In this article I would like to share with you a market overview of the Global IT sector, together with an analysis of job opportunities right now and over the next few years. Note that at the same time, Globalcademy partnered with what we would call “IT celebrity trainers” who reached this status because they have touched the lives of thousands of people around the world. Two such high quality trainers includes Lazaro Diaz (CCNA career pathways) and Mike Meyers (COMPTIA career pathways).
It is now estimated that the global information technology (IT) market which includes hardware, software, services, and telecommunications, will reach almost $4 trillion through 2016/2017, which is certainly an increase from previous years. The U.S. market alone represents approximately 28% of the total market size, worth well over $1 trillion. Not too different than luxury markets, the IT sector behaved the same in the sense that recently, the biggest shift in global industry allocations can be attributed to the growth of the Asian region, thanks primarily by the rise of China.
How the IT job sector has grown into multi-faceted employment provision:
Due to the integration of elements such as digital marketing, security enhancement and the move towards the cloud, the IT channel as a whole plays an integral role to facilitating the flow of technology goods and services from producer to customer. The channel ecosystem, consisting of solution providers, MSPs, VARs, vendors, distributors, cloud service providers, and more, work in concert to supply and support customers’ technology needs. Estimates suggest upwards of two-‐thirds of IT products and services sold to U.S. businesses flow through or are influenced by indirect channels in some way.
The US IT recruitment figures as an example:
IT workforce could be analysed under two specific areas, namely Employment in the IT sector – and IT occupations spanning all industry sectors: for example crossing over with marketing, sales, service provision and education. Collectively, the U.S. IT sector employs an estimated 5.9 million workers in technical (for example software developers, network administrators, web and tech support) and non-‐technical (e.g. HR, finance, marketing) positions. The second element of the IT workforce, IT occupations, consists of an estimated 5.04 million.
Demand is global, not just in the US:
Clearly, with the US not representing the majority of the global market, it is irrelevant whether IT career professionals are located in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Africa or indeed North America – since the globalization of systems mean that a more homogenous group of people who are highly in demand is now a reality. Jobs in other parts of the world may pay slightly less than in the USA, however the need for qualified professionals is now more important than ever. This explains perhaps why many who considered a “career change at 30, 40 or 50” crossed into the IT industry.
Fast-track access to IT careers:
The findings of IT industry reports and the reality of the job market confirms that there are many new IT careers that does not require a degree. New IT jobs are actually approached through fast-track career bootcamps and innovative online learning solutions that enable the learners to continue their existing job while studying part-time in preparation.
So how do we view the IT job market?
We can consider the IT market through it’s core components. A worldwide approach is to consider the hardware, software and services categories – core IT, accounting for 59% of the industry, with telecom services accounting for the remaining 41%. There are other views too, however this is relatively simplified.
Now not all countries note the same expenditure due to fluctuations in wages and attitudes towards investment. Some markets may be relatively immature in the traditional categories of computers and software, and yet relatively advanced in the areas of mobility and wireless communication. It is therefore clear that IT spending has to be on the rise in order for developing economies to accelerate faster. We view Telecom, IT, digital marketing, modern security, financial systems as essentially the same market. In the U.S. market, IT services and software capture larger shares compared to the global market: 25% vs. 18% and 21% vs. 12%, respectively.
Some IT careers which evolved rapidly to become the best paid positions, now include:
Cybersecurity Analysts
Web Developers
Software Developers, Applications
Software Developers, Systems Software
Systems Analysts
IT Support Specialists
IT Managers / Directors / CIOs
This is precisely why we made available COMPTIA and CCNA career pathways at Globalcademy, in order to support people who seek to make a rapid career transition.
Now your immediate goal may by just to find a job, or to start a new business. However there are indeed some of the world’s wealthiest people who started out through a career in IT: Larry Page, Sergei Brin, Larry Ellison, Jack Ma, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Michael Dell, Hasso Plattner and many others. The point is that the IT sector can offer you much more than a job. It can serve as a gateway to many more opportunities where you can help others around the world and demonstrate leadership, in a very rewarding way.