementing precision weaponry coupled with unmanned technologies. In the near future our battlefields could look like something from the movie Terminator with robots fighting each other and actually operating on artificial intelligence. The machines deployed in unfriendly territory will actually be linked to each other and communicate with soldiers and commanders to warn them of enemy positions or suspicious activities. Also systems like the YAL-1A airborne laser that the United States air-force has developed will keep our skies clear of ballistic missile threats.

Not only have the ground and air reconnaissances and attack vehicles been converted to unmanned applications, rifle and gun technology has developed at an incredible pace with applications such as the as50 British accuracy Sniper Rifle or the objective individual combat weapon. The Military technology that the soldier will be working with in the future will include upgraded ammunition and assault rifles as well as better and lighter armor such as the Dragon Skin system. There are many more new weapons system applications that seem lifetimes away but are being developed as we speak.