Hello! When I first thought about working in IT, I was completely unaware of the question of what professions there are in an IT company. And it so happened that I just started learning the first thing that came to my hand, and that was Java. Now, when I have been working as a Java developer for several years, I know what kind of specialists an IT company consists of and who is responsible for what in it. And you know, if I choose again, but with this awareness, I would still choose development in Java. But after all, as they say, there is no comrade for the taste and color. A Java developer has a very high entry threshold, and yes, not everyone may like development. Some may prefer working with people. Or fulfilling the role of technical support. Or or testing of already developed functionality, which is a quieter job. Well, or creating a design for the site. Today I want to consider these "or", or rather, discuss a little the professions that exist in an IT company, the necessary skills for them, responsibilities, salary ranges (according to Dou). I’ll make a reservation right away that not all possible professions in IT may be here: I will only talk about those that I met myself, or at least heard about. Also note that depending on the company, the obligations for a particular profession may vary slightly. If I come across someone with some thoughts, I will write a plus to my karma)) Even if you are not considering alternatives to the profession of a Java developer, you should definitely know who and what is involved in IT in order to feel more confident in any field from the start. companies. Go!
1. Recruiter
And we will start today with a specialist who meets you at the entrance to the company - a recruiter. A recruiter is a specialist who searches for people for empty vacancies in a company. The main responsibility of a recruiter is to communicate with people. Lots of interaction with people. This specialist negotiates and builds trusting relationships with people, so he must have well-developed communication skills. Therefore, if you are an introvert and do not really like to communicate with people, this profession is clearly not suitable for you. But if you love people and love to communicate with them, then this is clearly the profession that you should pay attention to. Recruiter responsibilities include:
closing company vacancies, searching for suitable candidates:
writing ads on the search for a specialist with a description of the vacancy and posting on special sites;
viewing resumes of candidates, which can sometimes be very, very many (for example, if you need a junior level developer);
correspondence with candidates who are sometimes not so easy to find, and the recruiter has to lure a suitable candidate from another company;
conducting an interview, which should help to probe the candidate (for example, for adequacy) and weed out unsuitable ones;
leading a candidate through a chain of recruiting stages (for different specialties and companies, these stages may differ);
providing feedback (feedback) to the candidate in case of refusal;
maintaining an internal database of candidates.
You must understand that the specialists with whom you will conduct a dialogue will not always be sociable and polite: very rude or closed people can come across, and you need to be able to find a common language with them and be able to maintain polite communication. Well, at the same time, do not lose heart, regardless of any circumstances: neither from months of unsuccessful searches for the cherished candidate, nor from communication with inadequate candidates. Required skills:
proactivity;
sociability (also called soft skills);
adequacy;
basic orientation orientation in the technical part;
orientation in sites for the search for specialists;
stress resistance.
Basically, the process of hiring a candidate begins with the fact that the recruiter receives a request for a specific vacancy, after which he communicates with the project manager, finds out the details, and, based on this information, draws up a description of the vacancy. After that, he publishes a job description on various job search sites and, in addition, he begins an active search through social networks (for example, Linkedin), through some events for people of this vacancy, through acquaintances. After a candidate of the required profile is found, the recruiter conducts an initial interview, at which the salary level, details of the project and the position for which the candidate is considered, and so on are discussed. Also, the recruiter should be a bit of a psychologist to see how adequate the person is and whether he will take root in the company (and on the project). After all, if you take the wrong person, who in two months can turn around and leave or do something, then it will be a waste of time and money. IT is a business, and business does not like such things. Next, the recruiter organizes interviews with technical specialists and management. If the candidate successfully passed these circles of hellall interviews, the recruiter draws up a contract and discusses various details: the date of entry to work, the necessary equipment, and so on, and transfers the specialist to the care of an HR specialist.
2. HR specialist
After a person enters the company, he is introduced to an HR (Human Resources) specialist who will help in adapting to the company and its team. In addition, HR is an employee who constantly interacts with the company's team, develops the corporate culture, and assists in the development of colleagues. A person in this position should also have excellent communication skills, the ability to resolve conflicts and be the very spark that warms and unites the team. The main duty of this specialist is to create coziness within the company, so that all employees feel good and comfortable, so that it is more difficult to lure them away, and they do not want to leave this company at all. In other words, they perform the function of employee retention.. It is not about forcibly binding people to the company with the help of a contract, but about creating such conditions under which people themselves will want to stay in their current place and enjoy their work. Actually, this is what the HR specialists of the company do. They achieve this by building a motivation system, an individual development plan for both professional and personal qualities, organizing various events, such as corporate parties, tennis competitions, the Mafia, various quests, the Halloween movement ... and organizing other “goodies” from companies.Also, HR periodically conducts conversations with employees to understand how satisfied they are with the company, their project, tasks on the project, and relationships in the team. Perhaps a person is a little short of knowledge in a certain area and it is necessary to organize his training: send him to courses or attract a specialist in this area as a mentor. Let's discuss the responsibilities of the HR professional next:
drawing up an individual development plan for employees;
organizing and holding various events within the company;
organization of a social package (medical insurance, vacations, and so on);
improvement of office space;
conducting the dismissal process;
organization of internal meetups of educational events (for example, internal English courses);
conducting interviews with employees to establish the level of loyalty and the likelihood of a person leaving the company.
