The technology industry is expanding at a rapid pace globally. It has been a major player in shaping the economy of countries across Asia and Europe for decades.
Australia’s IT and technology spending is expected to reach nearly $103 billion this year, an increase of 6.4 percent
In Australia the opportunities for people in the stem field are exceptionally good. A new and innovative business set-up can be started quickly and easily by anyone with an interest in pursuing a career in the technology industry.
There is a variety of options for those who wish to advance their skill levels and enhance their career options in the IT industry. Those wanting to pursue an IT job in the manufacturing sector, or in the HSE (hoe, scissor and crane) sectors are usually looking to join small to medium sized businesses as IT contractors or staff. Contractors perform a range of labour related functions, including coding and billing, or simply providing on site clerical and office support. IT contract personnel are also responsible for managing the company’s network and intranet systems, and supporting other departments that use these networks and systems on a daily basis. As technology is becoming more complex, these roles will become even more important in years to come.
A major component of the technology industry is software and hardware coding. This involves both the designing and the coding of computer programmes and programs that run from the boardroom to the thousands of laptops in stores. There are also growing opportunities in this area involving medical transcription, voice transcription, and transcription of any other type of verbal communications, such as meetings, seminars or press conferences. These work from home positions will require a high level of technical speaking skills and a wide vocabulary. Computer and software coding requires a thorough knowledge of how the computer works and a thorough understanding of the computer language, which is why English is usually required for entry level work.
“In Australia there are also increasing opportunities for people who want to go into the software development industry. Software developers design, develop and test applications that run on computers.”.
“For those with an interest in engineering this can be a very lucrative career option,” said CEO of Technology News Matthew Giannelis
Another growing and important facet of the information technology industry in Australia includes telecommunications and networking industries. As with the software industry, there are increasing opportunities and job opportunities for software developers and telephone or cable technicians. These professionals can find work in telecommunication industry, particularly in call centres and corporate office networks. There is a growing need for these professionals as users of cellular phones, computers and various other devices are expanding their businesses by adding software that enables them to communicate with other users of their devices. The expanding use of wireless broadband connections and systems also increases the need for such professionals.
As described earlier, computer and IT professionals are facing a lot of challenges as the expansion of the IT industry expands. Staff retention levels are decreasing in the IT and telecommunications industries due to the competition from outsourcing companies and the entry of new players into the markets. The expansion of these industries provides potential for highly experienced and skilled professionals to move to cities like Sydney and Brisbane to pursue their career aspirations. This trend is expected to increase the demand for highly skilled IT staff in Australia.
The technology industry has seen a number of changes over the last few years. Australia’s position in the global IT industry has remained stable and is one of the strongest in the world, according to estimates. Australia has an excellent reputation as a place to do research and develop new ideas. Many prominent companies like Cisco, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft and others have their bases in Australia.
The increasing demand for highly skilled and experienced professionals in the IT industry and the requirement of skilled people to fill open and growing technology jobs is creating a big demand for qualified Australian IT professionals. A major contributing factor for the increasing demand for professionals in the technology industry is the increase in the number of patent filings by the technology companies like Apple, Microsoft and Research in Motion. Australia has a strong IP portfolio and there are now several innovative technology companies emerging in Australia which are positioned to expand their business further.
