IT career paths

AWS certification - AWS certification is a level of Amazon Web Services cloud expertise that an IT professional obtains after passing one or more exams the public cloud provider offers.
AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate - AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate is a category of technical certifications offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) for beginners and professionals who run enterprise architecture programs, as well as solutions architects.
AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional - AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional certification is a category of technical certifications offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) for professionals who design applications and systems using the AWS platform and who have professional experience deploying AWS cloud architecture.
AWS Educate (Amazon Web Services Educate) - AWS Educate is a free, online learning program that teaches students about cloud computing.
big data engineer - A big data engineer is an information technology (IT) professional who is responsible for designing, building, testing and maintaining complex data processing systems that work with large data sets.
CCNA certification - Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) is a technical certification that Cisco offers for early-career networking professionals.
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) - The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) is a vendor-neutral, entry-level certification to help individuals acquire project management (PM) skills.
Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) - Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) is an International Information System Security Certification Consortium, or (ISC)2, certification that covers cloud-based cybersecurity best practices.
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) - Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) is an advanced certification that indicates that an individual possesses the knowledge and experience required to develop and manage an enterprise information security (infosec) program.
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) - Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) is an entry-level credential designed to give professionals getting started as Scrum practitioners an understanding of the project management methodology.
chief customer officer (CCO) - A chief customer officer, or customer experience officer, is responsible for customer research, communicating with company employees and taking charge of customer experience (CX) metrics.
chief digital officer - A chief digital officer (CDO) is charged with helping an enterprise use digital information and advanced technologies, such as the cloud, AI, machine learning, automation, IoT, mobile and social media, to create business value.
Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO) - A Chief Medical Information Officer, or CMIO, essentially serves as the bridge between medical and IT departments at a healthcare organization.
chief product officer (CPO) - A chief product officer (CPO) is a C-level executive who is responsible for the strategy and execution of all product-related activities within an organization.
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) - The chief technology officer (CTO) is the individual within an organization who oversees the current technology and creates relevant policy.
chief transformation officer (CTO) - Chief transformation officer is an executive role, often in the C-suite, that focuses on bringing about change as well as growth in revenue and profit to an organization.
chief trust officer - A chief trust officer (CTrO) in the IT industry is an executive job title given to the person responsible for building confidence around the use of customer information.
Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) - Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) is a now-retired certification offered by Cisco, as part of their certification program.
Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE certification) - Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE certification) is a series of technical certifications for senior networking professionals who design, build, implement, maintain and troubleshoot complex enterprise networking infrastructures.
Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) - Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) is an intermediate-level certification in the Cisco certified professional program.
CISO (chief information security officer) - The CISO (chief information security officer) is a senior-level executive responsible for developing and implementing an information security program, which includes procedures and policies designed to protect enterprise communications, systems and assets from both internal and external threats.
citizen data scientist - A citizen data scientist is an individual who does some data science work for an organization but doesn't hold the title of data scientist or have a formal background in advanced analytics, statistics or related disciplines.
cohort learning - Cohort learning is a learning strategy prioritizing coursework or lessons that groups of students complete together in an interactive fashion.
compliance officer - Compliance officers are employees tasked with ensuring a company follows its internal rules and best-practice policies while always complying with applicable external laws and government regulations.
Core competencies: What they are and how they lead to success - For any organization, its core competencies refer to the capabilities, knowledge, skills and resources that constitute its 'defining strengths.
CSSLP (Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional) - CSSLP (Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional) is a certification from ISC2 that focuses on application security within the software development lifecycle (SDLC).
data engineer - A data engineer is an IT professional whose primary job is to prepare data for analytical or operational uses.
data scientist - A data scientist is an analytics professional who is responsible for collecting, analyzing and interpreting data to help drive decision-making in an organization.
deputy CIO (deputy chief information officer) - Deputy CIO (chief information officer) is a role within some organizations that generally has responsibility for overseeing day-to-day information technology (IT) operations.
DevOps certification - DevOps certification is a formalized testing program intended to ensure that applicants have achieved an appropriate level of skills and knowledge for working in the converged areas of software development and IT operations.
DevOps engineer - A DevOps engineer is an IT professional who works with software developers, systems operators and other production IT staff to oversee code releases and deployments.
digital leadership - Digital leadership is the strategic use of a company's digital assets and emerging technologies to achieve business goals.
emotional intelligence (EI) - Emotional intelligence (EI) is the area of cognitive ability that facilitates interpersonal behavior.
full-stack developer - A full-stack developer is a type of programmer that has a functional knowledge of all techniques, languages and systems engineering concepts required in software development.
green collar job - A green collar job is an employment opportunity that helps create or support environmental and sustainable practices and technologies.
Group Policy - Group Policy is a management feature in Microsoft's Active Directory (AD) that enables network and system administrators to configure and assign user and computer settings in an AD environment.
hard skills - Hard skills are specific abilities, capabilities and skill sets that an individual can possess and demonstrate in a measured way.
healthcare CIO (healthcare chief information officer) - A healthcare CIO (healthcare chief information officer) is an executive at a healthcare organization that oversees the operation of the information technology department and consults with other C-level personnel on technology-related needs and purchasing decisions.
information technology (IT) director - An information technology (IT) director is the person in charge of technology within an organization.
innovation manager - An innovation manager is an employee whose responsibilities focus on the development of new products, services or processes.
intrapreneur (intrapreneurship) - The term intrapreneur is a portmanteau of 'internal' and 'entrepreneur,' referring to employees within a company who apply entrepreneurial skills like creativity, initiative and risk-taking to their roles.
IT consultant - A consultant is an experienced individual in a given field who provides expert advice for a fee.
