Making the switch from military to civilian life can be difficult, but now there are more veterans choosing information technology careers because they know they are going to find a job that will place them in a comfortable income bracket. Plus, information technology can be rewardingly challenging with its intensity, creativity, and need for good problem-solving skills.

One area that a lot of veterans are turning to in the IT field is cyber security. There are jobs available with private defense contractors or in protecting the sensitive information of businesses from hackers. This is in line with a soldier’s desire to serve and protect. There are also veterans whose military jobs were cyber security and those skills can be taken into the civilian world. It is fair to say that veterans have a thorough understanding of how to safeguard information. The natural fit tends to be veterans who had federal security clearances.

Another area that veterans are turning to is Geospatial Information Systems. Mapping technologies are a big deal. Infrastructure, demographics, and satellite imagery are all components of this field and it is a major skill area right now. Veterans from the intelligence community tend to enter into this field. They have experience evaluating drone data and using that information in mission creation. There are also some divisions that land surveying is all that they do. Most of all, municipalities rely on Geospatial Information Technology to monitor infrastructure and to keep the public informed.

A third field that veterans are breaking into is health care information technology. Since health care is the fastest-growing career sector in the country, it is in need of IT professionals. Health care IT is very hot because of the computerized medical devices and the need for desktop support in a health care setting. Veterans that worked in medical units are perfect for these jobs since there are some employers that require prior health care experience, but not all of them have this requirement.

Fourth is logistics. Many veterans acquire logistics experience while they are in the field and this experience can be used to learn new logistics systems. Since logistic systems are proprietary, so vets will need to continue training in order to transfer their experience to a civilian IT job. One way to continue the training is to get a bachelor’s in IT.

Last is network administration. Many veterans have experience setting up battlefield communication networks. This experience can be applied to computer networking careers. If you have a Cisco Networking Fundamentals Certificate, you can easily prepare yourself for the Cisco Certified Network Associate exam and land a very promising career.

Overall, technology is always changing and technology is a major player in the military, resulting in many soldiers acquiring experience that they can use in the civilian world. If you are a veteran with information technology experience that was gained in the military, then you have a good chance of finding the perfect information technology career in the civilian world. Then again, putting yourself out there may result in that career finding you.

Technology impacts the lives of practically everyone in the world at some point and it is this fact that is changing the face of the labor market. It is this change that is increasing the need for workers to have specific sets of skills to adapt and succeed in their careers. IT careers are growing up to three times faster than other careers in the United States.

Here are some of the tech trends that are leading to new IT jobs:

1. Mobile hardware and software services

There is no doubt that the mobile industry is going to continue to evolve, which is going to create a great deal of careers. It will not be long before every phone is a smart phone and that the primary computer people will use will be tablets.

2. Social business enterprise management

This sector is expected to grow rapidly as businesses continue to sift from “informing” to communicating and engaging their customer base. Social software is rapidly growing, giving businesses a method to better communicate with their customers.

3. Cyber security

Every person who uses a mobile device, laptop, or desktop needs more security. However, businesses need security experts to help them keep their information secure.

4. Computer forensics

Police departments, prosecutors, and many others need computer forensic experts to retrieve data from a computer during criminal investigations. Since computers are being used as tools to commit certain criminal offenses, this is a growing field.

5. Cloud services and virtual

Many people now store important documents on a cloud server because they can access it from anywhere. Plus, information is protected if a computer crashes and there are no drives to carry around. Students, professionals, and the common user are turning to cloud storage more every single day.

6. 3-D Web

The Internet experience is about to change into a 3-D experience, which is very similar to some of the video game systems and 3-D televisions that are out on the market today. This new experience will allow you to virtually walk into a room and look around it so that you can listen to and see everything that you would see if you were there.

7. E-personal assistants

Apple’s Siri changed the way that people use their mobile devices. Think of it as a personal assistant that takes a lot of the work out of using a mobile device. While Siri does have its issues, the technology is going to continue to improve because people want it. This is going to be a major area for information technology jobs. The technology is expected to evolve as everyone from retailers to handymen will have an assistant like Siri.

8. Intelligent objects

Microsensors, chips, and wired and wireless network are quickly creating an Internet of objects. This is because data can be shared in real-time, diagnostics can be performed, and repairs can be done remotely. Many more jobs are going to be created as transportation departments install sensors on bridges and roads and construction companies place sensors on buildings and homes. It is expected that by the year 2020, there will be over one billion machines communicating with each other, but they need people to install them.

These are just some of the trends that are being seen now. New trends are always popping up. By keeping yourself informed, you will know which direction to take your IT career, your continuing education, and where you need to place yourself within the field so you can continue to evolve with it.

