What is an IT Consultant?

Information technology (IT) is the industry designed to manage information and computer technology. An IT consultant is the business professional who works in the information technology industry. The IT industry spans a wide spectrum of job categories, which offers many opportunities for specialization in the consultation field.

The field of IT has become integrated into most of society today. The skills necessary for IT consultants requires both a deep and wide understanding of computer information. This makes it a fascinating and exciting career choice for many individuals with many career opportunities.

Most businesses today rely on system automation and mission-critical information to make decisions. This information is managed and maintained by the IT consultant. It is a fundamental requirement for all consultants to support the business through automation techniques that allow business data to flow and be made available in a timely manner.

This type of consulting can be broken into a few basic areas. These are hardware engineering support, software management support, and enterprise business architectural support. All of these specialty areas have many branches within them.

The broad range of specialties in the IT consulting industry is staggering. It can be compared to the medical profession in which physicians specialize in all areas of the human body. An IT consultant's job description can range from a hardware repair specialist to a business processing specialist. It is a unique field because many IT professionals are well versed in the business management realm as well.

Today most enterprise organizations contain an entire information technology department. This department is generally run by a Chief Information Officer (CIO). The CIO is responsible for managing the entire IT infrastructure for the organization. This requires specialist from all areas of the IT consulting field.

Computer networks are another area of specialty that is typically managed by the IT consultant. These networks are the protocols and configurations that enable computers to communicate to each other. A network specialist is a consultant that has mastered the area of network engineering.

The general public has become accustomed to computer automation within our daily lives. Most stores and consumer institutions are fully automated to allow for easier access and faster processing of consumer needs. Behind the scenes, this automation requires a host of IT professionals to ensure systems stay running and provide the functionality desired by the consumer.