In fact, the range of responsibilities of an HR specialist is much wider and may differ from company to company. The required skills are similar to those of a recruiter:
responsiveness;
proactivity;
sociability;
adequacy;
basic orientation in the technical part;
stress resistance;
multitasking.
But perhaps the most important skill or quality will still be love for people . Recently, in many companies, the profession of a recruiter and an HR specialist has been combined into one. According to Dou, in Kyiv, the average salary for a novice HR/recruiter is $450. The average salary in Kiev for these specialists is $820-1800 : it all depends on the experience and the company. If you like the idea of creating warmth and comfort in a company, go for it, this is clearly your direction))
3. System admin
A system administrator (sysadmin) is a specialist who is responsible for the maintenance, configuration and reliable operation of computer systems, networks and servers. When company employees need help setting up, installing some software, or need some technical equipment (for example, a computer), an additional monitor or even headphones, a request is made to the system administrator, who is usually assigned to one office and, in fact, “solves” problems of this kind in this office.Also, system administrators actively solve problems with computer and server systems in order to reduce disruptions within the company. As a rule, these specialists begin their careers with education in computer science, information technology or engineering, because the requirements for a system administrator include a deep understanding of computer software, hardware and networks. These professionals must also monitor and manage software and hardware updates. It is the system administrator who maintains operating systems, business applications, security tools, web servers, email, computers. Also, the duties of an administrator may include monitoring and configuring the correct operation of internal servers. As a rule, these specialists are engaged in setting up new accounts and administering their active directory. System Administrator Responsibilities:
installation and configuration of hardware and software;
troubleshooting the system;
creation and configuration of new users in the internal systems of the company;
provision of remote access;
technical support for employees;
the purchase of new technical equipment and the issuance of it to employees (well, accounting for who gave what);
setting up networks;
Information Security;
server setup (server administration).
The system administrator can be divided into subspecializations, in which the duties and necessary skills may vary slightly. Let's consider some of them: Office system administrator - a specialist who is responsible for the performance of computer equipment and maintenance of the office network. Performs all technical support duties for users (Support). This specialization is perhaps the most common of all, since not a single company office can live without such a specialist. Required skills:
knowledge of various operating systems;
good knowledge of hardware (internal components of computers);
orientation in accounting programs such as 1C;
skills in laying a local network;
superficial knowledge in the database and programming languages;
understanding of network principles.
The following specializations are less common: Web Server Administrator - Installs, configures, and maintains web server software. Required skills:
knowledge of unix systems;
skills in configuring the Apache web server ;
skills in setting up mail servers;
skills in configuring the IISS web server ;
deep understanding of the OSI model ;
knowledge of the TCP/IP protocol stack.
DBA - Specializes in maintaining databases (not to be confused with a database developer!). Required skills:
deep knowledge of one of the DBMS ( PostgreSQL , MySQL , Oracle , MS SQL and so on);
skills of administration of the selected database ;
knowledge of the operating system on which the database is running .
Network Administrator − Specializes in the maintenance and development of networks. Required skills:
deep knowledge of network protocols;
routing skills;
familiarity with the implementation of VPN ;
understanding of billing systems;
knowledge in the field of active network equipment.
The salary of a novice System admin specialist in Kiev, according to Dou, is absent, but if you take the whole of Ukraine, it will be an average of $300 , so for Kiev it will be somewhere around $450 (the capital, after all). The median salary in Kiev for these specialists is $650-1500 . Again, it all depends on your experience and the generosity of the company. If you love tinkering with hardware and often having problems is a “challenge” for you, then this profession is clearly for you.
4 DevOps
To understand who a DevOps specialist is, you first need to get acquainted with the concept of Development Operations . Development Operations is a series of practices and processes for accelerating and automating the development, testing, and release aspects of software, which in turn enables continuous delivery and updates of software. If programmers and testers are responsible for Development , and administrators, in turn, for Operations , then the specialist who is directly involved in the development and in the deployment and operation of the system is DevOps . This profession is something between a system administrator, a developer and a tester:DevOps are exactly the guys who deploy the application on the server, configure the whole process. For example, tests will run - they will not, or it can be configured so that the application cannot be deployed without successfully passing the Sonar check. They also actively monitor performance, and in which case they actively ring the bell, or rather, raise a fuss in the development team that such and such a problem has arisen. Specialists in this area are vital when a project has problems with scaling, stability, work under load or deployment in production. DevOps Responsibilities :
process automation;
deploying a new release received from developers;
reducing the failure rate of new releases;
creation of the necessary conditions in the infrastructure for the normal functioning of the software;
ensuring system security;
management of CI/CD tools;
testing and creating an infrastructure for running tests;
automation of various processes.
