Information Technology Professionals or also known as IT professional handle a wide range of computer related duties like, INSTALLING SOFTWARE, UPGRADING HARDWARE, and some, MAINTAINING COMPUTER NETWORKS. 10 years from now, I would love to see myself doing those tasks.
IT professionals work on behalf of many different companies, handling all the computer and technological issues that occur for a business. These workers ensure that all hardware and software function properly in addition to making sure that networks run smoothly. Career InfoNet, notes that IT professionals regularly identify and solve technological problems. Typically, IT professionals work together on a team and split up the necessary tasks among themselves. Other technological job duties may occur for experts in this field depending on their role and position.
I have not dreamed yet of becoming famous in IT field, I even ask myself why am I pursuing this field anyway. But then, given enough chance to become successful, I would like to be an IT CONSULTANT.
As according to Common Impact, the IT Consultant is a unique, exciting position that will allow you to use and develop a number of different skillsets.
-An excellent problem solver and critical thinker who can synthesize information, ask
insightful questions, and spot trends quickly. You should feel comfortable in situations where you are simultaneously interviewing a client, taking notes, summarizing information back to the client, anticipating the next question you’ll ask, and reflecting on how you’ll use the information once you return to the office.
-A self-starting, energetic leader who elicits the respect and trust of staff and external
partners. In this position, you’ll get to work with everyone from a director of a two-person nonprofit to a C-level executive of a Fortune 500 company. We are looking for someone with a strong sense of good consulting practices, who knows how to lead client meetings to successful outcomes, and who has at least three years of direct experience doing comparable work. (In your first year, this position will likely not require you to travel or supervise other employees, although as you grow, such opportunities may arise.)
-An independent worker who can juggle a wide range of simultaneous projects. Each
Consultant works with 10 to 15 nonprofit clients over the course of a year, each of which may be at a different point in our consulting process. We’re looking for a successful project manager who is organized, who is able to keep track of many small details, and who can handle projects with $competing priorities.
-An excellent verbal and written communicator who is able to translate technology into
layman’s terms. Some of our nonprofit clients do not have anyone on staff who is formally trained in technology. Thus, clear and simple verbal communication is critical for this position.
-Knowledgeable about a diverse range of technologies. Common Impact and its clients use a wide range of technologies including: Salesforce.com, open source web content management systems, HTML, Java, ASP.NET, Microsoft Office (including Access), and a Windows Server 2003 environment. While we do not expect the IT Consultant to have experience with all of these technologies, knowledge in these areas is a plus.
-Committed to working with diverse communities.
-Enthusiastic for the mission of Common Impact.
Challenges for an IT CONSULTANT:
As the IT Consultant, you will be responsible for:
• Identifying high-performing nonprofits. You will field questions and read proposals from interested nonprofit applicants, select a subset of organizations from the initial applicant pool, conduct second round interviews, and make final selections to determine our client portfolio.
• Devising solutions to nonprofits’ technology challenges. You will be responsible for working with 10 to 15 nonprofit clients each year and developing technology strategies for those clients.
You will understand each client’s business process, determine what projects would be of greatest benefit, and write requirements documents for your recommended solutions. Our assessments typically cover topics such as information systems, CRM, use of the web, and IT staffing.
• Facilitating successful relationships between nonprofits and employee-volunteer teams. Common Impact offers many different projects to corporate employee-volunteers: someone can join a day of service project, a six-month team project, or act as a coach or mentor to a nonprofit.
You will be responsible for managing these teams as they build projects like databases orwebsites, and for overseeing the entire implementation to ensure that the project goes smoothly.
• Supporting the growth of Common Impact’s services. Common Impact currently runs a full service site in Boston and is building sites in New York and Richmond. As we continue to grow our new sites into full-service operations, you will work closely with our Managing Director to build systems that facilitate this growth. This includes:
o Designing Common Impact’s IT strategy. You will oversee our internal IT systems including the development of our project management and CRM platform, facilitating connectivity between remote offices, and managing our IT support vendors. (Specific technologies are listed below.)
o Modeling growth and expansion opportunities. You will work cross-functionally with other Common Impact staff to understand current sales opportunities in our pipeline, analyze current staff workloads, and ensure that staff members are allocated on an optimal number of projects. You will also model our work in new cities to determine when we should hire staff in these geographies.
o Helping to expand our services. The IT Consultant will play a critical thought leadership role as we develop, refine, and grow our services to scale.
• Enhancing the organizational culture at Common Impact. At Common Impact, we strongly believe that the spirit in which we do our work is as important as the work itself. We pride ourselves on excellence, innovation, fostering collaboration between groups that might not otherwise interact, and a willingness to have fun with our work. A successful candidate for this position will also hold these values.
Years from now, after college, I would still love to study any IT related field because If given the chance to be an IT consultant someday, I want it to be done in a more professional manner. If you'd ask me in what way, I cannot tell.
LINKS USED:
http://www.effiharyanti.com/becoming-an-it-professional/
http://www.technology-colleges.info/index2.html
http://www.commonimpact.org/pdf/IT_Systems_Architect.pdf
