Tech specialists: dynamic career awaits

There is record demand for ­technology specialists in Australia.

Arbor Networks country manager Nick Race.

There is record demand for ­technology specialists in Australia, due in part to the large number of jobs being created as technology and the web transform most industries.

Every organisation needs an internet presence to stay com­petitive — and, for some, always being online is essential for generating revenue. But it is a sad fact unscrupulous people are constantly trying to attack websites, sometimes for no other reason than ­because they can.

The technology industry and its security used to be seen as ­boring, but it is far from that now.

The technology profession has gone through a significant image makeover, making it more attractive to those wanting a rewarding and interesting career.

Technology touches our lives in many positive ways, and it is for this reason that when we want to access our mobile banking app or a restaurant or cinema’s mobile site and we can’t, we get upset.

This can damage a brand’s reputation, so having security ­specialists on hand to help prevent this from happening and to defend websites from attack is important. The security sector has matured far beyond attracting stereotypical shy male geeks. There was a sense that security was all about sitting at a desk in a dark room all day staring at a computer.

The message has not got through to those advising young people about their future that IT security is a fun, challenging, varied and dynamic place to be.

It’s filled with people who not only understand technology and networks but politics, activism and economics.

It also gives people the opportunity to work in any industry ­sector they choose, anywhere in the world, without retraining.

The resumes of network security candidates 20 years ago were very different from those nowadays. Back then, there were no specialty positions or titles such as chief security officer.

Many technical analysts and executives were self-trained or worked their way up the ranks through on-the-job training.

This often happened through experience, learning from others and, most important, a personal interest in security. They didn’t necessarily go to university to ­secure an IT role.

Many of the really successful technology start-ups in recent years have been founded by university dropouts, not graduates.

So is a four-year university degree really necessary for many technology roles? Higher education costs are skyrocketing and technical or on-the-job training can be more important for some technology positions than a ­university degree.

When you look at the present potential IT security workplace, ripe with rewarding jobs but too few people to fill them, it’s inevitable there will be dramatic change in the education and ­experience required for some ­positions. As the image of the network security industry — its rewards, perks and more flexible style of working — becomes better known, more people with a passion for technology will be attracted to it, among them increasing numbers of women.

Unfortunately, if these security roles cannot be filled, essential work increasingly will be sent offshore, putting jobs at risk and seriously impeding our ability to access what we need to online.

Nick Race is Australian country manager for Arbor Networks.