A talk with some undergraduates on preparing them for the industry to come. Making it in IT, which in simple terms, means being as good as you can be at the job and being a role model for it. But which job? There are many reasons for choosing, or perhaps falling into IT and I am not privy to them at all. Mine was of the “fall” variety after graduation.

1. Choosing a career in IT
Segzpair - Senior Software DevOps Eng. Terragon Group
oadetimehin@terragonltd.com
And making It in IT

2. Making What in IT?
Making it in IT, which in simple terms, means being as good as
you can be at the job and being a role model for it. But which
job?
There are many reasons for choosing, or perhaps falling into IT
and I am not privy to them at all. Mine was of the “fall” variety
after graduation.

4. Pick your Spot
● Manager
● Database architects
● Technical (general) architects
● Web administrators
● Computer systems engineers/architects
● Computer user support specialists
● Network and Computer systems administrators
● Software developers, applications
● Computer programmers
● Information security analysts
● Computer systems analysts
● Data scientists

5. Pick your Spot
● Data stewards
● Business Intelligence
● Information management
● Business analysts
● Data analysts
● Computer and Information systems managers
● Computer hardware engineers
● Computer network support specialists
● Computer network architects
● Database administrators
● Web Developers*
● Computer and information research scientists

6. Pick your Spot
● Computer science teachers (various levels)
● Multimedia artists and animators
● Desktop publishers
● Computer operators
● Scientific/high-performance computer (HPC)
● University computer science (CS) teaching positions
● All other computer occupations, including self-employment and sales

7. Computer Science World
Computer science (CS) is a more esoteric subject than general
IT and has it’s place in the IT universe. However, a CS
graduate entering the normal IT world will probably need to
adapt to some of the topics and disciplines outlined in this
discuss. IT people making the reverse trip may be interested
in a typical syllabus for a CS course, as outlined below

8. ● Fundamentals of Computing
● Fundamentals of computer engineering
● Fundamentals of artificial intelligence (AI)
● Fundamentals of computer architecture
● Fundamentals of distributed systems
● Fundamentals of databases
● Object-oriented programming
● Cognitive topics
● Logic and Modeling
● Processor microarchitecture
● Microcontrollers
● Software engineering
● Machine learning
● Symbolic AI
● Operating systems
● System Architecture

9. ● Algorithms and imperative programming
● Computer graphics and image processing
● Distributed computing
● Computer networks
● Mobile systems
● Cognitive neuroscience
● Cognitive computing in other areas
● Concurrence and process architecture
● Natural language systems
● Other subjects
Note: In my long experience, IT and CS are not the same, or
even similar, so don’t expect to cross the divide
from one to the other with ease

10. The IT Universe and it’s components

11. The IT Universe and it’s components
● Manager
● Database architects
● Technical (general) architects
● Web administrators
● Computer systems engineers/architects
● Computer user support specialists
● Network and Computer systems administrators
● Software developers, applications
● Computer programmers
● Information security analysts
● Computer systems analysts
● Data scientists

12. People refer to human aspects: skills,
level of competence, initiative, etc.
Process means the flow of activity
around business activity using IT,
which includes systems management
and management methods
Products encompass the technology
aspect of IT projects (hardware and
software) and is part of the trinity of
factors in any IT tasks, except perhaps
emergency system repairs and the
like. People who speak only of
technology when tackling IT jobs are
deluding themselves and possibly
others.
The 3Ps of IT Universe

13. So then...(the ball in your court)
What do you think future of IT holds for
you?

14. Need further guidance?
Reach out to me:
Segzpair
oadetimehin@terragonltd.com
+2347060514642