Of the minuses, I would like to note that various night breakdowns are possible, which by no means can wait until the morning, and then you may have to restore everything at night. After all, again, this is all business, and business is money. Required Skills for a DevOps Specialist:
experience in development or system administration;
broad technical knowledge;
excellent knowledge of OS ;
knowledge of the TCP/IP protocol stack ;
knowledge of the principle of operation of DNS , OSI model ;
routing skills;
superficial acquaintance with the database ;
CI/CD. Jenkins ;
Git _
docker _
knowledge of modern approaches to infrastructure management.
DevOps salaries are among the largest, so there is nothing to be surprised that even a beginner will receive an average of $800 in Kiev . The range of salaries in Kiev for these specialists varies between $ 2000-4200 (and the demand for these specialists is only growing). If you like complex technical challenges and high salaries, and night breakdowns do not scare you at all, then this specialty is clearly yours!
5.Business analyst
A business analyst is a specialist who is some kind of intermediate link between customers and a development team. He examines the customer's request, consults with the developers, finds the most effective solution and, on its basis, creates a specification (a detailed description of the requirements), according to which the product is subsequently created. This person serves as a kind of translator between the end user and the development side. That is, business analysts are responsible for understanding and evaluating the changing needs of the business, conducting a dialogue with the customer about the functionality of some changes, and then conveying all this to the development teams.In addition to communicating with customer representatives, business analysts can also act as a link between programming teams and help support and translate business needs into functionality. Again, the requirements for a business analyst may vary by position, just as the responsibilities of a business analyst may differ from company to company. But despite this, their main goal is to analyze, evaluate and refine processes. Let's draw a line and see what are the main responsibilities of a business analyst:
understanding what the customer wants (well, at least it’s worth trying);
product business model analysis;
creation of specifications and technical specifications (technical specifications) based on customer requirements;
maintaining communication between programmers and customers (between business and development);
improving the quality of IT products;
consultation of development teams;
market analysis;
orientation in business problems;
forecasting and collecting requirements for the product;
identifying areas for product improvement;
making report.
Sometimes understanding what the customer wants is a very, very difficult task, because he himself does not fully understand what he needs. Here, perhaps, it is worth taking the initiative and offering something to the customer yourself based on market analysis, your experience and skills. Required Skills for a Business Analyst:
preferably - higher education in business administration or business analysis;
knowledge in the theory of business analysis;
basic orientation in the technical part;
Analytical mind;
sociability;
understanding of business structure;
knowledge of the main development methodologies;
skills in requirements development such as process requirements definition methods, JAD/RAD sessions and so on;
development of scenarios for using the program;
image of processes using flowcharts;
the ability to sell the best business solutions.
The market is constantly growing, and now the creation of a new product (application) has become virtually impossible without a business analyst who can analyze the market needs for this application, possible competitors and the vector that needs to be set for the product. After all, if you don’t research the market and the profitability of the product, you can burn out so well: how can you pay off an expensive development if, in the end, no one is interested in the program? But as a rule, a business analyst is not alone in trying to understand the client's vision: a representative of a more sophisticated profession, a designer, also communicates with the customer. In Kiev, the salary of a business analyst for a beginner is an average of $500 . The range of salaries in Kiev for specialists in this area is $ 1300-3000. If you have always had an entrepreneurial streak, understanding financial matters is everything, and your communication skills are on the level, the profession of a business analyst is perfect for you .
6. Designer
Designer (UX / UI) - a specialist who designs user interfaces. UX - user experience is the experience that a user gets when using a site or application. In general, this is the area between design and analytics - thinking about how the product makes you feel. Actually, this is more about the logic of interaction with the product (how everything works, for example, on the site). UI - user interface (user interface) is a visualization of a prototype developed based on user experience and analysis of the target audience. In other words, this is work on the graphical part of the interface (on the logos themselves, the appearance of buttons, fonts, and so on). Typically UX and UIare so closely related that the line between concepts is almost blurred. Actually, that's why usually the same designer is engaged in designing interfaces, and his profession is written with a slash. Designer Responsibilities:
communication with the client (customer) to determine their design requirements;
consulting both clients and development teams regarding interface design;
analysis of information about the project and its audience;
development of styles used in the product;
creation of graphic product layouts, including the choice of colors, images, fonts and other graphic elements;
creation of logos, original images and illustrations;
Adjustment of the layout based on feedback from the customer.
