Am I an IT Professional?
Information technology ('IT) has been defined as the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect process, transmit, and securely retrieve information.
Today, the term information technology has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and technology, and the term has become very recognizable. The information technology umbrella can be quite large, covering many fields. Different IT professionals perform a variety of duties that range from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases. A few of the duties that IT professionals perform may include data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well as the management and administration of entire systems.
In the World of Information Technology, many people call themselves "IT Professionals," well that includes me. Considering some factors; educational background, inline experiences, achievements, skills, and even seminars attended. As our professor in the subject IT Pro asked us, are we IT professionals? Can I consider myself as IT professional? Well, some questions keep on coming and bugling in mind how I will measure myself with regards to IT professionalism.
Can you be an IT professional if you only use the GUI side or do you really have to be able to use the command line area as well? Would you have to have a qualification in IT? In the abovementioned definition which I stated, IT professionalism deals only with someone who posses the knowledge and skills of Information Technology, hardware and software programming as example. How about the ethical side of IT professionalism? How the about the laws mandated by the constitution which of course concerns about IT practitioners? Can we still consider ourselves an IT professional if were using Information Technology unethically and worst, against the law?
Nowadays, rapid uses of Information Technology in different areas most especially in the business world are very rampant. Automated systems, computerized gadgets, hi-tech cellular phones, robotics, software engineering; all of these are already visible an existing at any point in the globe. Yes, Information Technology made our lives convenient and easy, and thanks to those developers, engineers, and invertors who keep on making and helping people’s everyday lives easier.
In contrast, Information Technology nowadays is being abused. We can hear and watch in different news that many weird programmers and network geeks hack different bank accounts to steal money. Computer viruses are made even tougher which can damage our operating system and worst, destroy our hardware. IT has been used in illegal aspects such as drug refinement and manufacturing. IT now is already used in prostitution and pornography! Well it may be not a new issue to everyone but this has been a crisis in information technology. Cyber prostitution, in which anyone can have immediate leisure by ordering prostitutes online. Prostitutes can also make you happy online even if both of you will not meet personally. She/he will perform whatever you desire in exchange for money. Online selling of pornographic materials such as scandals and pictures of hot celebrities in local and Hollywood. The aforementioned are just few things where Information Technology is abused.
For me, IT professionalism is very vast to discuss. Well, considering myself right now, I’m a proud graduate of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and currently taking up my Masters in Information Technology. I am connected to Nextcode Company, working as System and Network Administrator, and I am also a part time IT professor, teaching programming, networking, and ethics of IT. Considering my educational background, work experience and current job, I may consider myself an IT professional. But what completes me to be a proud IT PROFESSIONAL is that, I love my work and I’ve been working not only for myself but also to help others and for the betterment of everyone. It may be an old hat statement and heroic in other’s side but that’s my point.
Thank you and God bless everybody.
