This document discusses various career paths in information and communications technology (ICT). It begins by outlining the growing opportunities in both direct ICT roles like software development as well as indirect roles that require digital skills. The document then details several direct career paths including software engineer, web developer, database administrator, and IT security specialist. It notes the typical progression, required skills and personality traits, benefits and challenges for each role. The document emphasizes selecting a career path that suits one's interests and abilities rather than blindly following others.

1. Career Paths in ICT
Aurora Computer Studies 1
by
Nalaka Gamage
(auoracs.lk)

2. Agenda
• What opportunities available in ICT?
• What are the career paths available?
• What kind of knowledge & skills are
required?
• How to select my path?
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3. What are the opportunities?
• We live in IT era
• All traditional information related
processing (Traditional white collar jobs)
are taking over by Information Systems
• Internet of Things (IOT) is going to be the
next big thing where lots of manual tasks
will be automated using collaborative
smart devices
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4. What are the opportunities?
• Direct opportunities
o There are growing career opportunities that directly
involving building Information Systems and smart
devices
• Indirect opportunities
o All other jobs need to interact with computing devices
to be effective
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5. Career paths
(direct)
Software
development
Software
Engineer
UI /Web
developers
Database
Administrator
QA Engineer
Project Manager
Business Analyst
Networking &
system
administration
Security
specialists
Robotics and
digital electronics
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6. Career paths
(indirect)
IT Managers
IT support
executives
E-business
development
consultants
Graphic
designers
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7. Direct Career Paths
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8. Overview
• Software development
o Software Engineer
o UI developers
o Database Administrator
o QA Engineer
o Project Manager
o Business Analyst
• Networking & system administration
• Security specialists
• Robotics and digital electronics
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9. Software engineer
• Path
o Software engineer -> Senior software engineer ->Technical
leader -> Solution designer/Software architect or Project
manager/IT manager
• Attributes
o Highly technical
o Challenging
• Benefits
o High salary
o High demand in western countries and USA
• Challenges
o Need commitment
o Willing to keep learning
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10. Web developer
• Path
o Web developer -> Senior web developer -> Web site
designer/architect or project manager/IT manager
• Attributes
o Fairly technical
o Need some creativity in some aspects
• Benefits
o Fairly high earning
o Easy to be a free lance developer/own business in the field
o High demand in western countries and USA
• Challenges
o Willingness to learn new technologies
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11. Database administrator
• Path
o Database Administrator -> Move to IT manager or Project
manager
• Attributes
o Moderately technical
o Partly administrative tasks and work with SQL language for
Database related design and development activities
• Benefits
o Better work-life balance
• Challenges
o Moderately challenge in technical aspects
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12. Quality assurance (QA) engineer
• Path
o QA engineer -> Senior QA engineer -> QA analyst or
move to IT manager or Project manager
• Attributes
o Little technical
o Need analysis of requirements, test case writing and
testing
• Benefits
o Have better work-life balance
o Fair demand in western countries and USA
• Challenges
o Repetitive document oriented tasks (Can be boring at
times)
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13. Business analyst
• Path
o Business Analyst -> move to IT manager or Project
manager
• Attributes
o More into business analysis
o Need business/domain knowledge and more
communication skills
• Benefits
o Have better work-life balance
o Good for less technical oriented people who has passion
for both IT and business
• Challenges
o Good business and soft skills
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14. Project manager (PM)
• Path
o Start with any other discipline -> move to Project manager
• Attributes
o Need fair amount of prior experience in IT field
o Need skills in management and leadership
• Benefits
o Leadership role
o Fairly high salary
• Challenges
o Need to start in another track like software engineer, QA
engineer or business analyst and get experience before
move to PM track
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15. Networking & system
administration
• Path
o Network & system administrator -> move to IT manager or
Project manager
• Attributes
o Technical skills in networking and O/Ss like UNIX
o In most cases, need to work with hardware as well
• Benefits
o Moderately technical without doing programming
• Challenges
o Need to do troubleshooting
o May need commitments like support outside working hours
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16. IT security specialists
• Path
o IT security specialist (White collar hacker) -> move to IT
manager or Project manager or system administrator
• Attributes
o Technical geek
o Curiosity and sharp analytic mind
o Willing to take challenges
• Benefits
o Emerging field with good demand
• Challenges
o Need self interest on hacking/viruses etc..