Information technology careers have been around for a very long time and the number of positions an IT professional can fill has grown as technology has exploded all around the world. Now businesses need IT pros to take care of their computer systems, interpret data, design websites, and much more. Here are the top 10 information technology jobs that are out there today:

1. Cloud architect – You have most likely heard of cloud computing and may even have some data stored on a cloud server somewhere. While the storage space that exists in that cloud out there in techno-land cannot be literally touched, it has to be given architecture and it has to be organized. The required education for this job is a bachelor’s degree and the salary is around $112,000 per year.
2. IT consultant – This is one of the oldest professions in the IT industry. CNN ranked the IT consultant as number 13 on its list of the Best Jobs in America. The name itself is rather vague, but the talents that an IT consultant possesses are very useful. They help startups figure out the most economical and fastest ways to run their systems. They also evaluate systems and do the necessary research that not everyone really understands. A bachelor’s degree in computer science is typical, but it is recommended that IT consultants specialize in a specific niche to help them focus their career goals. The salary is around $96,400 per year.
3. Computer forensic investigator – Think of this person as a computer investigator. It is also an interesting profession in that it involves identifying and evaluating information on computer systems that can be used for evidence. The required education is a degree in information security, cyber security, or computer forensics. Obtaining a certification from a computer examiner board is also useful. The salary is around $64,000
4. Mobile app developer – This job is getting a lot of attention because businesses want to expand their reach to Internet users. Reaching mobile users is the way to do that. Practically everyone with a smart phone uses applications very heavily. Now businesses are relying on IT professionals with experience in this area. The required education is a bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or mobile computer fields. The salary is around $90,000 or more.
5. Health IT specialist – This is a very important and blossoming field, especially with the health care system undergoing very large changes now and for the next year or so. Many hospitals and doctor’s offices are gradually moving toward electronic recordkeeping and this is increasing the demand for IT professionals. The required education usually does not require more than an associate decree or certification. Supervisor positions require a bachelor’s or master’s degree. The salary is around $45,000 per year.
6. Web Developers – Web developers have been around for a very long time and they are considered the jacks of all trades. They create web applications, web pages, web content, but their skill set requires them to determine what the average web surfer wants and what makes a website operate well. They also must know how to optimize websites for mobile technology and much more. Many web developers are self-taught and win positions through their portfolios. Some of them have degrees. The average salary is around $90,000 per year.

These are just some of the jobs that IT professionals are finding success in and the demand for these positions is growing. Other popular information technology careers include software engineer, data modeler, and information technology vendor manager. As the demand for technology grows, so will the popularity of the many IT careers that are out there.

Days before the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the December jobs report, economists predicted that 200,000 new jobs would be created that month. However, the report showed that there were only 74,000 jobs added in December compared to the over 200,000 that were created in November. This left very little light in the report. However, the unemployment rate dropped to 6.7 percent, which is the lowest number since 2008.

In regards to IT, the year has been assessed as a whole and it showed that 139,000 IT jobs were added in 2013. Many of these jobs were in the Professional and Business Services sector and the numbers showed that, once again, this is a sector that is very high performing. Of the jobs that were added in this sector in December, 5,300 of them were for technical consulting and computer systems design. In November, the number of jobs added in this sector was approximately 35,000 and that brought the average number of jobs added in the sector per month to 53,000.

The number of jobs added showed that there is still a high demand for IT professionals in practically every industry. From technical support to programmers, there is a growing need. As a matter of fact, businesses that did not previously use IT services in any way are now adopting them to help them reach out to their highly technological audiences.

Since 2013 wrapped up, the industry insiders have been looking in-depth at how the labor picture changed over the year. The number of employed Americans grew by 1.4 million people, while the number of unemployed fell by almost 2 million. Many of the jobs were new IT positions that were created to help businesses run more efficiently. However, many job seekers are finding that the market is a little harder than it once was, so they are utilizing new ways to succeed in their job hunts.

So what can IT professionals expect in 2014?
Well, the New Year looks to be a bright one for IT professionals. It appears that 2014 is going to call for more jobs and even higher salaries.
CareerBuilder surveyed over 2,000 HR professionals and hiring managers in November and December of 2013 and they found that 29% had already made plans to hire IT staff in 2014. In regards to expected hiring, IT was the second-highest sector. It was just one percent behind sales.

Geographically, the West is seeing the largest job growth. Twenty-six percent of those in the West who were surveyed said that they had plans to hire additional full-time staff. In the Northeast, that number is 24%; in the Midwest that number is 24%; and in the South that number is 22%.

A promising trend is that job holders and job seekers who wish to diversify their skills will find that many employers are looking to build the perfect employees rather than waiting on them. Nearly half of the companies surveyed said they have intentions to train their employees in areas that they may not have experience so they can “mold” them into what they want.

All in all, all of this adding jobs and “molding” is also going to lead to higher salaries. There are a number of companies experiencing economic expansion and this trickles down to their employees.