1. The Computer Industry
1.1. A demand for computer professionals continues to grow
1.1.1. IT is predicted to be the fastest growing industry for the next 10 years
2. Careers in the Computer Industry
2.1. Job opportunities in the computer industry generally are available in one or more of these areas
2.1.1. General business and government organizations and their IT departments
2.1.2. Computer equipment field
2.1.3. Computer software field
2.1.4. Computer service and repair field
2.1.5. Computer sales
2.1.6. Computer education and training field
2.1.7. IT consulting
2.2. Employees in the IT department work together as a team to meet the information requirements of the organization
2.3. Employees also are responsible for keeping all the computer operations and networks running
2.4. Jobs in the IT department typically are divided into six main areas
2.4.1. Management
2.4.2. System development and programming
2.4.3. Technical services
2.4.4. Operations
2.4.5. Training
2.4.6. Security
2.5. The computer equipment field consists of manufacturers and distributors of computers and computer‐related hardware
2.6. Careers in this field are available with companies that design, manufacture, and produce computers and device
2.7. The computer software field consists of companies that develop, manufacture, and support a wide range of softwar
2.8. Job titles might include
2.8.1. Project leader
2.8.2. Project manager
2.8.3. Desktop or mobile application programmer/developer
2.8.4. Technical lead
2.8.5. Software engineer
2.8.6. Computer scientist
3. A Guide to Certification
3.1. Application Software Certifications
3.1.1. Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS)
3.1.2. Microsoft Certified Application Professional (MCAP)
3.1.3. Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST)
3.1.4. Adobe Certified Associate
3.1.5. Adobe Certified Expert (ACE)
3.1.6. Adobe Certified Instructor (ACI)
3.1.7. IBM Certified Professional for Lotus Software
3.2. Database System Certifications
3.2.1. IBM Certified Solutions Expert – DB2
3.2.2. IBM Certified Solutions Expert – Informix
3.2.3. Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)
3.2.4. Oracle Certified Professional (OCP)
3.2.5. Sybase Certified Professional
4. Preparing for a Career in the Computer Industry
4.1. A trade school typically offers programs in
4.1.1. Programming
4.1.2. Web design and development
4.1.3. Graphics design
4.1.4. Hardware maintenance
4.1.5. Networking
4.1.6. Personal computer support
4.1.7. Security
4.2. If you attend a two‐year college, check for an articulation agreement with a four‐year university
4.3. Three broad disciplines produce the greatest number of entry‐level employees
4.3.1. Computer Information Systems
4.3.2. Computer Science
4.3.3. Computer Engineering
5. Certification
5.1. Certification is the process of verifying the technical knowledge of an individual who has demonstrated competence in a particular are
5.2. Computer certifications are available in these areas
5.2.1. Application software
5.2.2. Operating systems
5.2.3. Programming
5.2.4. Hardware
5.2.5. Networking
5.2.6. Digital forensics
5.2.7. Security
5.2.8. The Internet
5.2.9. Database systems