Businesses are finding ways to change as the world around them evolves. Advances in technology are driving much of the change, altering the landscape where people and companies conduct their business. One main advantage stemming from more efficient technology is how small businesses can now utilize these trends for their own purposes, but more technology integrated with business can create quite a strain on IT departments that are already dealing with a tremendous workload. That’s why many new IT jobs are quickly emerging as small businesses undergo this needed change. Here’s a look at a few of them.
BYOD Support Supervisor
This position is sometimes called the Mobile Tech Expert, but whatever name it goes by, it deals with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) business policies. More and more companies are turning to BYOD as a way to improve production and increase employee satisfaction, but as more workers bring in their personal devices, concerns over data security and app management increase. That’s where the BYOD Support Supervisor steps in. This person coordinates, controls, and maintains the employees’ personal mobile devices to make sure they’re integrated well with the strategies made by the small business.
Cloud Computing Architect
Many small businesses are making the move to cloud computing to handle increased demand networks while lowering costs. By putting such an added focus on cloud computing, businesses are no longer looking at IT workers as simply managers of the technical operations; they’re becoming a strategic part of the business and a driver of growth. Cloud Computing Architects are in charge of successfully integrating the cloud into regular business practices by managing a private cloud infrastructure. This position also requires the worker to be very familiar with cloud service providers and their terms of license agreements that can greatly affect how business is conducted.
IT Infrastructure Director
Many IT workers already attend to some of the duties of the IT Infrastructure Director–making sure a business’s technical infrastructure is working properly–but this position takes things one step further. IT Infrastructure Directors have a say in how data and applications are used by the business, setting up policies and procedures. They’re also in charge of integrating new technologies for small businesses, like virtualization, and making sure new installations go off as smoothly as possible.
Social Media Architect
Social media is about more than a simple diversion or a way to keep up with family and friends. Companies both large and small are using social media as a way to connect with customers in new and innovative ways. With such a new field ripe with potential, small businesses are assigning specific people to oversee what some are calling “social business.” One of the Social Media Architect’s main duties is to ensure social communities remain secure while on a business network, along with seeing to the security between the business and customers on social media. Many companies use multiple social tools in their day-to-do operations, and it’s up to the Social Media Architect to make sure they work together smoothly while also making the data collected from these tools accessible to the business but safe from outside intruders.
Data Scientist
Big data seems to be all the rage in the business community, and now small businesses are getting in on the action as well. Big data holds many keys to helping businesses understand customer motivations and map out future company strategies, but there are also aspects where data can play a vital role in the technical operations of a business. A skilled IT worker can be employed as a Data Scientist, someone who is able to find hidden patterns in mountains of collected data. A good Data Scientist can sort through all that data to track down potential security risks before they become a much bigger problem. Data Scientists can also find potential system failures, addressing the concern before it can adversely affect the small business. This position also comes with a lot of flexibility, from entry-level jobs to more high-level opportunities.
This is just a snapshot of the emerging trends in the IT job market. Many jobs often overlap each other, and small businesses looking to save on costs may ask IT workers to take on more than one role. As always, changes in technology and business practices will likely lead to changes in information technology as well. As long as IT personnel keep up to date and continuously hone their skills, they will find job opportunities available.
by Rick DelGado, Independent Author
“I’ve been blessed to have a successful career and have recently taken a step back to pursue my passion of writing. I’ve started doing freelance writing and I love to write about new technologies and how it can help us and our planet.” – Rick DelGado
