- IT consultants work to help businesses build or improve systems of information technology that will best suit their needs and resources. IT consulting can work at various levels of involvement, from mere advice-giving, to overseeing initial implementation, to ongoing administration of new technology systems.
IT consultants may work for a consulting firm, as temporary agents (placed through a staffing agency) or as freelance independent contractors. There is often substantial overlap between the duties of the IT consultant and that of a management consultant, since IT matters involve not only machines, but the infrastructures of people operating them. - It is the job of the software engineer to develop, create and modify programming for computer software applications, either for commercial reproduction, client use or in-business use. Engineers must be able to analyze the needs of the intended user and creatively develop software solutions which fill those needs in an efficient and complete manner. People in the engineering field may also analyze and design databases.
- Systems analysts are in charge of assessing how well a business's current IT systems are working and using that information to make improvements. This job involves collecting a good deal of data regarding the existing systems' ability to process data and the efficiency of workflow from employee to employee. The analyst must then be able to make informed suggestions about how to improve efficiency by streamlining procedures, replacing technology and creating new software. For this reason, system analysts often supervise engineers.
- Systems administrators work directly with the technology itself. It's their job to install and maintain the software needed to keep a business's networks up and running and running well. They must be able to understand the workings of both local and wide area networks (LAN and WAN) and to troubleshoot any problems that may arise with these.
- This job is where technology and human interaction meet. Managers in IT are responsible for coordinating the activities involved in smooth information technology operation. This includes establishing and preserving lines of maintenance and improvement-related communication, organizing meetings with other major IT personnel and developing organizational goals for the IT department.