Discussion on:

The 10 biggest perks of working in IT

I think one of the best things about IT is that you can use it as a springboard into other industries. If you're interested in a field, any field, take your IT job there and learn things from the inside. I learned a ton about television broadcasting, auto manufacturing, and police work by doing very large, enterprise wide solution implementations for companies and governments in those areas. It's a great way to understand what day-to-day work is like and having IT experience means you'll always be valuable should you decide to move into those fields.

If you are willing to pay attention, it's amazing how much industry information you pick up in IT. When I was working in Merchant Banks in the 90s, several people I worked with moved into banking and investment roles. I've seen similar elsewhere. People often forget that IT has access to ALL the information; it just takes paying attention to get better free on the job training than any college could offer.

At least in my arena of end user support. While the symptoms may be the same in many cases, different people and different circumstances make each call different.

Funny you should mention monotony, though. I'm browsing TR because the current call has me reimaging a PC, a multi-hour process for this customer. Rather than watch the bits go by...

It kinda goes w/number 7, but learning! When faced with a challenge, you sometimes need to learn a new troubleshooting method to fix it. Or find a new backdoor. And, while looking for solutions, you are bettering your research skills.

Many companies also compensate for new training... upgrading a server 2003 certification to server '08, for example. Not only does it keep you on your toes, but hey, someone else is paying for your classes!

Yep, If I wasn't in IT, I don't think that I could decorate my office with the 6 themed Mr Potato Heads (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Transformers, and 1 Buzz Lightyear), the 1 ft tall C3P0 and Yoda Pez Dispensers, a pottery dragon egg with claws coming out of the crack, a gumball machine full of ibuprofen, and a giant poster of Russell Crowe (I love Russell Crowe, so sue me).

I also like the cool toys we get. I have a collection of branded silly putty, slinkies, stress balls, small kinetic devices, matchbox cars, etc... When co-workers have their kids with them, they come to my office and raid the toy basket.

Best would be to have admin rights to your own computer with internet freedom. Customize your desktop to your liking and freedom to access "any" information.

And colas! And donuts on Friday.

Seriously. I know that some IT firms deprive their workers of this fundamental right. But can you imagine some schmo offering you a job with the words, "We pride ourselves on our fine work environment. If you need coffee the snack bar is four stories down, and run by the same people who feed prisoners at the local jail."

Long before the internet, I was checking in at the Disneyland Hotel with my wife of less than a year. They were having trouble with their Western Union equipment for reservations and confirmations. And they were unable to contact the repairman and this was a Friday night and a lot of traffic needed to go out over the wekend. They could receive but not send reliably. I could tell from the sound what the problem was. I offered to fix it if the repairman had left a bottle of machine oil around. He had; I knew where to place the oil, and I got a free upgrade to a suite and a complimentary fruit basket delivered. And it impressed the wife that I actually knew how to do something.

Some are trying to move forward in computers.

People still think of "IT" as one field but it isn't really (and never had been). There are so many different fields and specialisations within IT that you can stay in the profession and change roles as little or as often as you like if you have the talent and the desire. Since very few roles need truly "formal" qualifications (unlike a doctor, lawyer or engineer), you are only limited by your knowledge and ability.

I've been in IT for close to 20 years now, and I've changed roles at least 8 times. I've loved pretty much everything I've done in all of them and each one builds upon the last and enhances the next.

I know of few other businesses that allow you so much freedom, or so many diverse experiences in different industries.

I work for a local government and serve Admin, Community Development, Public Works, Police, Parks/Recreation, and the Fire Department. Since I've often had to work on an issue for several hours, I do get to see and hear things the general public does not. In particular, it is fun to work in the detectives/investigations center as well as Dispatch/911. I have very good insight, after all these years, into how things work in local government. Still, the best things about IT are independence, very little monotony, and everyone's glad to see me kuz I fix things.

I work in IT for a state agency. On the same lines as #5 (helping people), I think it's pretty cool to think about how much of an effect the things I do has on, not only the other people working in this agency, but also the general public. We provide so many services, applications, and so much information to the public and none of that would be possible without the work that I have done here.

Although not hired as an IT professional, I have enjoyed the chance to learn Microsoft Access and VBA, which I needed to learn in order to create an application I could use to manage a very large account I was given. I love learning. Recently I was put in charge of our Internet Team, which is intended to watch over and update our company website. I studied Joomla! industriously (and, I might say, without feeling guilty), both at home and at work, so I could learn to make the changes myself instead of having to pay our outside programmer to do it. (Sorry Byron!) Now, I get to learn PHP so I can do it even better.

To many people this sounds boring. But I like it!

Similar to @technomom_z I was working at an investment bank. A number of the traders and sales people came from IT. One time I was talking to one of the traders and my boss overheard me talking to the trader in sort of "techno-speak" and I got a slight dressing down a little later, in the middle of it, I had told my boss, that the trader used to do cosmic simulations that he had to program himself so he was a physicist with heavy math and IT background. I got an apology dinner from my boss.

When I was in college (getting an accounting and computer science degree) I did some mechanical drawing and some cabling installations. At one place, when we were installing some power cables in their account section. A few users were having a problem with their accounting software, and the manager was yelling at the IT manager. I knew what the problem was, and I know enough accounting to speak to the users in their terms then the accounting manager had calmed down and the told the IT manager to hire me. He did. I worked there for over year until I graduated (I then moved out of the country). It was a great resume entry and paid quite well (I saved enough to make the move).

I can say that no matter how my day goes, over some 45 years, i have never had a BORING day in IT (nee Business Equipment, Data Processing et al)

4: You have personal freedom

Not true where I work. I have fixed hours, I have to clock in and out using our biometric system. I have to have my expenses approved. About decorating my office, I'm not much into that except for having a personal wallpaper on my desktop.

I get instant great feedback and gratitude, and people think I'm a genius for solving something that is driving them crazy, although it seems small and a "piece of cake" for me. I feel very needed and loved at this job