IT specialist today

Today all the sites with vacancies are full of announcements about the search for IT specialists. Who are they that are part of their duties and is it worth going to receive the profession of an IT specialist? Who is an IT specialist?

Information technologies, which reduce as IT, cover all the big areas of activity, because without a computer today, almost no business. Therefore, specialists in IT-technologies are required not only in Internet agencies, but also in commercial, banking, manufacturing and service enterprises.

The market of information technologies is growing rapidly, mobile devices are added to personal computers, and they need a special product, the problem of information security is growing, the sphere of consumers of various Internet services is expanding and all this is built on IT technologies. The personnel hunger of this sphere is still very far from saturation, while new specialists are required, with special skills and knowledge. It is no longer enough to be able to program or create sites, the industry needs new specialists.

Descriptions of vacancies are full of neologisms, which can be difficult to understand the meaning. Who needs employers and what duties will IT professionals have to fulfill? The list of the most popular employees looks like this:

• JavaScript programmer.
• content manager.
• project manager.
• application developers.

The sphere of IT-technologies shows stable growth, despite any financial crises. And in this sphere the highest salary growth is observed, therefore, employees with knowledge and skills in the field of information technologies will not remain without work in the near future.

However, choosing today the profession of an IT specialist for education, it is necessary to understand that the times when any computer-savvy person was in demand has passed. Today, the industry wants specialists with unique skills and knowledge, preferably in several issues at the same time. For example, a programmer and a 3D designer, project manager and layout designer, etc.

Also, the industry wants to receive professionals who can perform the latest duties, for example, create products for smartphones or work with highly loaded sites. Great prospects open up social media, so for a while SMM managers, IT evangelists, content managers will be required.

The number of requests for specialists in the field of data processing and analysis is growing, so the Big Data field (large data and business analytics) is a promising area for training and retraining. Also, the field of information technology needs specialists who are ready to work with AR (augmented reality), on specific platforms and cross-platform products. A great perspective is opened by IT-technologies for Internet marketing specialists.

Well, now let's go through the top list of professions that are needed right now (today and tomorrow that is).

Javascript-programmer - this profession, will allow not only to realize all your creative potential, but also will provide you a solid income. With this language, you can turn "lifeless" Internet pages into full-featured web applications, accelerate user interaction with the site and reduce the load on the server. On how well the Javascript programmer will perform its work, the success of the web project depends to a large extent. Wide outlook and understanding of the user's needs are one of the main requirements for a specialist in this profession!

Thanks to the creative approach and the large number of ready-made libraries / solutions that are always at hand, writing code will never turn into a routine, as Javascript and its tools always evolve and usually take all the "dirty" work on oneself, and you just have to concentrate On the embodiment of their ideas. Given the wide distribution of this language, you can safely say that a specialist Javascript, without work will not remain. Trends in the development of Internet technologies are such that in the future the popularity of the profession of Javascript programmer will only grow.

In addition to knowing Javascript itself, a specialist needs to have experience with frameworks: jQuery, AngularJS, Backbone, etc. Knowledge of libraries, for example, jQuery, greatly facilitates life, and allows you to solve the tasks in a faster and more efficient way.

Javascript is also a prototype-oriented programming language, but you also need knowledge of the principles of object-oriented programming. OOP in Javascript is somewhat different from languages with classical OOP, but the basic principles: inheritance, encapsulation, polymorphism also work, albeit in a modified form.

It is also important to have excellent knowledge of HTML and CSS, as you will have to interact with the HTML page, dynamically changing its structure. Many employers combine the duties of a Javascript programmer with the functions of a layout designer, so you need to know the basics of markup of web pages in any case.

Programming is divided into the so-called front-end and back-end. If you get rid of unnecessary details, most of the Javascript vacancies are front-end, and on this work you will create scripts for the client part, that is, those that do not "touch" the server part, but are executed in the user's browser. The interfaces you write will facilitate the work with the site for a person: for example, clicking the "mouse" will send the goods to the shopping cart, launch the video in a new window, open a chat with the support staff and so on. The front-end of the site, as a shop window, the brighter and more attractive it is, the more customers your "store" will attract, so the Javascript of specialists conducts a real hunt among employers.

Back-end, in turn, involves working with the server part. Javascript is used here less often and in a slightly modified form: Node.js. The main languages for the back end are PHP, Python, Ruby, Perl. The code written by you will receive information from the front end and process it already with server capacities, and not with the user's computer. Backend programming is closely related to databases, so these jobs require knowledge of SQL and most likely Unix systems that serve as the basis for servers.

The content manager's profession appeared almost simultaneously with the first site and now has become one of the most popular in the Internet industry. Almost any site needs an expert in its support and development. Jobs and positions of such professionals may be called: content manager, site administrator or webmaster.

The content manager publishes articles or news on the site, places photographs, corrects errors, participates in SEO-promotion, and sometimes he writes articles, reviews and interviews. The complete stack of tasks depends on the wishes of the particular employer.

