Close your eyes and imagine an IT professional! Who do you see? Many might imagine a scene from a movie, a programmer sitting in a dark room. In reality, however, the IT field is not so monotonous; it is a colorful and exciting world, full of diverse tasks and thrilling challenges.
In the second part of our series, we will introduce further career opportunities that will help you navigate the IT sector.
Scrum Master
First, let’s meet the Scrum Masters, whose main task is to support the spread of agile organizational culture within the team and across other areas of the organization. The agile method is recommended in situations where employees work on complex, creative tasks. These teams enjoy a high degree of motivation and autonomy in organizing and completing their work, which can be coordinated effectively and relatively predictably with the help of the Scrum model.
A good Scrum Master has excellent communication skills, manages people well, and understands the entire development process from defining requirements to software testing and delivery. To maintain these successfully, they must thoroughly understand agile methodologies and be able to coordinate various organizational players within a project. Additionally, it is important that they support and assist the team in performing their tasks as efficiently as possible.
Product Owner
The role of a product owner is exceptionally important within an organization, as they are responsible for the product’s market performance and its continuous development. Accordingly, they represent the product internally, practically as an owner, making decisions about the product's future, even against the highest decision-makers. Their responsibilities include a deep understanding of the product’s market position and needs, as well as identifying challenges. A good product owner continuously researches and develops the product, whether it concerns software quality, operational efficiency, or user experience.
Since the software development team's capacities are limited, the product owner must identify and prioritize the problems and objectives that need to be addressed. Importantly, a product owner does not necessarily need to have a technical background; rather, rapid learning abilities, domain knowledge, and strategic thinking are crucial. With these skills, one can be very successful as a PO. This position offers complex challenges and exciting opportunities even without programming knowledge. Additionally, it is a respected, sought-after, and well-paid job.
Data Scientist
In today’s digital world, every second millions of data points are generated – whether it’s a click, a scroll, a purchase, or even extracting a liter of oil from the ground – data scientists are the professionals who analyze these data. They use various statistical and mathematical methods to uncover hidden correlations within vast data sets, which can then be transformed into profitable insights by organizations.
The data scientist profession has become extremely popular in recent years, as Business Insider also ranks it among the top three tech jobs, offering excellent placement opportunities, high salaries, and great job satisfaction. No wonder data scientists are often called the "sexiest job of the 21st century."
If you enjoy searching for correlations among data like a detective, and you are mathematically and analytically inclined, then this career might be the perfect choice for you.
Data Analyst
Although the Data Scientist and Data Analyst roles are similar to each other and are often used interchangeably, there is a sharp difference between them. While a Data Scientist focuses on in-depth analysis of data, searching for correlations and building models, a Data Analyst primarily processes data, interprets it, and models from it.
To create good data visualizations, we need to know the types of data, their purpose, and what we want to communicate through them. We must also have a clear understanding of the subject of the analysis to uncover the processes and correlations hidden within the data.
If you are analytical by nature, but not attracted to programming or automation, and instead prefer reading data and making it consumable, then the Data Analyst profession might be ideal for you. This field allows you to combine your visual and analytical skills. As a data visualization expert, you will be the bridge that connects analytics with presentation, greatly aiding the management in their daily decision-making processes.
In our series, we have presented nine different IT roles that reflect how varied and colorful the technology sector is. In this dynamically changing industry, professionals with different skills and abilities will surely find the career that best suits them.