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What Skills Should Be Looking for in an IT Specialist?
Information technology (IT) is one of the fastest-growing career fields at the moment. These days, all modern organizations and enterprises are connected to the internet and have their own network infrastructure. As such, IT professionals who can help maintain this digital connection and provide tech support are in high demand. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that approximately 531,200 jobs in the field of computer and IT are expected to open up by the year 2029 – and this includes IT specialists, whose responsibilities are vital for every modern company.
Aside from being responsible for troubleshooting network infrastructure problems and maintaining the digital systems of a company, IT specialists also ensure that all employees have the tech tools they need to perform their jobs. If you’re looking to enlist the services of an IT specialist, here are some key skills you should keep an eye out for.
Communication
Employees may find it hard to verbalize and comprehend various technical issues with the systems they use. This is mainly because not everyone is well-versed in computers and technology. For this reason, IT specialists need to have good communication skills in order to easily understand and explain to their colleagues and supervisors. Doing so can help them to quickly determine the root cause of any tech issue and come up with efficient solutions. What’s more, IT specialists often work in teams, so they need to be able to communicate their ideas clearly and concisely with each other as well.
Analytical Abilities
For many organizations nowadays, data is key to being efficient – whether you’re in retail and need to study consumer behavior, or in healthcare and need to be able to detect medical patterns. Either way, certain software and tech tools are necessary to harness the needed data. For this, you’ll need to work with an IT specialist, so make sure they have an analytical background, too. Many data analytics careers are intertwined with several industries, like digital marketing, big data, and operations. It is an essential role in many organizations, as these particular professionals are able to use programming and scripting languages to process data. This information is then used to drive decision-making, boost profits, and improve operational models. All in all, analytical skills are a huge bonus for IT specialists as well as for your organization.
Problem Solving
Pinpointing problems in IT and digital systems can be a puzzling task. IT specialists need to be able to piece together why exactly a technical issue exists and figure out the most efficient way to resolve it. What’s more, some hardware and software problems don’t have a textbook method of solving them. So, you should look to work with IT specialists who like tinkering and discovering solutions through various problem-solving methods – whether through trial and error or means-end analysis.
Creativity
As you may have inferred from our previous points, an IT specialist’s job is not limited to merely solving hardware and software issues. IT specialists also need to possess a certain level of creativity in order to come up with insightful processes and solutions, even before a problem arises. As many of today’s organizations now rely on a variety of technologies to boost business practices, IT specialists are then tasked to come up with creative ways to leverage these technologies and create solutions to help their organization find success.
Teamwork
Of course, IT specialists are not alone in the IT department. Accordingly, it’s important for them to understand the value of teamwork and cooperation. What’s more, IT specialists are tasked with handling tech issues across various departments and teams. So, they need to have the interpersonal skills to work alongside distant colleagues and even complete strangers. If your IT specialist fails to work seamlessly with their team and the other departments in your organization, you’re more likely to encounter technical issues that could endanger the operational efficiency of your business.
Agility
IT specialists are expected to juggle multiple projects, responsibilities, and issues. Those who lack agility and good project management skills won’t last a day in the life of an IT specialist. So, when adding an IT specialist to your team, look for someone who knows how to create strategic plans, is willing to adjust their priorities to resolve issues, and understands the value of setting and reaching goals. A versatile IT specialist can consistently finish projects on time and under budget and help various departments work through technical glitches before they become more serious issues.
Final Thoughts
IT specialists are a critical role in every business and organization – be it for startups or small-to-medium-sized enterprises. So, if you’re looking for an IT specialist, be sure to keep in mind the skills we’ve listed above in order to make the most of this specific role within your company.
Of course, you don’t have to “go it alone” when it comes to IT management. Many organizations choose to outsource part or all of their IT management to trusted professionals called managed service providers (MSPs).
DataGroup Technologies (DTI) – the preferred managed services IT firm in the area – will work in conjunction with your in-house IT specialists; or, if you prefer, we can remotely manage all of your IT assets, saving you time and money in the long run. At DTI, every Support Engineer or Network Administrator is required to have completed an IT degree and/or CompTIA certification in order to work for us – so you know you’re not hiring amateurs!
Whether you’re looking to supplement your existing IT team with additional resources or you simply want it all to be taken off your plate, give us a call at 252.329.1382 or visit dtinetworks.com to see how we can help you #SimplifyIT!