Perspective of the profession is that in the process of working as a content manager you can get a wide range of experience in the field of Internet technologies and choose for yourself something more interesting and serious for career growth.

Content managers need a lot of Internet projects and companies: information sites, media, online stores, SEO-studios, advertising agencies and especially large, visited sites and Internet agencies.

In ancient times, all the "content" was created by writers and speakers. In the 19th and 20th centuries the printing and printing business was booming, books, newspapers, magazines were actively published, and the demand for information processing specialists was greatly increased. The popularity of the position of the content manager was received after the appearance of the Internet.

The job responsibilities of the content manager include:

• entering and editing information on the site:
• working with graphics;
• placement of video content;
• make-up of articles;
• writing articles, news, announcements and other content;
• search and collection of information for writing texts;
• elimination of simple errors on the site and a description of complex problems;
• control the correct operation of the site;
• communication with visitors to the site.

Almost always, what the content manager does depends on the specifics of the employer, so the duties may include:

• work with freelancers or in-house specialists;
• imposition and rendering of polygraphy (leaflets, booklets, business cards, etc.);
• management and development of Facebook;
• maintenance of mailing;
• placement and management of Internet advertising.
• And much more.

Requirements for the content manager consist of the following basic skills:

• Strong PC using skills;
• Basic knowledge of HTML, CSS;
• High literacy (ability to write without errors);
• Ability to process images for the site;
• Perseverance (ability to perform monotonous work);
• High speed printing;
• Carefulness and care;
• Ability to work with a large amount of information.

Desirable requirements for the content manager may include:

• Knowledge of Photoshop, Corel Draw and other graphics packages;
• Understanding the principles of search engine optimization (SEO);
• Knowledge of the statistics of attendance of Google Analytics;
• Experience in conducting contextual advertising.

Project Manager is a specialist whose main task is to manage the project as a whole: designing and prioritizing, scheduling tasks, monitoring, communication, and prompt problem solving.

Project Manager is a non-technical post, but most Project Manager in IT are former developers or testers.

The main responsibility and responsibility of Project Manager is to bring the customer's idea to realization in a timely manner, using existing resources. As part of this Project Manager task, you need to build a development plan, organize a team, customize the project workflow, provide feedback between teams and the customer, eliminate interference to teams, monitor the quality and delivery of the product on time.

Project Manager tasks can be classified as tactical and strategic. Tactical - this is a solution to everyday project problems, removing obstacles from the team path. Strategic are to coordinate the overall goal of the project, the path to it, and the speed of movement.

On the other hand, Project Manager tasks can be grouped into 3 groups:

• achievement of the project and client's goals (effective implementation of the task, ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction);
• achievement of the goals of the authorities and the company (financial indicators);
• achievement of the goals of the team members (motivation, assistance in the implementation of career goals, conflict prevention).

"The main statement of the task for PM:" We need this to work, "which means that the team will deliver the result within a reasonable time with a reasonable level of quality."

Responsibilities of PM:

• project documentation;
• drawing up a project plan;
• agreement on terms;
• analysis of possible risks;
• participation in the selection and approval of the project team;
• breakdown of the product into components and distribution to the contractors;
• determining the required resources and working environment, their distribution within the team;
• setting the work process in the team (development, testing, work with requirements);
• prioritization of tasks;
• organization of team work around the required task;
• tracking the status of the project, the progress of tasks;
• tracking the proper priority of tasks;
• tracking the load tasks and progress on the tasks of each developer;
• tracking the timing of tasks;
• keeping the team in working order, motivation of the team;
• creating a transparent communication environment between all participants in the process;
• tracking the satisfaction of the project by the team;
• the solution of all sorts of conflict situations within the team and in conjunction with the customer-team;
• communication with the customer, managing his expectations;
• providing the customer with reports on the progress of the tasks and the project as a whole;
• presentation to the customer of ready solutions, demo versions, prototypes;
• interviewing new team members.

In small Project Manager companies, sometimes it is necessary to include the work of other specialists in their duties: requirements management (analyst work), personnel management, hiring and recruiting (HR department work), office solution.

The Project Manager can be divided into 5 modes:

• Design a new product or some new functionality. At this stage, the PM organizes a rally with the technical architect and developers, announces the tasks that they are to solve. As a result, the team determines the path by which the development will go.
• Planning. At this stage, it is important to take into account all the factors that affect the development process, including the qualifications of employees and associated risks, dependence on third-party services, bugfixation.
• Control. "A daily multiple action that Project Manager needs to understand what is happening in the project. You must always keep your hand on the pulse. "
• Prompt decision of arising problems.
• Communication with the customer, team, accompanying employees at all stages of project development.

A typical working day for Project Manager involves:

• Scheduling the task queue for the current day;
• Checking the work done by teams for the past day;
• Holding a stand with the team;
• Communication with the customer via email, Skype, phone, rallies;
• Work with documentation, reporting;
• Monitoring the performance of tasks;
• Solving various current problems.

As the Bible on the classic responsibilities of the Project Manager, the PMBOK book - a set of project management knowledge - is reviewed.

