Shelby Cuaron Technical Communication Ferriter

To: C. Ferriter, Instructor

From: Shelby Cuaron
Re: Technical Document Analysis
Date: 02/18/18

I am writing this memo to tell you about the White Paper Assignment that I have finished for the
end of the Spring Term. This paper was second nature to me because I enjoy telling people about
my major and why I think others should do it. I also recruit for the Women in Technology
organization that I am a part of so I usually have some of this information handy.
Audience
My audience encompasses those who are looking to determine their future. Specifically, it is
meant for people who are trying to figure out their major in college. My goal and purpose of this
paper was to persuade those people that Information Technology and similar Technology Majors
are a great choice. I outlined salary, outlook, and job satisfaction because those seem to be the
most sought after aspects of a career. People want to make decent money, be happy in their job,
and actually be able to get that job after they finish college.
Significance

This is an incredibly important topic because not enough people are choosing technology as a
major. While this major is growing, it needs more people of diversified backgrounds to join it so
that it can be well-rounded for the boom of technology that is exploding throughout the world.
Getting people educated about what this major is and what it can do for them is increasingly
important because some people have lackluster perspectives as to what IT is. Many people have
the misconception of IT being comprised of middle-aged white men sitting at computers for their
entire shift. As the world is evolving technologically, this perception needs to change. So many
careers in technology are so much more than that monotonous lifestyle. Recruitment and
knowledge are the most important factors when showing people how great a major in technology
is.
Problems

Researching this topic took a lot of time. I had to gather a lot of data and look through countless
sources to get the ones that I wanted and thought would be the best. It was hard to find scholarly
articles that could give me valid information on such a new topic. However, I seemed to prevail
my finding a mix of Labor Statistics, Opinion Forums, and Articles about how Information
Technology is a great path to go on. I figured using that mix of factual statistics and opinions
from actual people would be useful for the audience because young people feed off of others’
opinions, it often helps/influences their own decisions.

1
Shelby Cuaron Technical Communication Ferriter

Why Information Technology is a Great Career Choice

Introduction

Choosing a path to go on when it involves your future is a tough challenge. Some people get

anxious about choosing one major when they’re not even sure what they want to do. Research

and getting to know different careers helps a lot, as well as self-reflection. Knowing your own

interest and abilities is another great way to figure out what path is best for you. Are you good at

math and physics, and like to work with your hands? Think about engineering. Do you enjoy

always learning about new technologies and have good problem-solving skills? Information

Technology may be a good choice for you. I make the case for technological majors because

there is something in them for everyone. IT is a major that encompasses so many different future

jobs that range from computer programming all the way to help desk. In this paper there will be

information for undecided college students or future college students who are looking to figure

out which major is best for them in the world of technological studies; this information will focus

on job satisfaction, outlook, and salary.

Methods

The research for this project was mostly online-based in that I utilized web sites and data

from them to make a case for the IT major. Also, I was able to interview two current IT Majors

to get a sense of how they feel about their life in the field. These methods were best for this

scope of a paper because Information Technology encompasses two things: People and

Technology. IT is a relatively new field to work in, so it is only natural that the internet is the

place to go for information on it. Also, interpersonal skills and working well with others is key to

having the soft skills of a good IT Professional.

2
Shelby Cuaron Technical Communication Ferriter

Online Research

When searching online for information on the IT World it was important to use key

words like “Information Technology”, “major”, “career”, and “data” among others. It is helpful

to get valid information as well as opinionated sources so that there are a variety of perspectives

for the person interested in learning about the IT Field. During my search, I found many helpful

sites. Researching the Bureau of Labor Statistics gave me useful data that I knew would be a

strong persuasive element. Also, forums like Quora are interesting to read on because the

opinions are given by real people who actual work in IT or have studied it. To make a choice

such as one’s major is an important turning point into adulthood and in life, the research on what

is best for that person must be thorough.

Peer Research

In interviewing two current students at Georgia Southern, I was able to see that many

people in the IT Major are different or are in it for varying reasons. I interviewed a Junior IT

major, Lillie, who is specializing in Web/Multimedia. Also, I interviewed another Junior IT

major, David, who specializes in Data. Staying vague and broad about my questions was

important so non-majors would be completely able to understand the point about living in the IT

Major instead of technical jargon. It is best for the person who is thinking of joining the

Technology field to rely on others and themselves, as we often must work in a team.

3
Shelby Cuaron Technical Communication Ferriter

Findings/Data

Job Outlook

Data on how the future is developing sheds a great, positive outlook for the Information

Technology and related Technology fields. The Technological World is booming right now. Job

Growth is at an incline and the variety of jobs in this field keeps increasing. The more people use

technology every day, the more necessary it is for some occupations to grow to keep up with

demand. I chose three random jobs from 3 popular majors to show how much of a need there is

for more IT professionals in the working world. If one was to join this major, it would not be

terribly hard to find a job. All data was found on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ site.

JOB OUTLOOK FOR IT -RELATED JOBS

COMPARED TO NON -IT MA JORS
Job 3 Job 2 Job 1

Technology

Business

Biology

Art

-5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30

4
Shelby Cuaron Technical Communication Ferriter

Salary/Wages

One highly popular question when planning out your future path is “How much money

can I make?”. Some consider it wrong to choose a major for the money because one may not be

happy with their career, that is completely valid. However, taking in account what the future

median salaries are in their fields that one is interested in is a good idea. Some people may be

disappointed when they choose an interesting major and then cannot make the wage they would

like for their standard of living. The average salary in the United States of America for all

occupations is $37,690. However, the average computer and information technology occupation

salary is $84,580. This can be broken down into many different occupations, because there are

countless options in this field.

