Top IT Fields

So I am just curious, I am just an entry level tech right now (CompTIA), but what fields have the most demand?
I have been told by a friend in the field that Citrix is very very in demand. A common path for many seems to be Microsoft/Cisco, and even the value of CCIE/MCSE is degrading, which leads me to other companies. So what do you all think? As I said I am only entry level so I don't really even know what certs in the "Others" category on this forum are used for. Citrix, CWNP, Oracle, Novell, etc. Thoughts? Thanks!

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dave330i

Your friend is incorrect. Citrix is not very in demand.

Best way to find out which field is in demand is to search job for your area (I prefer indeed), and look at those top 10, 15 IT field lists.

cyberguypr

I'll take a CCIE or MCSE over all the other stuff you mentioned any day. If you friend says Citrix is booming he either works for them or is just clueless. I am curious as to what is your logic to say that the CCIE and MCSE have lost value and as a result you are not considering them. I've heard this argument for basically every cert out there. It may be true to some extent but it doesn't mean someone focusing on systems administration or networking should stay away from them. Employers still look for certified people in these areas and will keep doing so.

First question you need to ask yourself is "where do I want to go"? That will help narrow down what your next cert is. Only after answering that is that you should start looking at the appropriate certs. Be careful with pursuing what is popular. Make sure you really like whichever route you take, otherwise the journey could become unpleasant.

nster

Citrix or Terminal Servers ARE booming in some areas, just not that many. I feel like in Windows Systems admin type jobs, MCSE + CCNA + VCP-DCV is a pretty popular route, and while their value have gone down from their peak, it is still very much in demand. Usually these jobs also require quite a bit of experience. I personally want to pursue Citrix as I currently work with it, like it, and find it interesting, but I don't think it'll help me much job-wise unless an employer is specifically looking for Citrix specialists.

ProFamous

Oh well I guess I will not be listening to this friend anymore. MSCE and CCIE are not what they used to be, as @nster said, however apparently still very highly regarded. I guess I will still be sticking to my Microsoft Sys Admin route then. Thanks!

N2IT

Every time I turn my head security is up there.

srabiee

Linux administration seems to be getting more and more prevalent. Every time I do job searches for "system administrator," "system engineer," or "network administrator," a good chunk of the job postings require several years of Linux experience. Unfortunately, I have none. It's on my long-term to do list, but I have way too many things I'm working on right now. Seems like the Linux jobs pay quite well though.

nster

N2IT wrote: »

Every time I turn my head security is up there.

^ This

If you are interested in branching to something quite different, Security is very sought after right now

beads

@nster;

Senior security staffers are hot today. This gentleperson is asking what will be hot in the future. Like any other aspect of this field you'll be quick to realize how fast the IT career coaster goes up and down - and generally on a markets whim.

The next really hot topics for IT but aren't really there yet are as follows: Hadoop/Big Data, Risk management, Statistics and probability as a feature set to any business skill, regardless of specialty, GRC/audit specialists and Data Science in general. Computer Science will be more heavily weighted toward math again as the ability to digest huge data sets becomes to large for anything but a machine to process into decisionable information.

Security will become much more automated going forward needing fewer analyst to crunch data into information. Tools that are not friendly to a single analyst but to many are already being displaced. Think FireEye versus the up and coming LightCyber Magna. Coverage is better on a Magna and the number of alerts is 100:1 in my cases. Instead of 6 analysts we have one doing the same amount of work. Expect that roller coaster ride to come to a stop near you as well. Doesn't mean the segment goes away it means that its going to change directions before all those freshers become very senior getting there.

Been at this for decades and only my timing has been off.

- b/eads

chopsticks

The ones in demand now on system side, if I'm not wrong, are IT Security, Virtualisation and Cloud service, Cisco Networking.