Advantages and disadvantages

The position of Project Manager attracts applicants the opportunity to closely manage: to make decisions, to organize a quick and high-quality product creation, to provide a working atmosphere in the team, to coordinate and monitor the actions of developers.

For disadvantages Project Managers the work in the style of non-stop: irregular work schedule, a permanent prospect of overtime, the need for response and urgent tasks in the off hours, as well as stressful work. Another disadvantage is the high responsibility even in cases of insufficient level of influence on the result.

The main qualities of the Project Manager are good knowledge of the subject area of ​​the business, leadership qualities, experience in working with people, presentation and persuasion skills, the ability to negotiate and take into account the interests of different groups of people, the ability to politely and clearly express thoughts in many languages, as well as the ability to collect the big picture On disparate facts. We also need experience in planning, assessing and eliminating risks, knowledge of flexible and classical development processes and the ability to perform administrative tasks and create a team. It will be a plus experience in development or testing.

Career path to the position of the Project Manager specialist who previously worked in IT, looks like this: Developer (tester) -> Lead developer (tester) -> Project Manager.

A mobile developer is a specialist who develops software applications for various mobile devices: tablets, smartphones. The profession at the moment is the most fashionable, promising and in demand. After all, it was in the field of mobile development that such interesting novelties as voice and gesture interface appeared.

In the job market there is an acute shortage of specialists in this field. And in the future the situation will only get worse, as the modern world can not be imagined without mobile devices, which are used not only by advanced youth, but also by all segments of the population. An increasing number of people go online from mobile devices. A person of the future does not want to be tied to the office with his heavy computer equipment, when there is a real opportunity to solve any issues with the help of mobile devices literally on the go. A lot of computer programs relocated to mobile devices and successfully functions there. And in the future their "mobilization" will only increase.

Now is the most suitable time for mastering this profession. Moreover, for beginners, no special training is required. There is enough interest in mobile applications and the desire to learn in order to master this promising and highly paid profession. The advantage and uniqueness of the mobile developer's profession is that everything depends on you: having an initially good idea and correctly implementing it into the world of mobile technologies, without investing resources, you can create an international project similar to Instagram and become a millionaire in the shortest possible time.

Mobile applications are extremely popular among entrepreneurs of different levels. If the application is up-to-date, convenient to use, functionally and solves important user problems, it significantly increases the number of customers and increases the profit of the business.

The functional responsibilities of the mobile developer at the moment are not clearly defined due to the youth of the profession. He also has to be a designer, a coder, a programmer. And in general, the mobile developer's activities can be divided into several stages:

• the preparatory period in the creation of the application - the definition of specific requirements of the customer in the form of a technical assignment;
• creating a mobile application that combines such mandatory features as reliable operation on one of the mobile operating platforms (Apple iOS, Google Android, Windows Mobile), user-friendly interface, multifunctionality, profitability for the customer.

Pluses

Highly paid, very demanded profession.

The clarity of standards and guidelines make it much easier to design part of the mobile developer's work. The interface is a detailed description of the elements in mobile applications, and for each platform they are their own.

The investment of resources for mobile development is small.

Minuses

The policy of companies that manufacture mobile devices does not allow the developer to quickly amend the application, since any action is checked by employees of the company. So, Apple is checking out any updates within a week.

Muddiness of users to the design and functionality of the application delivers many unpleasant moments.

Place of work

In the IT sphere, there are no boundaries for a long time. You can work without leaving home for any transnational company in the world or private business. The work of a mobile developer can be found on freelance exchanges, on job sites. And you can create your own business to develop mobile applications.

Important qualities

One of the most important qualities of a mobile developer is the ability to react constructively to criticism of users who leave their feedback about the work of applications on Google Play and the App Store. After all, negative feedback is not always aimed at offending the developer. As a rule, they indicate some specific problems in the mobile application and the developer should solve them.

Necessary personal qualities:

• analytical mind;
• attention to detail;
• high efficiency;
• ability to plan and observe deadlines;
• striving to improve professional skills;
• exploring new technologies for mobile operating systems.

Professional skills and knowledge

• Knowledge of programming languages:
• Apple iOS - Objectiv-C, Swift
• Google Android - Java, Scala
• Windows Mobile - C #, VB.NET;
• Ability to create applications for Android, iOS, Windows Mobile;
• debugging applications;
• Knowledge of the basics of programming for the iPhone and iPad;
• knowledge of new technology libraries
• for iOS - Siri, for Android - "OK, Google";
• working with the SQLite database.

At the end of the article. It may seem that all these professions are not suitable for our market, as they spend a lot of money in large companies, which in Estonia simply do not exist. But this is not so. Firstly, we have large companies, but for inattentive readers I will remind you that IT specialists are needed not only in classical IT companies, they are now needed everywhere, everywhere. And secondly, the very specifics of the IT specialist, even the Project Manager assumes that it will be possible to work, for example, on an English or American giant without leaving home (just for the sake of interest go to the same official Blizzard website and open a section of the vacancy there - for Those who do not know - they make the Warcraft !!!).

Good luck to us!