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Opinion: Taking Aim at Today’s IT Jobs

Some tech companies are nixing traditional four-year degree requirements for new hires as skills-certification programs increasingly provide adequate training at lower costs. But their long-term potentials are different.

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As the information technology job market continues to evolve in response to our economy and available workforce, a lingering question is what an employer’s expectation is for potential IT workers. In the past, companies and institutions looked for potential employees with a four-year degree coupled with some professional experience. Some experts say a college degree increases your chances of being hired and can help raise your pay level down the road. Today’s job market, particularly in IT, has dramatically changed due to the pandemic by creating new job dynamics such as in-person, hybrid and remote work. According to a story last spring by U.S. News and World Report, since the start of the pandemic, “The economy has 4 million more jobs than workers to fill them. Employees are quitting in large numbers. Companies are finding it hard to find workers.” In this new work environment of rising salaries and the challenge of finding the necessary employees, taking aim at the appropriate academic and professional experience required by job applicants takes on increased significance.

THE COSTS OF ACADEMIC PREPARATION


On average, it takes four to five years to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Adhering to this timeline can be affected by full- or part-time student status, changing majors, transferring to other schools, and personal finances. The cost of attending colleges continues to rise. As the College Foundation of North Carolina reported in 2021, “on average, in-state tuition and fees at public colleges and universities have grown by 221 percent since 1999.” Some of the top reasons for the increase of expenses include “growing demand, rising financial aid, lower state funding, the exploding cost of administrators, and bloated student amenities packages,” as noted by TheBestSchools.org. These costs are expected to increase, especially in inflationary times. In 2022-23, according to the College Board, tuition for a public four-year in-state college was almost $11,000, a private nonprofit four-year nearly $40,000, and a public two-year in-district college cost around $4,000. The advantage of a two-year degree is that it is less costly and provides the opportunity to enter the job market quicker.


SOME IT JOBS DON’T REQUIRE A COLLEGE DEGREE


Keeping in mind the current work environments for IT employees, several job titles may not require the traditional bachelor’s degree. The tech website WhatIs.com last year produced a list of 10 tech jobs which fit this category, along with associated median salaries:

  1. Software engineer: $109,020
  2. Mobile developer: $122,956
  3. Help desk analyst: $57,910
  4. Cybersecurity analyst: $102,600
  5. Technical writer: $78,060
  6. Network engineer: $91,772
  7. Systems analyst: $99,270
  8. Software applications tester: $91,914
  9. Web developer: $78,300
  10. Digital marketer: $60,334

While these salaries vary by location, many of these jobs are quite attractive and illustrate that a four-year degree may not be as essential as it once was. However, to be marketable for higher-level leadership and management positions, a higher-level degree may be beneficial or necessary.

Corporate America has taken note that four-year degrees may not be as necessary as previously thought. Google, Apple and IBM have discontinued requiring four-year degrees, provided the employee has the necessary skills and certifications. Unemployment rates in the U.S. have been historically low over the past several years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Both the unemployment rate, at 3.4 percent, and the number of unemployed persons, at 5.7 million, changed little in January 2023. The unemployment rate has shown little net movement since early 2022.” These particularly low unemployment rates make it difficult for corporations and higher education institutions to fill open positions.

CERTIFICATIONS MAY BE THE ANSWER


In lieu of a college degree, gaining IT certifications may be an important option. The breadth of available certifications is both far and wide. However, there are a few core certifications which have particularly high value, including cloud certifications such as AWS (Amazon Web Server) and Microsoft Azure, cybersecurity certifications, and networking certifications such as CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) and Apple’s Certified Support Professional (ACSP). CIO magazine provides a more detailed list of 15 entry-level IT certifications with estimated costs which can jump-start a career. When comparing thousands of dollars for college tuition and expenses to hundreds of dollars for certification exams, it is easy to see a cost-effective path to obtaining an IT job quickly.

KNOWING YOUR CAREER GOAL


When weighing options for academic preparation, it is important to know the long-term IT career goal. While finding a position as a help desk manager or network engineer makes shorter-term financial sense, students should think carefully about their future aspirations. Let’s say you would like to be a CIO or CTO in the future. Having a four-year degree or MBA may better position you for a top IT executive position, either in corporate or higher education environments. As TechRepublic noted in a 2021 article, “How to become a CIO: A cheat sheet,” “The career path to becoming a CIO is not set or linear — most often, it is a long and winding road to the top. Common education requirements for becoming a CIO include a bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, information systems or a related field, and often a master’s degree in business administration or information technology.” Certainly certifications, some education and experience will be important elements to your professional resume of work, which could provide you a well-paying IT position. However, having a higher-level degree will most likely position you for a top IT management job with higher pay and much more responsibility. The key is to aim carefully, reach for the sky and keep your feet on the ground as you build a solid foundation. Your future job will depend upon it.
Jim Jorstad is Senior Fellow for the Center for Digital Education and the Center for Digital Government. He is a retired emeritus interim CIO and Cyber Security Designee for the Chancellor’s Office at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He served in leadership roles as director of IT client services, academic technologies and media services, providing services to over 1,500 staff and 10,000 students. Jim has experience in IT operations, teaching and learning, and social media strategy. His work has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, Forbes and NPR, and he is a recipient of the 2013 CNN iReport Spirit Award. Jim is an EDUCAUSE Leading Change Fellow and was chosen as one of the Top 30 Media Producers in the U.S.