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What is an IT professional?

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by frogge

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I am fairly new on this site; and I have noticed that there is no good definition of IT pro. Is it only the degreed types making 60K plus or does it include phone support types at 20K?
The reason for asking this is I read the union discussion and it seems to be mainly the 60k type responding; while the low level does not seem to be included. What is happening?

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by Bill Detwiler

The term "IT Professional" is a very broad classification. In the most liberal translation, I believe it means anyone whose primary job function is in the information technology field. This includes computer or network support personnel, software developers, IT managers, CIOs, technology consultants, telecom engineers, web page designers, and many others.

However, I don't think it includes everyone that works for a technology or dot-com company whose primary role is not in technology; HR personnel, graphic artists, or marketing professionals. These individuals could just as easily move to a non-technology enterprise and perform the same function.

Then there are those in the gray areas, such as myself. I have worked for the past 7 years in the IT Support and Database Management field, but I now work for the editorial dept. of technical publication. Does that mean I'm no longer an IT professional?

I don't think so. I still consider myself an IT professional, because that has always been the primary focus of daily activity. I'm a techie at heart and I'll always be one.

by cyber catfish

The IEEE Computer Society publishes a journal called IT Professional, which appears to be pretty broad in scope (http://computer.org/itpro/about.htm). The George Mason Univeristy has a School of Information Technology and Engineering, which includes departments in Computer Science, Information Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering and others. I was unable to find the Gartner Group web reference. However, I agree with Bill that the common usage of IT Professionals in the trade magazines and in daily business includes those employed in computer and information system activities, regardless of their academic credentials. I also know of individuals whose credentials lie across both information technology and a discipline of application of computer technology, who can validly claim either field as their professional discipline.

by renso_h

The word professional implies, it would be a person that has been accredited by a professional body/board. Some examples, lawyers have to be certified, chartered accountants have to pass the CPA board of directors tests, Doctors have to be certifiedby the AMA, and some IT folks have accreditation from Colleges and Universities that are in themselves part of another controlling body responsible for setting up standards for education. So, unless the person is working in an IT field AND has formal qualifications/accreditation (like MSCE), he/she is not a professional. If you’re in IT and belong to an internationally accepted board/body you are a professional. Otherwise, you would be titled a technician and not technologist/professional.

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