IT consultants can be deployed to carry out a diverse range of tasks for clients. Generally speaking, IT consultants help businesses to use technology to make processes more efficient or more secure. The tasks can be very diverse, from fixing current issues to creating brand new custom infrastructure.
Good IT consultants are flexible and are able to bring a number of skills to the table to solve issues for businesses. That said, there are specialisations within the industry. As the field of IT expands and evolves, there are more diverse job descriptions opening up.
Typically, IT consultants work with businesses to understand the current state of their IT and the end goals and desired outcomes. Once this is established, they work to create those solutions. The way this is carried out will vary depending on the specialisation. Not limited to implementation, IT consultants can also show clients how to use existing programs and back-end support to achieve objectives more efficiently.
IT consultants can provide excellent support to businesses. The development and maintenance of IT related systems makes operations much smoother, but there’s another benefit. The amount of time saved by outsourcing complex tasks to experts can allow business operators to focus on their core objectives, instead of attempting to reinvent the wheel. The combination of high quality systems and support with more available time is sure to increase results and reduce stress.
This article aims to break down some of the different jobs an IT consultant can do. Having a better understanding of the scope of the role may assist you in seeking out the consultant or team to meet your needs.
IT Consultant Jobs
Job 1: Systems Analyst
Systems analysts are solutions specialists. Their role is to work with management to understand the complete needs of a business, usually working with guidelines or a specified plan. They can provide support to develop the IT strategies for a business, if they are not already formulated. Designing systems and IT solutions from the ground up and developing protocols are also some of the jobs a systems analyst can do. It’s also common for the systems analyst to be the liaison between the business and the IT technicians who will complete the installations or carry out the tasks.
Job 2: Business Analyst
A business analyst has a particular role to play in the IT consultancy arena. They are less likely to be focussed on the implementation of the technology. They will concentrate on building a solid understanding of the business. New plans for the business will be created by collaborating with stakeholders, collecting and analysing data and establishing business requirements. A roadmap that outlines the technological needs of the business can be outlined, and then implemented by skilled technical operators.
Job 3: Network Engineer
This is one of the most technically challenging roles in the realm of IT consultancy. Network engineers design and establish networks. They can also provide and coordinate maintenance and upgrades to computer and telecommunication networks. In addition to creating networks, these engineers can also be responsible for disaster recovery procedures. Data security and data storage solutions are also sometimes included in their job descriptions; this can vary.
Job 4: Network Administrator
Where the network engineer creates networks, the administrator maintains and provides support to existing networks. For business, this commonly includes Local Area Networks (LAN), Wider Area Networks (WAN) and Virtual Private Networks (VPN). This can also include maintaining servers and implementing network security measures, along with troubleshooting.
Job 5: Tech support
Also known as help desk support, tech support is likely the most recognised sector of IT consultancy. It’s often the only touchpoint that employees have with technology support systems. The firefighters of the computer world, they respond to help requests, lost passwords, disconnected printers and other common issues. It’s less known that tech support teams also conduct inventories, manage asset recovery, and oversee warranties and software licensing.
Job 6: Computer Scientist
The job of a computer scientist is very specialised. They focus on building, installing and fixing hardware systems that support IT processes for business. Specialists in this area can assist with planning and conducting hardware installations, moving offices, cable installation and predicting hardware requirements for new installs. Some delve even deeper and become experts in singular topics such as motherboards, routers, physical servers or modems.
Job 7: Software Developer
Once the analysts have established what a business needs, the software developers are called on to create bespoke software applications, or modify commercially available ones to specific business requirements. Written using specific coding languages, these can range from operating systems to business productivity software, monitoring and tracking programs, security, web functionality, video games and device drivers.
Job 8: Software Tester
Working in tandem with software developers, the software quality assurance team tests products both before and after release. They try to predict possible issues with informations systems and applications. The software testers examine codes and user experience simulations to identify weak spots and potential issues. The data they collect is returned to the software developers so the product is improved before release.
Conclusion
These eight IT jobs are just a sampling of what the industry can provide. There are many more facets of the industry, from managing cloud services, to data security, to training roles. There is a lot of nuance in IT, and the scope for improving business outcomes is almost limitless. It can provide many benefits and efficiencies, no matter the size or scope of the project.
About Westfiled Networks
Westfiled Networks is a well-established Canada IT consultancy. Our trusted team can explain complex issues to you in easy to understand language. IT doesn’t have to be complicated. Contact us today to find out how we can help you.