ProFamous

I seem to always hear security being a hot field as well. However IT "security" seems like such a broad term; what is hot in one aspect of security may not be in another aspect. Just speculation.
The reason I brought up Citrix in the first place is because I hear virtualization/cloud is a booming field. It being cheaper and what-not.

beads wrote: »

@nster;

Senior security staffers are hot today. This gentleperson is asking what will be hot in the future. Like any other aspect of this field you'll be quick to realize how fast the IT career coaster goes up and down - and generally on a markets whim.

The next really hot topics for IT but aren't really there yet are as follows: Hadoop/Big Data, Risk management, Statistics and probability as a feature set to any business skill, regardless of specialty, GRC/audit specialists and Data Science in general. Computer Science will be more heavily weighted toward math again as the ability to digest huge data sets becomes to large for anything but a machine to process into decisionable information.

Security will become much more automated going forward needing fewer analyst to crunch data into information. Tools that are not friendly to a single analyst but to many are already being displaced. Think FireEye versus the up and coming LightCyber Magna. Coverage is better on a Magna and the number of alerts is 100:1 in my cases. Instead of 6 analysts we have one doing the same amount of work. Expect that roller coaster ride to come to a stop near you as well. Doesn't mean the segment goes away it means that its going to change directions before all those freshers become very senior getting there.

Been at this for decades and only my timing has been off.

- b/eads

@beads, you always seem so knowledgeable when responding to my threads, very helpful, thank you. So knowledgeable, in fact, that I have no clue what the hell you just said. But I will try to respond with a shred of intelligence.

The up and coming hot topics you listed seem to me to be more business focused than IT (risk management, stats and probability, audit specialists), right? Computer Science I always try to separate from what most people see as IT, CS being software development and such and IT being systems/network admins and security and such. Just a novice here so not sure.

renacido

beads wrote: »

@nster;

Senior security staffers are hot today. This gentleperson is asking what will be hot in the future. Like any other aspect of this field you'll be quick to realize how fast the IT career coaster goes up and down - and generally on a markets whim.

The next really hot topics for IT but aren't really there yet are as follows: Hadoop/Big Data, Risk management, Statistics and probability as a feature set to any business skill, regardless of specialty, GRC/audit specialists and Data Science in general. Computer Science will be more heavily weighted toward math again as the ability to digest huge data sets becomes to large for anything but a machine to process into decisionable information.

Security will become much more automated going forward needing fewer analyst to crunch data into information. Tools that are not friendly to a single analyst but to many are already being displaced. Think FireEye versus the up and coming LightCyber Magna. Coverage is better on a Magna and the number of alerts is 100:1 in my cases. Instead of 6 analysts we have one doing the same amount of work. Expect that roller coaster ride to come to a stop near you as well. Doesn't mean the segment goes away it means that its going to change directions before all those freshers become very senior getting there.

Been at this for decades and only my timing has been off.

- b/eads

Normally you and I agree on things, but if you think security is going to be a career field in decline anytime this century, you and I aren't living in the same universe.

techfiend

The thing with IT security is that it's one of the first areas cut in most companies because they take a reactive position to it. If issues haven't arisen most companies think there's no use putting much into IT security. The mindset for some companies has changed but who knows if that will persist. It's future demand is basically a coin flip. Luckily it's a field that gives you a lot of experience to branch out to other areas.

dave330i

ProFamous wrote: »

The reason I brought up Citrix in the first place is because I hear virtualization/cloud is a booming field. It being cheaper and what-not.

Virtualization/cloud is hot. Citrix is not.

renacido

techfiend wrote: »

The thing with IT security is that it's one of the first areas cut in most companies because they take a reactive position to it. If issues haven't arisen most companies think there's no use putting much into IT security. The mindset for some companies has changed but who knows if that will persist. It's future demand is basically a coin flip. Luckily it's a field that gives you a lot of experience to branch out to other areas.

That may be true of individual companies but the threat is only increasing and advancing in sophistication. While one company reduces staff there are two throwing money into security in the aftermath of their latest incident and the company that is reducing their security investment today is the one on the news who got effed in the A by a major breach tomorrow.

renacido

techfiend wrote: »

Luckily it's a field that gives you a lot of experience to branch out to other areas.

