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What is an information technology specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted Experts
Ranganathan Chandrasekaran,
Oriehi Destiny Anyaiwe
introduction image

An information technology specialist provides technical support related to computer systems and networks. They work with hardware, software, and various IT tools to ensure that systems are running efficiently. Responsibilities may include troubleshooting, installing and configuring hardware and software, managing databases, securing systems, and providing technical support. Information technology specialists must stay up-to-date on the latest technologies in their field. They may work in settings, including businesses, government agencies, or healthcare organizations.

What general advice would you give to an Information Technology Specialist?

Ranganathan ChandrasekaranRanganathan Chandrasekaran LinkedIn Profile

Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, University of Illinois

As we roll into another month of the COVID-19 pandemic, graduating students are facing one of the worst moments of their lives. They face several uncertainties; due to financial challenges, uncertainty about completing their degrees on time, adjusting to online and hybrid modes of learning, and worst of all, facing the worst job market. As a result, I see the stress and anxiety levels among the graduating students to be significantly higher, at levels I have not experienced in my academic career.

Several businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic, and they have rolled back their offers made to students for internships and jobs. Businesses have also resorted to downsizing and layoffs, and we are likely to see that continue, at least in the near term. However, two sectors that are showing promises of a quick turnaround are technology and healthcare.

It might take many months for the economy to get back on track, but the demand for information systems graduates is likely to grow, as a large number of businesses have turned to increased use of technology in this pandemic period. As more companies go digital, we need more professionals to manage the remote-work, technological infrastructure and meet the other demands of the business. Students pursuing education in information systems, computer science, and healthcare are going to be in greater demand.

On the positive side, the uncertainties induced by the pandemic have also helped students to prepare themselves better for a tougher job market. I found many students rise up and use the lockdown period to have a serious introspection and invest their time and effort in upgrading their knowledge and skills. The internship drought and rescinding of job/internship offers brought their dreams crashing down, but I found several students to quickly get over their disappointments, and engage in improving their skillsets utilizing the pandemic lockdown as an opportunity. I am aware of many students, especially in the information systems disciple, who spent time doing online courses, completing certification programs, and take up DIY projects on data analysis, developing analytical and forecasting models, and visualization of various aspects of the pandemic. The pandemic has resulted in massive amounts of data, released by several organizations worldwide, that have provided a stimulant for students to indulge in DIY-projects. I had several students approach me over summer to do some projects, and we have done some interesting projects using public datasets related to COVID-19.
ScoreInformation Technology SpecialistUS Average
Salary
6.3

Avg. Salary $81,241

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
6.7

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.41%

Asian 11.91%

Black or African American 12.25%

Hispanic or Latino 15.70%

Unknown 5.34%

White 54.39%

Gender

female 22.16%

male 77.84%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress Level
6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
6.5

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
7.4

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an Information Technology Specialist?

Pros

  • High demand for IT specialists

  • Good salary and benefits

  • Opportunities for career growth and advancement

  • Working remotely is often an option

  • Job security due to the importance of technology in businesses

Cons

  • Often sitting for long periods can lead to health problems

  • Can be highly competitive within the industry

  • Technical issues can occur at any time, leading to a need for immediate problem-solving

  • May require frequent travel or relocation for job opportunities

  • Dealing with difficult clients or end-users can be frustrating

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Information Technology Specialist career paths

Key steps to become an information technology specialist

  1. Explore information technology specialist education requirements

    Most common information technology specialist degrees

    Bachelor's

    56.6 %

    Associate

    24.8 %

    Master's

    8.4 %

  2. Start to develop specific information technology specialist skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    		Percentages
    ascdesc
    Customer Service24.35%
    Troubleshoot10.16%
    Computer System7.15%
    Database4.81%
    DOD4.68%
    Show more

  3. Complete relevant information technology specialist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New information technology specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an information technology specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real information technology specialist resumes.

  4. Gain additional information technology specialist certifications

    Information technology specialist certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific information technology specialist certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for information technology specialists include Security 5 Certification and Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP).

    More About Certifications

  5. Research information technology specialist duties and responsibilities

    • Manage VmWare servers across the network to include patches, upgrades, move and cloning.
    • Manage devices by configuring network topology and making DNS records updates/creation.
    • Manage the configuration and performance management of all PC systems and telecommunications.
    • Perform second tier help desk support for U.S. Treasury web-base financial management system.

  6. Prepare your information technology specialist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your information technology specialist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an information technology specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Information Technology Specialist Resume templates

    Build a professional Information Technology Specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Information Technology Specialist resume.
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    Information Technology Specialist Resume

  7. Apply for information technology specialist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an information technology specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Information Technology Specialist Job

J

James HenryJames Henry LinkedIn Profile

Information Technology Specialist, Linc Group

Thanks for reaching me out to create about my journey become an IT specialist. Honestly i still confuse how to start it since in US i still looking job based on my experiences as an IT specialist.
Because of that i sign up through zippia ☺️.
Back to my stories ( even im not sure if this what you are looking for ) after i graduated from my college I work as a programmer at YKK AP Indonesia. We build as a team on our softwares for ordering - manufacturing - invoicing. On that time we use VB and VB.net. Beside as a programmer i also have sidejob as a network engineer even its basic network since we have support from our consultant.
After at least 3 years i got another offer to be as a IT consultant specializing in WMS. My role as an IT consultant is as a technical and functional consultant. Technical consultant means i gather the technical requirement to create an interfaces between the WMS and main apps ( ex SAP etc ) I have to make sure the data flow is tally between WMS and main apps.
Functional consultant means i gather the information to create the bussiness process ( as is and to be process ). I have several projects for some big logistics / 3PL company in indonesia.
After 2 years my ex boss started a local IT company and he offer me as a Project Manager in SCM. As project Manager i manage at least 2-5 team in a project. My role beside to assist my team i also have to make sure we can achieve the project schedule. I also have to liase with the client management and internal management to update the progress. I also have successfully manage some big projects. I already specialized as a SCM softwares ( Infor , Symphony etc)
Then 3 years later i have another offer in one big retail company in indonesia as a senior manager because i already know how to manage SCM ecpecially using INFOR. My role in as senior manager mostly same like previous role. I liase with the management about the projects. My big achievement is we can finish the voice picking project using our language. And i think its the 1st retail company using voice picking project in Indonesia since after around 10 years my experiences no one retail company using voice picking. The benefit for the company after using it is increase from the picking acuracy and the eficiency.
My journey as an IT specialist ended in this retail company after 8 years because of covid, most of my team including me got lay off. Now im in US to try a new chance related with my experiences.

Average information technology specialist salary

The average Information Technology Specialist salary in the United States is $81,241 per year or $39 per hour. Information technology specialist salaries range between $58,000 and $113,000 per year.

Average Information Technology Specialist Salary
$81,241 Yearly
$39.06 hourly
More information technology specialist salary info

What Am I Worth?

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How do information technology specialists rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

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1 Star

Information Technology Specialist reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

You get to help a lot of people in many different ways as well as learning new things about technology

Cons

I have aids now due to the painfulness of sitting down all day

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022
Cons

There was nothing to like. Everyone was polite an hard workers

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros

I decided to go to technical support because I've been fascinated by technology all my life and I love working with the people as well. I want to use my technical know-how to solve directly the problems that customers have. I want to be the person who makes life easier and more enjoyable for people who have had a problem. This is what I like most as a technical Support.

Cons

I don't like sitting around being inactive. So I'll keep my self always busy

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Information Technology Specialist FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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