Certification Magazine - September 2007 - (Page 36) indicating which IT careers you might enjoy more than others. Step 2: Take a Technical Aptitude Test Usually when we are interested in something, we have a strong aptitude for learning it. In other words, we enjoy what we are good at. This is not always the case, though — I love graphic arts, but I couldn’t draw an ace of spades if it were the only card left in the deck. So, I strongly advise that before you take the plunge into a new technical career, make sure you have the aptitude to learn that particular skill set. All techies are different. Some have strong mechanical abilities and do well in infrastructure-related roles such as network administration and hardware engineering. Programmers tend to have a more analytical nature and typically have strong symbolic and logical reasoning abilities. Web designers and graphic artists are usually artistic with a great flair for design and ability to visualize. Database admin- istrators require many of the attributes of both networkers and programmers. Almost all IT jobs require strong written and verbal reasoning abilities, as well as great attention to detail. Call a local technical college or IT training center and ask if you can take an aptitude test. The tests usually are free, and they are one of the best tools at your disposal for choosing your new IT niche. A good technical aptitude test will measure the following abilities: • Numerical Reasoning: Most important for learning database administration and customer relationship management (CRM) administration and development; somewhat important for learning programming. • Verbal Reasoning: Most important for learning networking administration and hardware engineering; somewhat important in learning help desk and enduser support. • Symbolic and Logical Reasoning: Critical for learning software/ Web development; important in database development. • Visual Speed and Accuracy: Critical in Web design, graphic arts and desktop publishing; somewhat important in most IT areas. • Business Aptitude: Critical in project management and business analysis; quickly becoming important in all IT areas. Step 3: Research In-Demand IT Fields It doesn’t matter how good you are at something or how much you enjoy it if there are no jobs in that field. Although demand for many IT skills has exploded recently, some areas have turned sour. http://www.securitycertified.net http://www.securitycertified.net
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