Home » Articles

Why Young People Choose Career in IT Companies

Learn, why young people choose career in IT companies?
Submitted by IncludeHelp, on MAY 14, 2022

There is no denying the fact that we live in an era dominated by technology. Just a couple of decades ago, if you were into computers, you were considered a nerd. Nowadays, however, just about everyone knows how to use a smartphone, regardless of their age, and most people know their way around a computer. In such a tech-oriented world, some jobs are bound to become extinct, since robots, machines, and even apps can easily replace one or more humans. On the flip side, tech is creating as many jobs as it is eliminating.

Today, you have developers, testers, QA engineers, DevOps engineers, system administrators, technical writers, CTOs (Chief Technical Officers), software architects, and so on. Naturally, the older workforce feels threatened by this shift, but they shouldn't be, because there are plenty of opportunities for them to make a career change. But we will get back to that later on. IT seems to be a young people's game, so we decided to look into why they tend to choose careers in IT companies.

1. They Are Exposed to Technology Early in Life

You will often see kindergarteners with smartphones in their hands being able to play games or videos on YouTube, which just goes to show how accessible technology has become. Younger generations that grew up with technology view it as an opportunity and a career in IT seems like a logical choice. For example, companies that are young and innovative also tend to have a younger workforce. The average age of engineers at Google is just 30, whereas the average age of those that work at IBM is 38. Not that much of an age gap, but according to the ranking by Glassdoor for 2022, IBM isn't even in the top 100 places to work at, whereas Google is at #7.

2. Lower Entry Barriers

The majority of baby boomers and Gen Xers, and even some of the older millennials, will shy away from jobs in IT because they think they are too old for them to make a career change. And by too old, they mean that it would take them years to get a degree in computer science, just to become complete rookies in the industry. Fortunately for them, they are wrong, because landing a job in IT is easier than ever. There are plenty of materials online, and they can easily find help with programming assignments,  as well as courses and workshops both online and offline which can provide them with all the necessary skills and knowledge. And the best part is that it only takes them anywhere between a few months and a year to learn all the basics and to be able to apply for jobs.

Younger people don't have that problem, which means that even if they chose a different career path, they will switch if it suits their ambitions and goals. If it takes less than a year for them to get a lucrative job position, rest assured that they will do it.

3. IT Companies Offer Flexibility

Sure, we all like to poke fun at the fact that young people in IT only want bean bags and free snacks, but the truth is, those are only short-term fixes. IT Companies that are serious about keeping their employees need to provide benefits that are more meaningful for them, in addition to a good salary. For instance, some of the perks that young IT professionals can expect from their employers are paid time off, parental leave, private health care plans, as well as flexible work hours. Thanks to the pandemic, more and more IT companies are allowing for remote work, or choosing a hybrid model, in which employees are required to be on-site for a couple of days a week.

This allows for improved work-life balance, especially when you add up all the extra hours that you're not spending in traffic on your way to and from work.

4. There Is More Teamwork Involved

Again, this is one of those cliches that just never seems to go away. Sure, working in IT can get a bit lonely if you are working from home and living alone, but a modern approach to engineering involves a lot more collaboration than you might think. For instance, collaborative coding, or pair programming, is a very common practice in the industry, and it's far cry from staring at the screen alone for hours at a time. Also, developers need to work closely with other IT specialists, such as QAs and testers in order to fix bugs in their code, as well as project managers, product owners, and technical writers. Working together with others often makes for easier problem solving, as well as for unusual and creative solutions. Last, but not least, it helps developers, engineers, and testers develop their soft skills.

5. They Want a Sense of Purpose

One of the reasons why tech companies are so innovative is because they need to be. Simply put, they need to be able to meet the needs of their customers, otherwise they will get run over by their competitors, and there is never a shortage of those in IT. Young people want to work for companies that design products with their customers in mind, because it gives them a sense of purpose, and depending on the company and the product, they might even view it as a way to give back to the community and society in general. In addition to that, younger employees also care about the values that the company stands for, such as inclusivity, ecology, and sustainability. If an IT company ticks all of those boxes, they will want to become a part of it.

Final Word

IT industry is growing every day, and in order to do that, it needs a young, dynamic workforce that is able to adapt to the ever-changing demands. The good news is that, because everything is so fast-paced in IT, college degrees might not be needed, which is great news for those that don't want to spend a significant chunk of their future earnings on repaying their student debts. All you need is an interest in tech and the willingness to work hard. Good luck!