I remember being introduced to computers in middle school. It was an Apple II series with basic functions and it was fun and unique. But for a kid that has spent their early years outside in the sun and playing with friends in the fields and woods of South Louisiana, it wasn’t the coolest thing ever. It wasn’t until years later that I was given the opportunity to return to the world of computers and Information Technology in general.
After bouncing around in various job fields I landed a job at an online advertising agency and that is where my love affair with IT began. It has been 13 years now and I have 5 reasons for why I work in IT.
- It beats working in the heat.
As I mentioned above, I bounced around in various job fields before IT and let me tell you. A lot of jobs out there do not come climate controlled. I have worked in shipyards, as a shrimper, a carpenter, bricklayer, and as a prison guard. You don’t get to complain about how low the AC is set. You have to deal with whatever it is that Mother Nature decides to give you that day. And as you can see from that list, you didn’t spend a lot of time sitting with a keyboard in front of you either. Working in IT is great, I don’t get rained on and I don’t sweat in the 97 degree 100% humidity weather. I have a desk with a personal fan and a comfortable chair. Not too many complaints here.
- What’s for lunch?
The office I currently work in is located downtown in a place known for great food. I am close enough for any restaurant that offers delivery and I am within walking distance of 20 different places to eat. I mean, talk about variety. Then one of the greatest things I discovered when I started working in IT…potlucks! I mean, I’ve been to potlucks before, I am not a savage, but the variety of the food at an IT potluck…WOW! By nature there are going to people a couple of different nationalities in an IT department. So you get to taste and discover authentic cuisine from around the world. I don’t care what anyone says about fancy restaurants. Most of the time you can’t beat food cooked by a person that grew up eating it. I have worked in IT for 13 years and for several companies and they are all the same. IT people like to eat and I am not complaining about that.
- Go away, not really can we hang out?
If you look at your desk right now what do you see? A computer of course, your phone, some sticky notes maybe, what about that coffee cup? You know what else most, if not 99.99999% of us have? Headphones. Whether ear buds, over the ear, old school DJ headphones, if doesn’t matter. We are listening to something or at least pretending to. Why? Because we work in an industry where it is okay to not socialize or socialize as much as you care to at that time. Now I am not saying that we spend all day carrying on a huge conversation, but you have to admit, if you are needing some human interaction, you can easily find someone to talk to, bounce ideas off of or complain about the variety of the coffee available in the break room. But, and here is the sweet things, if I don’t want to talk to anyone, or hear about the newest computer graphics card or the latest game, I got my sweet, sweet headphones. My personal refuge from the world and I really, really appreciate that.
- Do you remember that time the Doctor defeated Moriarty in Rivendell?
Okay everyone, raise your hand if you know what the heck I am talking about. Admit it, you all did. The #4 thing I love about working in IT is that I can be as big a geek as I need to be. Note I said need, not want, and I know most of you can relate to that. Whether it is iconic like Sherlock or the Hobbit. Obscure like Black Butler or Rom the Space Knight. If it is out there you can probably find someone in your workplace with a similar interest. We started a book club in my office and the first several books were of course science fiction. The group started to grow and eventually someone suggest a book that talked of the social ills of modern man, without space flight, super powers or a dystopian future. Guess what, that book club dies. Why? We want to geek out at every opportunity possible. You can be full a full-blown geek and wear it with pride or you can hide it in a closet. You can only let people know by veiled references and miniscule figurines. It doesn’t matter, you are in a safe place. Where else can you find 35 years olds talking about chasing imaginary creatures no one else can see and no one thinks that’s strange?
So we have talked about the wonderful climate control available in IT, the overabundance and variety of food, the ability to hide from the world when needed and the safety of surrounding yourself with like-minded people. We have come to the end of the list and I finally get to tell you my favorite, number one reason I work in IT.
- I can help you with that.
Problems. Everyone has them and anything can be one. I have always enjoyed helping people. Whether it is to move that sleeper sofa up 3 flights of stairs in the middle of the summer while it is raining or listen to talk about the lost love of your life. So, when I got into IT, I quickly discovered that the majority of what you do is fix problems. You help a business sell more widgets. Help their customers pay their bills with greater ease. You figure out how turn 4 legacy systems into 1 modern system. The questions and problems are endless, as are the opportunities. What business doesn’t need a website? What business doesn’t need better technology? What business doesn’t want to improve? The answer is simple, all of them. One of the highlights of my day is when I get to sit with co-workers and solution issues. To be able to take whatever crazy, far out, impossible dream the business comes up with and tell them, “Yeah, we can do that and here’s how.” I enjoy figuring it all out. I enjoy the look on the business’s face when they see what you developed. I love the look on my teams face when they realize they need to do the impossible. I love it all. That’s what makes me get out of bed in the morning. Heck, I even love the fact that things can change from one day to the next. What’s the use of saying we are an Agile shop unless, you know, you have agility?
I used a lot of space here to get to the final point on my list. However, how does the saying go? “I saved the best for last”? There are a lot of things you can pursue as a career. There are a lot of things I could pursue as a career and I have tried way too many. But once I landed in IT I have never looked back.
I hope you enjoyed my 5 top reasons for working in IT. Now, your assignment, if you choose to accept it, is why do you work in IT? Why do you work in whatever field you do work in? Let everyone know in the comments section and I look forward to hearing from you.
