CAPS 495/ Senior Capstone - Computer operations technology



Career Summary ResearchTabatha M. LakkalaCAPS 495/ Senior CapstoneDecember 12, 2013Arthur SmithSouthwestern College Professional StudiesAbstractTrying to decide what to do after graduation can be a confusing and frustrating time. Not everyone has a clear idea of the career path they want to pursue. One thing remains constant in determining a career choice, which is good research. Through solid research I gathered facts about careers relevant to the degree in computer operations technology such as daily tasks, growth potential in the careers, and future trends in the information technology field. Having a clear understanding of skills, knowledge and abilities are critical to match the possible careers. Through exploration of career paths of interest; network administration is the career path that is best suited for the qualification and experience level that compliments my bachelor’s degree. In determining a career, I looked into potential branch of network administration; security. After researching the educational track needed to better prepare myself I decided network administrator is a good start to my career. While starting a career in networking, my training will focus on the security aspect of networking, with certifications and a completion of a master’s degree in security administration. Career Summary ResearchComing to the close of the long pursuit of completing a bachelor’s degree is a wonderful feeling, but it can be bittersweet. Now that school is completed, what is the next step? What career path is the best choice? A computer operation technology degree can be applied to almost any aspect of information technology; it is extremely versatile. Appling the skills learned while earning a degree, the best method to come to a decision on the best career path to pursue, is through research and proper planning. First researching at all the career opportunities within the degree of study and their potential for growth. How do the careers match with experience, knowledge, skills and abilities? Narrowing down the careers, what training might be required to purse that path? Through research and good decision making, an informed decision will come easily. The track for potential career path relevant to the computer operation technology degree will be made, giving peace of mind to the upcoming graduate. Potential Career Opportunities in Computer Operation Technology Coming to the close of my long pursuit of my Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Operations Technology, I am realizing the difficult decisions that lie ahead. Even though I am currently in the Air Force I must begin to think about career opportunities that are within my field of study. Deciding on my next step in my education consists on finding the steps necessary to follow a desired career path. Using the Department of Labor, I researched different career opportunities related to my career field in Computer and Information Technology. The following eight computer and information technology occupations were listing as potential career paths on the Department of Labor website:Computer and Information Research ScientistsComputer ProgrammerComputer Support SpecialistsComputer Systems AnalystsDatabase AdministratorInformation security analysts, web developers, and computer network architectsNetwork and computer systems administratorsSoftware developers(United States Department of Labor, 2012)I needed to analyze each of the potential career opportunities in depth to discover what each career does on a daily basis and the trends within each field. Computer and information research scientists create and design new technology. They solve complex problems in computing (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). Currently the job outlook is projected to growth at 19 percent with the average salary at $100,660 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). Computer programmers’ growth rate is slightly smaller at 12 percent and the annual wage is $71.380 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). Computer programmers create software programs and applications through writing code and script creation. The Department of Labor (2012) states that, computer support specialists provide help and advice to people and organizations using computer software or equipment. Some, called technical support specialists, support information technology (IT) employees within their organization. Others, called help-desk technicians, assist non-IT users who are having computer problems. (para 1)The job outlook for a computer support specialist is on the rise at 18 percent, noted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics; however, the annual wage is only at $46,260. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012), “Computer systems analysts study an organization's current computer systems and procedures and make recommendations to management to help the organization operate more efficiently and effectively. They bring business and information technology together by understanding the needs and limitations of both” (para 1). Faster than average growth in the systems analysts field at 22 percent and an annual wage of $77,740 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). Database administrators maintain the software that companies use to store its data. I found it interesting that the average salary was lower than a system analyst but the job outlook is at 31 percent (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012), Information security analysts, web developers, and computer network architects all use information technology (IT) to advance their organization’s goals. Security analysts ensure a firm’s information stays safe from cyber-attacks. Web developers create websites to help firms have a public face. Computer network architects create the internal networks all workers within organizations use. (para 1)Employment of information security analysts, web developers, and computer network architects is projected to grow 22 percent with a median pay of $75,660 per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). Network and computer systems administrators is the career I am most familiar with. Administrators are responsible for the daily maintenance and operations of a network. According to the Bureau of Labor Statics (2012) “Employment of network and computer systems administrators is expected to grow 28 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations” (para 4). The final career on the website is software developers; they create the actual applications that allow many of us to do our daily jobs. The median annual wage of applications software developers is $87,790 and systems software developers is $94,180 with a 30 percent growth trend (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). Through research I see the potential to start a promising career in computers with all career path growing as technology grows. With ten years left until I fulfill my military obligations, I need to be aware of trends in computer and information technology so I can prepare myself for the next phase of my career. Information