Not too long ago, you could utter the phrase “my computer just crashed” and it probably didn’t mean much. He might spend a few hours not finishing some of his work, but he could work on other things until the problem was resolved. You may not be able to buy more movies on Amazon.com or sell things on eBay for a while. It is not a big thing. Basically, while a broken computer was a nuisance and would certainly have turned a good day into a bad day, it wasn’t the end of the world.
How fast times have changed. She was recently reading an article about a VERY expensive car, a Jaguar XJ Super Sport worth $140,000. The car wouldn’t start and of course a faulty computer was to blame. Imagine that computers are no longer just collecting dust under your office desk, computers are EVERYWHERE and interact with just about everything we do.
In a very short time, computers have taken over every element of our lives. Just ten years ago, most communication was still handled over the phone. Now, most people email, Facebook, Skype, or text each other. Home entertainment used to be handled by basic televisions with very little computerization. Now, most living rooms are controlled by very sophisticated computer systems, such as PS3, Xbox, Tivo, DVR systems, or media center computers. Even standard cable boxes are highly computerized. Most of us carry advanced computers in our pockets, smartphones that have further computerized our lives. My wife spends more of her time checking Facebook on her Droid than I ever thought was humanly possible. 🙂 I’m addicted to keeping up with email, even when I’m on the go. There is practically no escape, computers are all around us, they are involved in everything we do.
Have you ever been in an office when the power went out for several hours? I did, and although there was plenty of light coming through the windows on a nice cool day with the doors open, not a single person was working. They couldn’t, there was nothing they could do! Everything was computerized, even the VOIP phone system. With no computers, no work was done, and we sat for a while waiting for electricity to save us.
If Microsoft can ever advance its vision of The Microsoft Home, everything in your home would be controlled by a computer. Lights, door locks, temperature and more, all computerized. And the vehicles, each year become more computerized. They want to park for you, warn you when there are bumps in the road, even tell you how to get from point A to point B faster.
When things go wrong with computer systems, it’s no longer just a minor annoyance. Crashed computer systems in many cases cripple a person, family, or business for long periods of time. A computer repair technician usually arrives like a knight on a white horse to rescue us. The computer technicians of the future will save us from the problems that prevent us from living our lives, driving our cars, watching our favorite movie, or even running our business. If you ask me, that’s a very good reason for anyone to want to learn how to become a computer technician.
All of this leads to one conclusion: IT technician is STILL the job of the future. It covers all industries and can get you a job in cars, home electronics, phones, jobs within virtually any type of business industry, government work, and more. Forget what anyone tells you about the PC disappearing or jobs being outsourced to India. None of that matters, computers continue to invade our lives at a rate almost incomprehensible to imagine. There will always be jobs available for people who can help fix computer problems because too many computers are being built every day and not enough skilled workers to help when they break down.
According to many sources, enrollment in computer science majors in the United States has been declining for more than four years. If you are thinking of changing careers, this could be the perfect opportunity for you. It is a classic case of supply and demand. While the supply of trained computer repair technicians is declining, the demand is skyrocketing. In the years to come, you will see IT technician salaries adjust to accommodate these new realities.
The author of this article is the owner and president of my PC Techs, a computer repair and technology company based in Phoenix, Arizona.
Visit his website: Affordable Computer Repair
