Jobs that merge business and technology

Jobs that merge business and technology
What jobs can you get that combine business and technology? Source: Shutterstock

Are you interested in both business and technology? You don’t need to choose between the two if you plan to be involved in both fields in your future career.

You can get started in the exciting world of business and technology by taking up a course that offers the best of both worlds, such as Business Information Technology or IT Management, as it will prepare you for a future in this arena.

Both sectors are extremely relevant in today’s economic landscape, as new trends like Big Data, artificial intelligence, data mining, marketing technology, and others are slated to become deeply integrated in our everyday lives.

This means there will be more demand for people who canll bridge the gap between business and technology.

According to American Intercontinental University, “most Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programs with an emphasis on business technology and management aim to prepare students for the increasing role of technology in the modern workplace.

“Courses and programs of study revolve around helping students understand the complex ways new and evolving technology may impact business and consumer relationships, marketing efforts, production and distribution practices, internal structure and organization, and other aspects of a company’s operations.”

Here are three jobs where business and technology cross paths.

Computer Network Architect

A computer network needs leadership skills to direct engineers to build networks. Source: Shutterstock

A computer network architect designs and develops communication networks within an organisation, which include planning and creating layouts for data networks, developing security measures, and researching technologies.

As more companies start to use data networks for internal communications within the company, there will be more demand for these kind of jobs, as the employment rate is expected to increase by 12 percent in coming years.

Why is it important to have a background in business for this job?

A big part of the job involves presenting plans to management, communicating with them on why it is in their best interests to pursue a particular technology or network.

Plus, they should have an understanding of business needs and plans in order to find and create the best communication network. Leadership skills are also beneficial as they often need to direct teams of engineers who build the networks they have designed.

IT Business Analyst

An Information technology business analyst “conducts information technology system analysis and testing to identify how information technology can be used to meet various business and customer requirements”, according to BestCollegeReviews.org.

A role like this will usually entail analysing the organisation and the design of technical systems, business models, processes and strategic business needs, as well as being responsible for the needs of stakeholders.

According to Robert Walters, “In many cases a business analyst will facilitate communication between business departments – in particular, they will often play a central role in aligning the needs of a particular business unit with the capabilities that can be delivered by IT.”

Darin van den Munchkoff, Senior Consultant at Robert Walters, said, “The most important responsibility of a business systems analyst is as a communication channel between the stakeholders and the team.”

Data/Marketing Analyst

Nearly every industry needs data analysts. Source: Shutterstock

You’ve probably heard the words ‘big data’ floating around a lot lately, and hearing how important data is in our everyday lives.

A data or marketing analyst’s job varies depending on the industry they’re working with (sales, social media, marketing, healthcare, etc), but generally speaking, a data analyst retrieves and gathers data, organises it, and uses it to reach meaningful conclusions or find solutions.

Nearly every industry can benefit from data analysts; from healthcare and retail to food and beverage.

According to Rassmussen.edu, “Regardless of which industry they work in, data analysts can expect to spend their time developing systems for collecting data and compiling their findings into reports that can help improve their company.

“Analysts can be involved in any part of the analysis process. In a data analyst role, you could be included in everything from setting up an analytics system to providing insights based on the data you collect — you may even be asked to train others in your data-collection system.”

Casey Pearson, Marketing Analyst at Delphic Digital, said, “As an analyst, I spend a significant amount of time producing and maintaining both internal and client-facing reports.”

Jess Kendra, Manager of Analytics at Porter Novelli, emphasised the importance of being able to communicate well in this job, which is where your business background comes in handy.

“Your success is dependent on your ability to work with people — the people you are gathering the research questions from, peers you collaborate with to execute the work and the people you deliver the final presentation to,” she said.

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