technology is the type of environment that is constantly changing and growing at an alarming rate. The emerging world of information technology is one in which data is king, social platforms evolve as a new source of business intelligence, and cloud computing finally delivers on IT’s role as a driver of business growth, according to a new report from Accenture (IT Business Edge, 2013, para 1). The future of information technology is being driven by eight distinct trends according to a report by IT Business Edge:Platform architectures Social platformsCloud computingData securityData privacyAnalyticsArchitectureUser experience(IT Business Edge, 2013) Two trends that really stuck out to me were cloud computing and data security. During my Dreamweaver class we had to download the application through Adobe Creative Cloud and now many people are storing their data, such as pictures on the cloud. According to Srinivasan (2012), “In the cloud environment, computing resources are delivered as services to enterprises by vendors. Enterprises can access resources provided by the vendor using the Internet as opposed to hosting and operating them locally” (p. 127). As enterprises are adopting cloud services for their businesses, measures need to be developed so that organizations can be assured of security in their businesses (Srinivasan, 2012).Srinivasan’s (2012) study found that Cloud computing is a growing field and many enterprises are shifting to clouds for ease of use and decreased costs. The impedance in using clouds for businesses is loss of control and inadequate security measures. Currently there are no effective metrics to measure security for cloud computing environments. (p. 133)Data security the second trend that caught my interest is about protecting the network and its information. The best way to insure to integrity and availability of the data is to know what the vulnerabilities’ of the network are. According to Kuhn & Johnson (2010), “Vulnerabilities have declined approximately 26 percent since 2006, but the proportion of high, medium, and low severity has remained relatively constant” (p. 52). Software can be vulnerable not only because of design or implementation errors but also because people have discovered better attacks. Eliminating flaws that lead to vulnerabilities is vital for IT systems, but making those that remain less potentially damaging and harder to exploit can improve security as well (Kuhn & Johnson, 2010, p.51). From the reports it may seem vulnerabilities are slowly being managed better, but in my opinion, I do not believe that trend will continue. With new advances such as cloud computing, the vulnerabilities will began to evolve. If administrators start becoming complacent due to reports such as Vulnerability Trend; then I know data security is in serious jeopardy. Potential Career Opportunities Going through the research from the Department of Labor, the career paths in Computer and Information Technology is too broad and diverse to choose a career to follow. If I want to start a career now, I need to assess my knowledge, skills and abilities, matching them to the careers than I am the most qualified. Completing an assessment of myself is actually not an easy task; I tend to look at school and certifications not leadership abilities. The past nine years in the service I have filled many roles and done many jobs. ?9 years in Air Force working in Information Technology ?1 year Dreamweaver Experience?Selected as member of Distinguished Visitors Comm. Support Team (1 year)?2 years Records Management experience?1 year Training Manager experience?Selected for Standards and Evaluations of Communication Team (1 year)?3 years Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) Administrator experience ?UNIX knowledge?Data storage knowledge?2 years Information Assurance Officer experience?Led team of five administrators for Intel Support Squadron (2 years)?Quality Assurance Representative for Air Communications Squadron (1 year)?SCCM experience?Windows Administration experience?Team Leader for 17, overseeing three offices in C2The Air Force has given me the opportunity to have many experiences in different areas of the communications technology field. I have also been allotted the chance to be a leader of different types of teams and be a part of specialized groups either in the support of computer administration or assessing how well others are conducting operations in a Communication Support Squadron. Throughout my military career I have been extremely focused on the educational and training aspects of my growth within the computer field. I earned a Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) degree in Information Systems Technology. I am scheduled to graduate with a Bachelors of Science in Computer Operations Technology this winter. Through my courses at Southwestern College I earned a Microsoft Office Essentials Certification. I have a Security + Certification, which I maintain with continuing education credits. Some of the Air Force training courses I have attended are:?Information Assurance Fundamentals?Customer College Training?Career Development in Information Systems?Accelebrate’s Building Data Driven Websites ?Communications-Computers System Operations Specialist?Network Professional Certification (Application Services)?Records Management/AFRIMS Training?Data Processing Equipment Custodian Training?Trusted Manager Training?GCCS Advanced System Administrator Training?Combat Information Transport System TrainingAfter assessing my knowledge, skills and abilities I matched potential career opportunities from the occupations from the Department of Labor website. First I narrowed down occupations that the entry-level education requirement is a Bachelor’s Degree. Based from my knowledge level with coding and programming I removed software developers and computer programmers. I eliminated information security analysts, web developers, and computer network architects career field since according to the Department of Labor (2012), “Most of these workers have a bachelor’s degree in a computer-related field. Information security analysts and network architects usually need experience in a related occupation, and additional knowledge of web programming languages can be helpful for web developers” (para 3). I may have experience in Dreamweaver but it has been a long time since I have used it in my daily job. I am left with a potential career in computer systems analysts, database administrator, and network and computer systems administrators. A Computer systems analysts as stated previously, studies a business's computer systems and make recommendations. According to the Department of Labor (2012), “A bachelor’s degree in a computer or information science field is common, although not always a requirement. Some firms hire analysts with business or liberal arts degrees who know how to write computer programs” (para 3). I will shortly have my degree in Computer Operations Technology; however, I do not know how to write computer programs. I do not have the experience in the business aspect of information technology to make recommendations to an organization at this