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Recently, someone asked if they should pursue a career in IT, worried that advancements in technology might reduce the demand for IT professionals. While the tech industry seems full of opportunities, is the need for skilled IT professionals as strong as it once was?

For those who’ve been in the field for a while, does IT still feel as rewarding as when you started? Do you see plenty of runway ahead for growth and opportunity? And for those just beginning their journey, how confident are you in the future of an IT career?

The workplace also plays a huge role in shaping an IT career. Whether it’s at an SMB, a large enterprise, or an MSP, each environment comes with its own challenges and advantages. In your opinion, which type of organization offers the best environment for an IT career?

Is IT still a good career path?
  • Yes, absolutely
  • It’s okay, but not as great as it used to be
  • No, IT is losing its appeal
  • Other, let us know below
0 voters
Which type of company offers the best IT career experience?
  • Small and Midsized Businesses (SMB)
  • Enterprise companies
  • Managed Service Providers (MSPs)
  • Other, let us know below
0 voters
16 Spice ups
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It very much depends on your direct manager, then senior management, and then what you’re expected to support/deliver.

I’ve had awful jobs with great managers that have been bearable, and good jobs with terrible managers that weren’t so great. Currently I’m still a bit undecided about my manager, and I’m not enjoying a lot of the work (my own stupid fault for applying for promotion)…

36 Spice ups
3

I don’t think there is a “correct” answer to this question.

I think the “best” is whatever is right for the individual.

I also agree, very much, with @DailyLlama:

12 Spice ups
4

If you find you’re becoming jaded with IT and wonder on a daily basis why you effing bother. Do what I did, and try making a living doing something else… It’s the fastest way of getting your IT motivation back

27 Spice ups
5

You work for a SMB to get intimate with systems, worthwhile when starting off for your first 5 years. You work in a big corp to chill out, great for when you’re ready for retirement. They have their perks.

8 Spice ups
6

I agree with the SMB vs big corp comparison. SMB has more politics where individual users may have a personal relationship with the C levels outside of work. Good luck enforcing fairness across the board when that occurs. With big corp I agree the playing field is fair but a lot more strict since everyone seems to have checks and balances. Neither side is headache free if you ask me.

10 Spice ups
7

Yes, it is, but its not for everyone. Lots of variables in play here depending upon your employer.

2 Spice ups
8

This needs a follow-up question for “Is IT still a good career path?”. Assuming a Yes of some kind the next question needs to be “In what segment?”. AI notwithstanding, there will always be a need for support and programming at some level but, will those segments still provide enough meaningful income to entice folks to enter the field?

3 Spice ups
9

Its not the same field as when I started, but the bottom line is - someone’s got to do it, and it can be fun and challenging.

6 Spice ups
10

IT has changed, for most users it is another utility. Flip the light switch, turn on the faucet, when you turn on your computer all services should be there and functioning without much regard for the reason it happens.

8 Spice ups
11

I’ve had plenty of other careers other than IT, and IT is pretty sweet as far as working hours, pay, and respect, but then again all that depends on where you work…and their attitude towards you and IT in general.

For example:

  1. I make almost triple what I did 8 years ago, working for the same company. What other job can provide that bump in pay in that short a period of time?
  2. All holidays off, which is new to me, as I NEVER got holidays off before working in IT.
  3. Not on call.
  4. Respect…IT is a skill set that takes time to develop. People have some respect for that…especially those that are technologically challenged.
  5. It can be challenging, but I see that as a good thing.

On the other side of the coin…this job gets more and more complex with every passing day…and it can be stressful…and the mental gymnastics can be exhausting…and there’s a lot of responsibility…users (for the most part) suck…blah, blah blah.

It takes a certain kind of person to succeed in this field, and I’m not entirely certain that I’m that kind of person.

14 Spice ups
12

Starting at an SMB will often give you broader exposure to aligning IT with business goals. You are also more likely to be exposed to different technologies at an SMB. SMBs are more likely to adopt new technologies to stay competitive.

The downside is that in some SMBs you are more likely to be exposed to office politics, nepotism, and failing up.

9 Spice ups
13

If I could go back in time, I would have picked a different career. I have days that I absolutely love IT, but most days, I’d rather not deal with it.

