Streaming music accounts for 85% of music revenue in the United States. If you ever wanted a job in the music industry, working in IT might be the way to go.
Working in IT gets your foot in the door of the music industry, but is it the best career path for you? There are some clear pros and cons of working in the IT industry. You should know what they are before you start a new career.
Read on to learn what the pros and cons of IT are so you can make the best choice for yourself.
What Are the Pros of the IT Industry?
Let’s start with the pros of the IT industry. It’s a good way to see if your skills and personality are a good fit for the job. These are the top reasons why you want to work in IT.
1. IT Pays Very Well
How would you like to make a six-figure salary right out of school? A career in IT means that you will be paid very well for the work that you do.
On average, IT folks are paid about $89,000 a year. Tech support staff are paid the lowest, while IT managers are paid around $141,000 a year.
It’s not guaranteed that you’ll make a ton of money in your first IT job. You do have the opportunity to make more than the average person and work your way up.
2. IT Impacts Every Industry
It’s possible that you start your IT career in the music industry and hate it. That doesn’t mean you’re stuck with a job that you don’t like.
IT jobs are in demand across all industries. You can develop apps for a travel company, work in finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and just about every other industry.
A career in IT means that your skills are transferrable and can be applied anywhere.
3. You Have a Clear Career Path
Not only are your skills transferrable, but you can also learn more and work your way up the corporate ladder. IT careers start out in secondary roles, such as support or development.
If you’re ambitious and want to get a promotion, you can do that. You can become an IT manager, IT Enterprise Architect, and eventually the Chief Information Officer of an organization.
4. You Will Learn and Grow
There is plenty to learn in IT. Technology is always changing and you have to keep up in order to do your job. You do have to get certified in your chosen IT field and maintain that certification.
That can a drawback, but if you like to learn new things, it’s definitely a plus.
5. You Can Start Your Own Business
If you dream of being your own boss and calling your own shots, a career in IT is for you. You can easily start your own business in IT if working for a large company doesn’t appeal to you.
More businesses are starting to outsource IT to save money, which means an IT consulting services business is a good option for you.
Negatives of IT Industry
There is a flip side to every industry. While the IT industry has its fair share of benefits, there are some pretty significant drawbacks.
You want to know what they are before you dive headfirst into an IT career. Take a look at this honest assessment of the IT industry so you can make the best decision for yourself.
1. You Still Need Soft Skills
Many people get into IT because they think that they’ll just sit behind a computer all day. Unfortunately, you need to deal with people.
You have to be a skilled communicator in every IT job. You also have to work with office politics and deal with managers.
2. IT is Stressful
Some IT departments do nothing but put out fires all day long. You can be sure that there will be outages and other issues that you have to fix right away.
If you’re in the development department, you have to work long hours to meet firm deadlines. You’re in a pressure-filled job, and you always have to deliver your best.
3. Long and Unusual Hours
There’s a reason why so many people in IT drink Mountain Dew. IT is very demanding and it’s common to work on major projects when it’s best for everyone at the company.
That’s usually over the weekend or overnight. If you need to perform an upgrade, migration, or update software, you should plan to work overnight.
4. People Always Ask for Free Advice
As soon as people learn that you work with computers, they will ask you a question that’s completely unrelated to your work. Your job can be a data scientist and people will ask you what their next cellphone should be.
You should expect to get questions about setting up email for your grandparents or how to fix a 5-year-old laptop.
5. IT Staff Are Underappreciated
There isn’t enough free Mountain Dew in the world to show how much your work matters. Yet, people seem to be quick to tell you that you’re doing a bad job.
When things are going incredibly well, no one notices that the IT staff is doing a great job. However, one minute of downtime leads to blame. You bear the brunt of it.
If you want a job where you’re front and center and constantly recognized, IT might not be the career for you. You’d have to work for an incredible company that values the work that you do.
The Pros and Cons of Working in the IT Industry
Did you learn if a career in the IT industry is right for you? Like any position, there are some pretty sweet benefits and significant drawbacks.
A job in IT pays well, but there are a lot of late nights and pressure that go with that, especially in the music industry. That work often goes unappreciated.
Do you want to know more about working in music and IT? Check out the Jobs section of this site for career tips and jobs.