time. Databases administrators use software to store data, I have limited experience with programs such as SQL database server. Database administrators usually have a bachelor’s degree in an information or computer related subject. Before becoming administrators, they typically have one to five years’ experience in a related field (Department of Labor, 2012). I have the knowledge to do database administration but I have not had the opportunity to work in arena for the experience requirement. “Network and computer systems administrators must often have a bachelor’s degree, although some positions require an associate’s degree or professional certification along with related work experience” (Department of Labor, 2012, para 3) Administrators are responsible for daily operations on a organizations network. The majority of the nine years in the military I have worked in network administration. I decided it was worth looking into network administration a little further since I met the criteria thus far. ONET Online described the normal tasks of a network and computer system administrator as:Maintain and administer computer networks and related computing environments including computer hardware, systems software, applications software, and all configurations.Perform data backups and disaster recovery operations.Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve hardware, software, or other network and system problems, and replace defective components when necessary.Plan, coordinate, and implement network security measures to protect data, software, and hardware.Configure, monitor, and maintain email applications or virus protection software.Operate master consoles to monitor the performance of computer systems and networks, and to coordinate computer network access and use.Load computer tapes and disks, and install software and printer paper or forms.Design, configure, and test computer hardware, networking software and operating system software.Monitor network performance to determine whether adjustments need to be made, and to determine where changes will need to be made in the future.Confer with network users about how to solve existing system problems,(ONET Online, 2010, para 3)All of these tasks I have completed or have experience in throughout my nine years in the Air Force. In an article by Top ten reviews, “A network administrator manages both the physical and virtual aspects of a computer network of a business or organization. The job is one of many computer careers that provide opportunities for growth and career advancement” (para 1). I have the experience, the knowledge and the potential for advancement.Career ChoiceA career as a network administrator works to support the comprehensive needs of an organization’s computer network. Specific duties include determining the organization’s network needs, installing and maintaining software, upgrading and repairing hardware, ensuring the network is secure, collecting data on system performance, training network users on the proper use of both hardware and software, and troubleshooting problems within the network when issues arise (The Beat, 2013, para 1). Once I begin a career in network administration there are different variations on the job that I could purse; if I choose to have a specialty within administration. I like the security aspect of networking that I learned during my Security+ certification boot camp. Network security covers network security, compliance and operational security, cryptography, threats and vulnerabilities. With all my experience and knowledge, I am going to pursue a career in computer and network administration. While I am getting more experience, I am going to tailor my training, focusing more on the security aspect of information technology. In an article by Lee, Rao, Bagchi-Sen & Upadhyaya (2010), when discussing training and education in information security, “most popular choice seems to be a graduate degree program that delivers a mixture of technical and managerial skills and knowledge such as a master’s degree in MIS with information security components” (p.20). According to CompTIA, since I have a Security + certification the next step to develop my career with a security specialty in networking would be to earn a certification for CASP or advance security practitioner. My goals for the future is to continue my education by working on a master’s degree in security administration. It will take me a few years to complete my degree, during that time I can start my career in networking and computer administration and work on earing a few certifications in information security. I have a solid foundation, a goal and a through career research, a great plan to start my career and tailor my path to realize my dream. ConclusionComing to the completion of my long pursuit of a Bachelor’s Degree, I found myself at a cross roads. Is where I want or hope to be in a career really match my skills and qualifications? I looked at a variety of resources to fully understand what careers are related to my degree. I based my findings on the Occupational Outlook Handbook for computer and information technology. I continued my research with statistics and job descriptions from different sites, as well as looking toward the future with trends in the field. The IT field is fast growing and constantly changing; preparing a career path in IT is a commitment to life-long education. I narrowed my search down based on my qualifications and experience. I fit in the best as a Network Administrator; made sense since that is what I do in the military currently. I would like to push myself more a security aspect of information technology, after researching possible career paths. Based off of my individual experience, qualifications and my level of knowledge, a career as a network administrator is my career choice with my future goal specializing in network security.ReferencesBureau of Labor Statistics. (2012, May). Occupational employment and wages, May 2012: 151142 Network and Computer Systems Administrators. Retrieved November 27, 2013,from . (n.d). Career paths. Retrieved on November 26, 2013 from business edge. (2013). Eight trends driving the future of information technology. RetrievedDecember 12, 2013, from , R., & Johnson, C. (2010). Vulnerability trends: Measuring progress. IT ProfessionalMagazine, 12(4), 51-53. doi:, J., Bagchi-Sen, S., Rao, H. R., & Upadhyaya, S. J. (2010). Anatomy of the informationsecurity workforce. IT Professional Magazine, 12(1), 14-23.doi: online. (2010). Network and Computer Systems Administrators. Retrieved December 12,2013 from Srinivasan, M. (2012). Building a secure enterprise model for cloud computing environment.Academy of Information and Management Sciences Journal, 15(1), 127-133. Retrieved from beat. (2013, April 8). Which network administration career path is right for you? Retrieved December 12, 2013 from ten reviews . (n.d). Network Administrator. Retrieved November 26, 2013, from States Department of Labor. (2012, March 29). Occupational outlook handbook:Network and Computer Systems Administrators. Retrieved November 26, 2013, from ................
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