What Skills Do Graduates Need for Successful IT Jobs?

IT is still a popular field with many in-demand jobs. Many graduates come out of college each year looking for jobs in this field. Most have the technical skills taught in their courses, but many do not know what else is involved in finding and keeping a job in IT. Below are some of the skills IT grads need to be successful.

Specific IT technical skills
If you are hired as a programmer, you should definitely know popular programming languages and how to learn new languages. If you are a networking specialist, you should understand all that is involved in that and be able to exercise your expertise. These are the skills that you most likely learned in your courses. Now is the time to put them to use.

General technical skills
other than skills specific to your field, there are general technical skills you might use. For instance, you might need to use Microsoft Word or Excel. You might also need to do basic research on the Internet.

Problem solving/critical thinking
Along with technical skills, it is extremely important that you are able to solve problems and think critically. It requires the ability to think logically and apply what you have learned to a real world situation. Critical thinking-the ability to think for yourself and "outside the box"-is also important. If you were good at story problems in mathematics, this is a skill you should be able to master. Many times you will be required to use these skills in connection with your technical knowledge. Depending on the nature of your job, in fact, troubleshooting and creatively solving problems may be the main part of your job.

Creativity
When it comes to thinking "outside the box," it is a good idea to also have the ability to be creative. This doesn't mean that you should disregard the accepted rigors of your profession. Sometimes there is only one way to do something. However, there are parts of just about every job that can benefit from some creativity. In IT, that usually translates to the "out of the box" thinking referred to earlier.

Plays well with others
One thing just about every job has in common is people. You have coworkers, supervisors, customers, clients, patients, students, or some combination of them. In jobs where you work predominantly with others (technical trainers, support specialists, etc.), it is pretty obvious that you need to be able to work well with other people. Along with intangibles such as attitude, the ability to work well with others is critically important to just about every job, even in IT!

How would you like to mix live hockey broadcasts? Or be the one to affix the microphone to your favourite sports hero for their next radio or TV interview? Then you may want to consider pursuing sound engineering school to become an audio technician for the sports world.

Graduates of audio engineering school who want to specialize in sporting events have a lot of options to choose from.

Specialize in outside broadcasting (work the trucks!)

One of the most lucrative options for audio school grads interested in working on sporting events is outside broadcasting. Outside broadcasting is the use of mobile studios to produce radio and TV broadcasts. These mobile studios are called "production trucks."

There is a space in a production truck for graduates of sound engineering school to operate a mixer. In the case of a soccer or hockey game, the technician may be fielding audio feeds from such diverse sources as:

- commentators
- players
- reporters

They:

- share information with colleagues
- follow the director's instructions
- make sure that the audio matches any video

There is also a space in the truck where technicians can use their expertise gleaned in audio engineering school to ensure a high quality sound transmission.

Some audio school grads are drawn to production trucks work, not simply because of the money, but for the rush of mixing for a live event. And if the technicians are fans of the sports that they are producing, that doesn't hurt either!

Specialize in live HD or 3D events

Some students in audio engineering school programs have their hearts set on a very specific kind of production trucks: HD or 3D production trucks.

HD trucks, in particular, have been a very exciting option in recent years for new graduates of sound engineering school, because of the need to get the audio quality up to par quickly with the video technology. In the early days of HD broadcasting, some observers lamented the quality of the audio, prompting industrious audio school alumni to find ways to make the most of the new technology.

Some sports fans have even blogged about the difference in sound quality in HD broadcasts from different networks. This is one area where technicians know that they will be being judged on their skills acquired in audio engineering school.

One challenge HD poses to audio school-trained technicians? How to moderate the difference in sound between commercials and games during broadcasts.

Now that there are 3D HD screens, 3D production trucks are another exciting new arena for students in audio school interested in a career mixing sound for sports events. The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa was the first World Cup soccer event to be broadcast in 3D HD.

Students who want to work in sports should start thinking about how they want their career to look while they are still in audio engineering school. Get your game on!