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17. Robotics and digital electronics
specialist
• Path
o Robotics and digital electronics specialist/Engineer ->
Be an expert in the field
• Attributes
o Technical geek with passion for electronics
• Benefits
o Emerging field with good demand
• Challenges
o Need self interest on electronics and related areas
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18. Indirect Career Paths
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19. Overview
• IT Managers
• IT support executives
• E-business development consultants
• Graphic designers
• Many more…
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20. IT Managers
• Path
o Start with any other discipline -> move to IT manager with
experience
• Attributes
o Awareness and knowledge on IT
o Management and soft skills
• Benefits
o Leadership role
o Fairly high salary
o Good work-life balance
• Challenges
o Good management/leadership/soft skills are needed together
with IT and business knowledge
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21. IT Support executives
• Path
o IT Support executives -> move to IT manager with
experience
• Attributes
o Awareness and knowledge on IT
o Management and soft skills
• Benefits
o Good work-life balance
o Moderate technical
• Challenges
o Good soft skills are needed together with IT and business
knowledge
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22. Graphic designers/3D animators
• Path
o Graphic designers
• Attributes
o Very good artistic skills
• Benefits
o Good work-life balance
o Good for aesthetic minded
• Challenges
o Salaries are not as high as other disciplines
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23. Skills/attitudes mapped to
ICT career paths
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24. Possible mappings
• Technical oriented, challenge
seeking, love programming and
problem solving
o Software Engineer/developer
• Technical oriented & like bit of
programming and also passion for
internet. Like blend of creativity too
o Web developer
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25. Possible mappings
• Technical oriented & challenge
seeking, but not a big fan of
programming. Like more relaxing
work
o Database administrator
• Technical oriented, but not a big fan
of programming. Like work with
hardware & trouble shorting
o System and network administrator
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26. Possible mappings
• Like software development process,
but not a big fan of programming. Like
to play more supportive role
o QA engineer
• Has equal passion for business and
IT, but not very techy person
o Business analyst
o IT manager
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27. Possible mappings
• Has more artistic talents and mindset.
Like to do creative things using IT
o Graphic designer/ 3D animator
• Has passion for both IT &
management and like to play
leadership roles
o Project manager
o IT manager
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28. A job Vs. Free lance
• Work in an organization
o Pros 
• Stability
• Less risks
o Cons 
• Lack of autonomy
• Free lance career
o Pros 
• More autonomy
• Better earnings if you are successful
• Other soft/business skills are needed
o Cons 
• Risk of failure
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29. Work locally Vs. move abroad
• There are plenty of high income ICT jobs
in USA and other developed countries
• If you like travelling, ICT related jobs
provide opportunities
• One of the reason for high salary and
demand for ICT jobs in developing
countries is due to experience
professionals migrating to developed
countries
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30. IT related entrepreneurship
• IT field is one of the less capital intensive
field to start a new business
• But you need to be good at both technical
skills and business mindset
• If things goes well, opportunities are
endless
• Bill Gate (Microsoft), Mark Sukerberg
(Facebook), Larry Ellison (Oracle), Larry
Page & Sergy Brin (Google) are IT related
entrepreneurs in top 20 billionaires list
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31. Final Thoughts
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32. Final thoughts
• Every one is unique with varying
skills, attitude and needs
o Example:
• Technical oriented vs business oriented vs artistic
minded
• Challenge seeking vs more serene attitude
• Looking for high salary vs looking for more work
life balance
• Boy vs girl
• Etc..
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33. Final thoughts
• Pick the career that best suit for your
aspirations, and not blindly follow
what others do
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34. Thank You !
Presented by
Aurora Computer Studies
(auoracs.lk)
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35. "We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act,
but a habit."
~ Aristotle.
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36. You may also interested in;
• How to choose your career right?
o https://www.slideshare.net/auroracslk/how-
to-choose-your-career-right
• Introduction to critical thinking
o https://www.slideshare.net/auroracslk/intro
duction-to-critical-thinking-72869179
• Attributes of a great programmer
o https://www.slideshare.net/auroracslk/attrib
utes-of-great-programmer
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37. Contact Information
Premier Study Center
Aurora Computer Studies,
Summerset College,
# 135, 3rd Floor,
DFCC Building,
High Level Road,
Maharagama.
City Study Center
Aurora Computer Studies,
Summerset College,
# 88/2, 2nd Floor,
BOC Building,
High Level Road,
Kirulapone, Colombo 06
For further details and enquiries :
Call - 0719 842030
E-mail – info@auroracs.lk
Web - www.auroracs.lk
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