The large amount of options for IT Professionals is another positive reason to join the

field. There is an entire spectrum of technology and so many incredibly different occupations.

One could focus their technological studies on coding, which could land them a

programmer/developer job that make about 65k-100k. On the other end, they could specialize on

the networking and datacenter route which would allow one to be a Network or Database

Administrator whom usually make in between 80k-100k. Data Science is also a fast-growing

specialization of IT that focuses on helping businesses make decisions based upon extracting

data. A Data scientist can make over $100,000 with a bachelor’s degree alone. Another popular

specialization of Information Technology is Cyber Security, which can make about 80K-100k.

All these specializations are viable options for a successful, fruitful career. As a disclaimer, there

are variations of salary for entry-level positions where they usually start out at 45-60k with no

experience besides school work. Moreover, even as a green, entry-level employee one can make

20-45% over the average American salary.

5
Shelby Cuaron Technical Communication Ferriter

Job Types

To give more information on the types of specialized Information Technology jobs, here

is a list of some of the main jobs in each specialization found on thebalancecareers.com:

• Networking/Database

o Computer Network Architect

o Computer Support Specialist

o Database Administrator

o Help Desk Specialist

o Systems Analyst

• Cyber Security

o Information Security Analyst

o Cyber Security Architect

o Security Software Developer

o Security Administrator

• Data Science

o Data Scientist

o Data Analyst

• Information Management

o IT Analyst

o Information Systems Manager

o Technical Consultants

• Web and Multimedia

o Web Developer

6
Shelby Cuaron Technical Communication Ferriter

o Applications Developer

o Software Developer

o Webmaster

Also, all these positions can get promoted in their certain specialization. If one were to do well in

their position, and had good leadership and interpersonal skills, they could become leaders of

their department or IT Manager if it were a smaller company with a smaller IT department.

Job/Major Satisfaction

Many people have this idea of IT Professionals being boring, sad people who sit at a

computer all day. While some days many may be looking at a computer screen for most of the

day, that is not quite true. In fact, some careers like Network Technician and Help Desk are

moving all around their company to do stuff. Many IT Professionals in Data must go to meetings

and be involved with finance and business coordination because their data will make most of the

decisions. Developers and Programmers do code most of the day, but they often work

collaboratively and go to meetings to figure out what is best for the future of the product/tool

they’re creating. I asked my colleagues in the IT Major how they enjoy their classwork and here

was the response. David, Data Science Concentration: “I look forward to my IT Classes, I love

how hands-on and personable everything can be. I just enjoy working with or on a computer in

general.” Lillie, Web Concentration: “My IT Classes are the best! Especially Web Development,

that was super fun. I’m currently in Web App 2 and it’s challenging but tons of fun.” Also,

looking at forums in which people share their opinion can be a helpful way to get feedback from

a variety of people. At Quora.com there is a forum that reads: “What’s it like being a

programmer? Is it a job that you could see doing for the rest of your life?”. These are not always

totally reliable sources, but it is good to read up on people’s opinions when considering such an

7
Shelby Cuaron Technical Communication Ferriter

important decision. One response struck me because it said, “It is like solving puzzles for a

living”, which is incredibly true if anyone has ever done that. If one enjoys doing puzzles, coding

may be in the cards for them.

Conclusions

Technology is not for everyone. There are so many pros to majoring in a tech major and

going into a technological career, but if after looking through all the information and it still

sounds terrible, do not go for it. Being in this field, and any field, is all about passion. If you love

learning new things every day and working in a fast-paced, ever-growing environment,

technology is a great choice. The salary, job outlook, and job satisfaction all have a strong

amount of positive feedback from people in the field and statistical sources that have done their

research. What’s even better? If more diverse people and minorities join this field it will be even

more diverse and better-working than it is now. There’s something in it for everyone.

Recommendations

Take the information I’ve given and use it. There is only one person who chooses your path

and that is you. Being a techie is rewarding in almost every way. Is it challenging? Yes. Do you

embrace a challenge? Try it out! Technological degrees are a one-way ticket to the future.

8
Shelby Cuaron Technical Communication Ferriter

References

2017 Median Pay. (2018, April 13). Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-

and-information-technology/home.htm

Whats it like being a programmer? Is it a job that you ... (n.d.). Retrieved from “What Is

It like Being a Programmer.” Quora.com, www.quora.com/Whats-it-like-being-a-programmer-

Is-it-a-job-that-you-could-see-doing-for-the-rest-of-your-life.\

N. (2018, March 02). The benefits of working in information technology. Retrieved from

https://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/it-and-technology/advice/438446-the-benefits-of-working-

in-information-technology

Information Technology Overview. (2018, April 20). Retrieved from

https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/computer-information-sciences/it-information-

technology/

Doyle, A. (n.d.). A List of Different Information Technology Job Titles. Retrieved from

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/list-of-information-technology-it-job-titles-2061498

Home : Occupational Outlook Handbook:. (2018, April 13). Retrieved from

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/

Interviews:

David Fisher, 21, Information Technology Major – Data Science Concentration

Lillie Evans, 23, Information Technology Major – Web/Multimedia Concentration

9
Shelby Cuaron Technical Communication Ferriter

10