One of the great things about being a designer is that it's easy to find freelancing jobs, so if you're new to this business, for example, go ahead and get yourself a freelancing resume! Required Skills for a Designer:
creative streak;
subtle understanding of the latest trends in graphic design;
Proficiency with design software and wireframe tools (such as Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Sketch, Photoshop, etc.)
English - level B2 +, because you need to communicate a lot with the client;
It is desirable to have a higher education in the field of computer science;
developed communication skills, since you have to interact a lot, especially with the customer (and you represent your company for them, after all).
The work of a designer is much more visible than the work of an ordinary programmer or manager. After all, you can go to a working product (for example, a website) and see the real result of your work (and even brag to your friends), since the result of your work is visible to the naked eye. At the same time, if you are a back-end developer, the satisfaction from the result of the work, it seems to me, is much less: you cannot just show the site to a friend and say: I did it. Your work is not so clear. As an option, try to explain that you worked on such and such a functionality that you are proud of (and which in the end could have been changed by someone after you, but you won’t know). In Kiev, the average salary of a novice designer is $550. The average salary for specialists in this area in Kiev is $1000-2300 . After all, the work of a designer is a creative profession, something like an artist. And if you have a similar vein in order to “create”, this profession is definitely for you. Actually, this is where we will end the first part of my short review. In the next article, we will talk about the most interesting - backend and frontend developers, QA and project managers.
Today I want to consider these "or", or rather, discuss a little the professions that exist in an IT company, the necessary skills for them, responsibilities, salary ranges (according to Dou). I’ll make a reservation right away that not all possible professions in IT may be here: I will only talk about those that I met myself, or at least heard about. Also note that depending on the company, the obligations for a particular profession may vary slightly. If I come across someone with some thoughts, I will write a plus to my karma)) Even if you are not considering alternatives to the profession of a Java developer, you should definitely know who and what is involved in IT in order to feel more confident in any field from the start. companies. Go!
Recruiter responsibilities include:
Also, HR periodically conducts conversations with employees to understand how satisfied they are with the company, their project, tasks on the project, and relationships in the team. Perhaps a person is a little short of knowledge in a certain area and it is necessary to organize his training: send him to courses or attract a specialist in this area as a mentor. Let's discuss the responsibilities of the HR professional next:
Also, system administrators actively solve problems with computer and server systems in order to reduce disruptions within the company. As a rule, these specialists begin their careers with education in computer science, information technology or engineering, because the requirements for a system administrator include a deep understanding of computer software, hardware and networks. These professionals must also monitor and manage software and hardware updates. It is the system administrator who maintains operating systems, business applications, security tools, web servers, email, computers. Also, the duties of an administrator may include monitoring and configuring the correct operation of internal servers. As a rule, these specialists are engaged in setting up new accounts and administering their active directory. System Administrator Responsibilities:
If programmers and testers are responsible for Development , and administrators, in turn, for Operations , then the specialist who is directly involved in the development and in the deployment and operation of the system is DevOps . This profession is something between a system administrator, a developer and a tester:
DevOps are exactly the guys who deploy the application on the server, configure the whole process. For example, tests will run - they will not, or it can be configured so that the application cannot be deployed without successfully passing the Sonar check. They also actively monitor performance, and in which case they actively ring the bell, or rather, raise a fuss in the development team that such and such a problem has arisen. Specialists in this area are vital when a project has problems with scaling, stability, work under load or deployment in production. DevOps Responsibilities :
In addition to communicating with customer representatives, business analysts can also act as a link between programming teams and help support and translate business needs into functionality. Again, the requirements for a business analyst may vary by position, just as the responsibilities of a business analyst may differ from company to company. But despite this, their main goal is to analyze, evaluate and refine processes. Let's draw a line and see what are the main responsibilities of a business analyst:
Designer Responsibilities:
The work of a designer is much more visible than the work of an ordinary programmer or manager. After all, you can go to a working product (for example, a website) and see the real result of your work (and even brag to your friends), since the result of your work is visible to the naked eye. At the same time, if you are a back-end developer, the satisfaction from the result of the work, it seems to me, is much less: you cannot just show the site to a friend and say: I did it. Your work is not so clear. As an option, try to explain that you worked on such and such a functionality that you are proud of (and which in the end could have been changed by someone after you, but you won’t know). In Kiev, the average salary of a novice designer is $550. The average salary for specialists in this area in Kiev is $1000-2300 . After all, the work of a designer is a creative profession, something like an artist. And if you have a similar vein in order to “create”, this profession is definitely for you. Actually, this is where we will end the first part of my short review. In the next article, we will talk about the most interesting - backend and frontend developers, QA and project managers.
GO TO FULL VERSION