In my 23 years in IT, I've never seen someone start in IT security and go into sys admin/networking from there. It's the other way around, and for good reason.

techfiend

That's true now a lot of companies are hiring security but no one can guarantee that keeps up.

I realize security -> net/systems is very uncommon but when things hit the fan. There's other areas security guys can slide into fairly easily such as analysis and development.

Just saying infosec employees are well prepared for other parts of IT if the security field starts to dry up. Late last year a few members of this board were having a hard time continuing their infosec career. One that comes to mind is a local guy in a medical and retail hotbed ended up moving to Colorado to continue his infosec career because he couldn't find one around here. It can change really quickly.

abyssinica

cyberguypr wrote: »

I'll take a CCIE or MCSE over all the other stuff you mentioned any day. If you friend says Citrix is booming he either works for them or is just clueless. I am curious as to what is your logic to say that the CCIE and MCSE have lost value and as a result you are not considering them. I've heard this argument for basically every cert out there. It may be true to some extent but it doesn't mean someone focusing on systems administration or networking should stay away from them. Employers still look for certified people in these areas and will keep doing so.

First question you need to ask yourself is "where do I want to go"? That will help narrow down what your next cert is. Only after answering that is that you should start looking at the appropriate certs. Be careful with pursuing what is popular. Make sure you really like whichever route you take, otherwise the journey could become unpleasant.

YES this is the best advice ever. Thank you.

ProFamous

dave330i wrote: »

Virtualization/cloud is hot. Citrix is not.

Ah! Gotcha. Thought Citrix was the "pinnacle" of virtualization/cloud. Shows what I know.

YFZblu

techfiend wrote: »

The thing with IT security is that it's one of the first areas cut in most companies because they take a reactive position to it.

I haven't seen this in action. On the contrary, most groups even remotely serious about security have a hard time finding qualified candidates. The other thing about InfoSec is, once experience is gained, obtaining a newer and higher-paying job is about as easy as hailing a taxi in New York City...IMO, the threat of losing one's job over a breach or downsizing isn't something to worry about much.

YFZblu

beads wrote: »

Instead of 6 analysts we have one doing the same amount of work. Expect that roller coaster ride to come to a stop near you as well
- b/eads

...any operational security group that cuts 85% of its Analysts was making an explicit decision to downsize. That is not an example of automation consolidating the industry.

Remedymp

People who say Citrix Xen App and Desktop and Mobile Delivery isn't in or won't be in high demand have zero clue of what they're talking about.

5ekurity

+1 for security. I think the field is only getting bigger and more complex (think the "Internet of Things" - I hate that buzzword but it's applicable).

Nobody seemed to talk much about ICS / SCADA security up until several years ago. Talks about 'breaches' are commonplace now (almost to the point of the public being numb over them); several years ago, people were worried about their MySpace accounts getting 'hacked'. Attackers have gone from notoriety and the 'cool' factor to an actual black market economy where you and I are being sold (well our information, rather) for a few dollars. We have to live our lives 'reactionary' because organizations we trust with our information (banks, hospitals, government, etc.) can't secure and protect their systems from every single possible 'bad' thing that's out there - let alone if they choose to do nothing in the first place.

IMO - if someone is 'downsizing' on InfoSec - that means they didn't hire the right people in the first place. If you have a rock star team of InfoSec professionals, you do what you need to do to keep them on board and happy. There are plenty of organizations who will pay a very strong six figure salary for their skills, along with a lot of other benefits.

renacido

YFZblu wrote: »

...any operational security group that cuts 85% of its Analysts was making an explicit decision to downsize. That is not an example of automation consolidating the industry.

Any Infosec manager who thinks that adding boxes to their stack reduces their need for professional human intelligence and judgement deserves the embarrassing mess that will inevitably follow. I just hope that said manager is not in charge of protecting anything I care about.

Simrid

I would say security and VoIP due to the fact every network needs to because be secure and VoIP is a growing sector, which is pretty specialised.

Priston

For job postings in my area, programming and Linux are the top 2.