Career pathways to success

Successful career pathways can't be found through any one resource. To find the best career pathways to your future, you've got to design your own course of action. That's where itsworking.org will come in handy. This one site contains a plethora of information about possible career pathways that lead to dozens of rewarding and lucrative occupations and job titles. You can find out what you'll need to consider in finding the right career pathways to fit your specific needs and goals.

Successful career pathways keep you headed in the right direction

Planning your future starts with taking a good look at yourself. Looking at the areas that interest you is a good place to start. Then, you need to consider what skills and capabilities are needed to succeed in these fields. While examining your career paths, the one common factor you'll find in every field is the value of being able to work with technology.

Working with technology is now a part of almost every job

Technology has dramatically changed the way that everyone works. Computer-based tools are now handling the repetitive tasks that were once a part of everyone's workday. Accountants use "what if" software to recommend possible business ventures. Executive assistants book travel and accommodations with their corporation's online travel vendor. Designers prepare and produce their concepts with keyboards rather than a pencil. Salesmen utilize on-screen presentations that they can alter, update and personalize for each meeting. And everyone keeps in constant communications through email, instant messaging and voicemail.

How do you see yourself using technology in your future?

Technology can help you turn your interests into a successful career. Technology administration skills, for example, could open doors in many fields for you.

The specific roles played by technology administrators vary greatly depending on the size and complexity of their company and the technology involved. Their workday can include:

• Planning and designing networks
• Developing budgets and policies for equipment and services
• Purchasing equipment and coordinating installation
• Analyzing and evaluating trends and new potential work technologies
• Preparing and delivering business presentations
• Recruiting, managing and meeting with other administrators
• Monitoring and evaluating network performance
• Using software to create solutions

The right education makes a big difference

While technology administrators fill many different roles for their specific companies, they all need to have a solid educational background in several key areas. These include:

• Management -- Measuring performance, managing costs, and maintaining inventory record-keeping systems. Applying project management skills to all areas of responsibility. Utilizing software applications to address business situations.



• Computing -- Learning to interface effectively with management information systems personnel



• Operations -- Analyzing and reporting the impact of operational changes. Using numeric models to identify problems, formulate plans and create solutions. Writing requests for proposals based on specific requirements. Designing and developing solutions to meet specific business needs.



• Accounting -- Performing both long and short-term cost/benefit analyses. Preparing budgets and forecasts. Using spreadsheet software to develop cost comparisons and tracking schemes. Using mathematical tools to analyze and solve business problems.

Whether you see yourself as a software applications user, administrator, hardware/software producer or technician, there are exciting computer technology careers available for those with the right education and abilities. From healthcare informatics and biomedical engineering, to business and finance, there are technology careers waiting for you at itsworking.org. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, this entire occupational field is expected to grow significantly through 2010. This rapid growth includes an increase in e-commerce, ever-expanding use of the Internet, development of new hardware and software devices and advances in biomedical engineering and biomedical informatics.