What does the IT professional do and what is the importance of the job?
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the term “IT professional”? Possibly, for all the other departments of a company, this professional is nothing more than the person responsible for “helping out with my PC”, “repairing the broken printer” or “teaching me how to do something on the computer”. We will not judge you, since, in fact, several companies hire alleged IT professionals precisely to deal with this type of situation. However, the reality is quite different, as we are talking about a very important position for any business.
The acronym IT — in case you don't know — comes from Information Technology, a broad area, with several branches and which is constantly evolving. However, at its core, Information Technology is precisely what the name suggests: the use of technological resources to process information, always seeking to facilitate processes for employees, optimize productivity, reduce costs, propose new work methodologies and — occasionally — to dabble in the field of Information Security.
Stop a moment and think: which software packages do you use in your daily work? How do you store your documents? How is it possible, in this moment of social isolation, that you are able to access corporate systems and resources, despite being far away in the comfort of your home? At the office, how do you manage to share files on local networks or even print paper on the printer which is only meters away? Well, this entire framework was designed and is maintained by the IT professional.
More than “the computer guy”
As stated previously, the work of the IT team may encompass technical support, but it goes far beyond that: it involves providing guidance, choosing, implementing and maintaining the best systems, software packages and solutions for all the departments of a company, with the only goal of ensuring that all employees work efficiently. For this reason, technical hard skills are not enough; a good professional in this field must also develop soft skills, such as organizational, managerial and strategic knowledge.
Technology is something that is constantly evolving. If just a few years ago there were servers inside our offices, today most businesses are migrating to the cloud. Therefore, dynamism to understand how these innovations can be used towards a more organized and productive corporate environment is another characteristic of the successful IT professional. But, of course, to do this, they also have to have a clear vision and be involved in the company's core business.
Thus, by understanding the industry they are working for, they are able to develop specific strategies for each need, adopting more analytical thinking to manage projects. After all, no company is the same — each has its own particularities that need to be taken into account when it comes to understanding how everything will operate.
Crucial for all businesses
It is difficult to summarize the IT area in a few words, especially if we consider how many aspects of this “art” exist: there are professionals specialized in infrastructure (responsible for ensuring the smooth operation and configuration of hardware devices), in networks (who focus on providing secure connectivity, either local or remote, between devices and corporate resources), in databases (focused on managing servers and databases), and so on.
In any case, the importance of IT professionals is undeniable. Without them, a company would not have the technological resources needed to remain competitive in an increasingly demanding market, nor would they be able to keep abreast with the latest resources in order to ensure the productivity of its employees.