IT project manager - An IT project manager is a professional charged with overseeing the process of planning, executing and delegating responsibilities around an organization's information technology (IT) pursuits and goals.
letter of intent (LOI) - A letter of intent (LOI) is a written, nonbinding document that outlines an agreement in principle between two or more parties before a legal agreement is finalized.
machine learning engineer (ML engineer) - A machine learning engineer (ML engineer) is a person in IT who focuses on researching, building and designing self-running artificial intelligence (AI) systems to automate predictive models.
managerial grid model (The Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid model) - The managerial grid model was developed by Robert R.
massive open online course (MOOC) - A massive open online course (MOOC) is a typically free web-based distance learning program that's designed for large numbers of geographically dispersed students.
MCITP (Microsoft Certified IT Professional) - An MCITP (Microsoft Certified IT Professional) is a credential that proves that an individual has a complete set of skills required to perform a particular IT job role, such as enterprise or virtualization administrator.
MCSA (Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate) - MCSA (Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate) was a certification program offered by Microsoft and intended for people seeking entry-level jobs in an IT environment.
meter per second (m/s) - The meter per second (m/s) is the standard unit of speed and velocity in the International System of Units.
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) - The Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) is a certification that was offered by Microsoft for IT professionals who demonstrated expertise in designing, implementing, and administering Windows server infrastructure, as well as other Microsoft technologies.
Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification - Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification is the name of a suite of entry-level certifications offered by Microsoft that signify fundamental technology knowledge in those who earn it.
network engineer - A network engineer is a technology professional who has the necessary skills to plan, implement and oversee the computer networks that support in-house voice, data, video and wireless network services.
nonprofit organization (NPO) - A nonprofit organization (NPO) is one that is not driven by profit but by dedication to a given cause that is the target of all income beyond what it takes to run the organization.
paternalistic leadership - Paternalistic leadership is a managerial approach that involves a dominant authority figure who acts as a patriarch or matriarch and treats employees and partners as though they were members of a large, extended family.
platform engineering - Platform engineering is a specialized discipline within software development that focuses on designing, building, maintaining and improving the toolchains and workflows software developers use.
Project Management Professional (PMP) - Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is a qualification program overseen by the Project Management Institute (PMI).
registered health information technician (RHIT) - A registered health information technician (RHIT) is a certified professional who stores and verifies the accuracy and completeness of electronic health records.
release train engineer (RTE) - A release train engineer (RTE) is an information technology (IT) professional in a large enterprise who drives continuous development initiatives while also acting as a full time chief scrum master for a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe).
RHIA (Registered Health Information Administrator) - An RHIA, or registered health information administrator, is a certified professional who oversees the creation and use of patient health information, including analyzing that data.
SharePoint administrator - A SharePoint administrator is the person who oversees an organization's installation and operation of the Microsoft SharePoint collaboration and content management platform.
site reliability engineer - Site reliability engineer is a job title for a specialist who works with software developers to ensure that an organization's computing systems are scalable, stable and predictable.
site reliability engineering (SRE) - Site reliability engineering (SRE) is the application of scripting and automation to IT operations tasks such as maintenance and support.
skills taxonomy - A skills taxonomy is a classification system for all the skills an employee at a business may have.
soft skills - A soft skill is a personal attribute that supports situational awareness and enhances an individual's ability to get a job done.
software engineering - Software engineering is the process of developing, testing and deploying computer applications to solve real-world problems by adhering to a set of engineering principles and best practices.
stacked ranking (stack ranking) - Stacked ranking (stack ranking) is an employee evaluation method that slots a certain percentage of employees into each of several levels of performance.
STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) - STEM is an educational approach that prepares primary and secondary students for college, graduate study and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
succession planning - Succession planning is the strategic process of identifying and developing internal candidates to fill key organizational roles to ensure business continuity and leadership in the face of role transitions, departures, or unforeseen events.
system administrator (sysadmin) - A system administrator (sysadmin) is an information technolog professional who supports a multiuser computing environment and ensures continuous, optimal performance of IT services and support systems.
transformational leadership - Transformational leadership is a management philosophy that encourages and inspires employees to innovate and develop new ways to grow and improve the path to a company's future success.
What is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)? - Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) is a certification and globally recognized standard for appraising an IT auditor's knowledge, expertise and skill in assessing vulnerabilities and instituting IT controls in an enterprise environment.
What is a chief sustainability officer (CSO)? - A chief sustainability officer (CSO) is an executive tasked with improving sustainability within the company.
What is a cloud architect and how do you become one? - A cloud architect is an IT professional who is responsible for overseeing a company's cloud computing strategy.
What is a cloud engineer? Key skills and how to become one - A cloud engineer is an IT professional responsible for any technological duties associated with cloud computing, including design, planning, management, maintenance and support.
What is a data architect? - A data architect is an IT professional responsible for defining the policies, procedures, models and technologies used in collecting, organizing, storing and accessing company information.
What is a data center administrator (DCA)? - A data center administrator (DCA) is an experienced IT professional who is responsible for overseeing data center operations.
What is C-level (C-suite)? - C-level, also called the C-suite, is a term used to describe high-ranking executive titles in an organization.
What is executive leadership? - Executive leadership is the ability of those who manage or direct employees in an organization to influence and guide these individuals.
What is infrastructure (IT infrastructure)? - Infrastructure is the foundation or framework that supports a system or organization.
What is upskilling and why is it important for your career? - Upskilling is a workplace trend that provides training programs and development opportunities to expand an employee's abilities and minimize skill gaps.
What is VMware Certified Professional (VCP)? - VMware Certified Professional (VCP) is a certification level designed to demonstrate technical competency with VMware vSphere and related technologies.