Career Path Forecast
 According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
the increasing use of technology in the workplace is projected to
lead to faster than average growth in this occupation. Due to employment
increases and because of the high demand for technical workers,
prospects should be excellent for qualified job candidates.
Employment of computer
and information systems managers is expected to grow 16 percent over the
2006-16 decade, which is faster than the average for all occupations.
New applications of technology in the workplace will continue to drive
demand for workers, fueling the need for more managers.
Despite the downturn
in the technology sector in the early part of the decade, the outlook
for computer and information systems managers remains strong. To remain
competitive, firms will continue to install sophisticated computer
networks and set up more complex intranets and websites. Keeping a
computer network running smoothly is essential to almost every
organization.
 Because
so much business is carried out over computer networks, security will
continue to be an important issue for businesses and other
organizations. Although software developers continue to improve their
products to remove vulnerabilities, attackers are becoming ever more
complex in their methods. Organizations need to understand how their
systems are vulnerable and how to protect their infrastructure and
Internet sites from hackers, viruses, and other attacks. The emergence
of security as a key concern for businesses should lead to strong growth
for computer managers. Firms will increasingly hire security experts to
fill key leadership roles in their information technology departments
because the integrity of their computing environments is of utmost
importance. As a result, there will be a high demand for managers
proficient in computer security issues.
With the explosive
growth of electronic commerce and the capacity of the Internet to create
new relationships with customers, the role of computer and information
systems managers will continue to evolve. Workers who have experience in
web applications and Internet technologies will become increasingly
vital to their companies.
Opportunities for those who wish to become computer and information
systems managers should be closely related to the growth of the
occupations they supervise and the industries in which they are found.
 Prospects
for qualified computer and information systems managers should be
excellent. Fast-paced occupational growth and the limited supply of
technical workers will lead to a wealth of opportunities for qualified
individuals. While technical workers remain relatively scarce in the
United States, the demand for them continues to rise. This situation was
exacerbated by the economic downturn in the early 2000s, when many
technical professionals lost their jobs. Since then, many workers have
chosen to avoid this work since it is perceived to have poor prospects.
Workers with
specialized technical knowledge and strong communications skills will
have the best prospects. People with management skills and an
understanding of business practices and principles will have excellent
opportunities, as companies are increasingly looking to technology to
drive their revenue.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
|