7 Spice ups
14

Pretty sure we are due for a giant solar flare which will cause some good EMP’s from the collapse of the power grids. Oh wait I’m sorry I am jaded, Yes, absolutely.

6 Spice ups
15

Seems like a high water bill if you want to run your computer.

(Lol, I see your point and it is a good one)

3 Spice ups
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After almost 50 years it’s been terrific to me!
I had the first 20 of those in the corporate world and the last 30 in my own small business focused on supporting small businesses. I can’t imagine anything I’d rather do!

9 Spice ups
17

Agree with others…

Very much depends on the Structure and company…

SMB tends to have a more direct path to leadership which is a pro & con.
Larger structures can be a pain but try to have a clear ladder to work from - Helpful for early in career but less helpful for those that have years of experience working in IT and able to move my dynamically as needed - at least for me.

All have their pros and cons…

Burnout is Real - and Boredom if you don’t have a budget to test and play with things can be hard as well.

Make sure you play with new ideas and test things and learn as often as possible… it can be a struggle if you let your skills stagnate too much in the IT Trenches.

7 Spice ups
18

I left the IT/software development field entirely a while back, but when you are an IT expert you become valuable in any company using IT.

I love what I do now (engineering work in manufacturing for a small company) and still get to be involved in the IT aspects of our daily business. We have an outsourced IT provider, but I can usually address the issues quicker, and in cases where I don’t have the ability to fix the issue I can set them up for a quick success. Everything runs smoother, and I still get to be the hero.

3 Spice ups
19

This needs to be massively upvoted.

Good managers are very rare and they make the job enjoyable, fun and engaging.

Terrible managers are too common and can be challenging.

Good managers and terrible managers are actually both easy to worth with. Good managers will support and encourage, terrible managers will show up, squawk bit, [deleted] on your desk and leave (seagull management). Even those aren’t too bad.

The worst, the absolute worst is the micromanager. These people don’t have the skills to do their own job and yet will tell you how to do yours. They’ll hover, demand updates, gaslight and make you feel like absolute crap.

They make the job just horrible to deal with, they are never happy and you need to get as far away from them as possible. Run. Don’t walk. They are toxic.

8 Spice ups
20

To me it is about Hardware, Software, and the Internet. I started IT a bit later during it’s boom period. When I was in school, right to repair was still huge. Now everything is “It’s cheaper to replace than repair”. Servers were all in house and software was installed on each individual system, now everything is moving towards cloud/network based. IOT has also destroyed the need for a lot of IT professionals in my opinion, because a complicated day setup of getting someone online, wiring a setup, or hooking up a security camera system can now be done by anyone just by purchasing the right item online (typically due to wifi eliminating cables and smartphones acting as installation devices).

Now lets get to software. Patching is still a thing, but is WAY more consistent. Subscription models have taken over which is destroying budgets, but also helping with patching and upgrading in a way since most applications force new versions instead of us having to read millions of release notes and figuring out if the program will even still run with each passing update. Also in a programming sense, there are way too many programming languages and SDKs in the world right now and any breakthrough program you can think of has already been thought of.

The internet is also a huge catalyst. Now Ransomware and Trojans have taken over viruses just cripped computers. Datamining is the way of earning money instead of making good products that encourage repeat business. This has made IT Consulting positions less needed too since a product can be bought once and ran with for a decade instead of going back to the well each time a new version of something comes out.

IT is massively different. Not so much bad, but I was just talking about this with someone over the weekend; when I was in high school and college, we were lead to believe that IT jobs were all Bill Gates’ money positions. It was up there with Doctors and Lawyers. By the time I entered the market, IT pros were a dime a dozen and most companies didn’t want to pay newbies more than 32k which was an insult for all the education and certifications it took to get to that point.

If you watch old media from the 90s and even early 2000s, you will see anyone who knew photoshop, data recovery, or web design as a god amongst men, now it is your typical 8 year old. The supply and demand for it has definitely changed and so has the way that the work is done. The knowledge aspect will always be there for us, but the type of knowledge is forever changing.

What was once general IT is now Network Administrator, Cyber Security Analyst, and Director of Technology.

I think I rambled way too much and left out a lot of details to strengthen my point, but there is also a lot of content for people to feed off of in this brain dump of mine.

5 Spice ups