Careers That Require Computer Skills
Careers That Require Computer Skills
Intoduction
Computers play an important role in several professions and have come a long way since they have replaced
typewriters. They're used in many fields, varying from design to management. We use them in our everyday lives
to write letters and print our reports. As most of our society is technology-oriented, you can expect that
almost every job needs some degree of knowledge on computer skills. So, what are some careers that
rely on these skills?
Software Developer
What They Do
- Create and develop new software
- Evaluate new and existing software systems
- Improve upon existing software systems
- Monitor and correct defects; writing code(HTML, PHP, XML) for new software and updates
- Writing operational manuels and stystems specifications
Daily Tasks
- Meeting with clients and project managers to design and develop new software
- Designing, writing, reading, testing, and correcting code for new software
- Running QA(Quality Assurance) tests to search for bugs in developing software
- Reporting to clients and project managers on the development of new software
- Testing and implementing software updates and improvements when necessary
- Writing documentation for new and updated software(1)
Biomedical Engineers
What They Do
- Design and develop medical devices such as artificial hearts and kidneys, pacemakers, artifical hips,
surgical lasers, and blood chemistry sensors
- Adapt computer hardware or software for medical science or health care applications(ex. medical
imaging systems)
- Conduct research to test and modify known theories and develop new theories
- Ensure the safety of equipment used for diagnosis, treatment and monitoring
- Investigate medical equipment failures
Fields They Work On
Biomedical engineers work on primarily in one or a combination of several fields.(2)
Here are some of the following:
- Bio-Nano-Engineering: developing novel structures of nanometer dimensions for application to
biology, drug delivery, molecular diagnostics, microsystems, and nanosystems
- Biophotonics: applying and manipulating light, usually laser light, for sensing or imaging
properties of biological tissue growth
- Cellular and Tissue Engineering: studying the anatomy, biochemistry and mechanics of cellular and
sub-cellular structures, developing technology to repair, replace or regenerate living tissues and
developing methods for controlling cell and tissue growth in the laboratory.
- Clinical Engineering: applying the latest technology to healthcare and healthcare systems in
hospitals and clinics
- Molecular Bioengineering: designing molecules for biomedical purposes and applying computational methods
for simulating biomolecular interactions
- Systems Physiology: studying how systems function in living organisms
- Therapeutic Engineering: developing and discovering drugs and advanced materials and techniques
for delivering drugs to local tissues with minimized side effects
Information Security Analysts
The security analyst plays a vital role in keeping an organization’s proprietary and sensitive information secure.
He/she works inter-departmentally to identify and correct flaws in the company’s security systems, solutions,
and programs while recommending specific measures that can improve the company’s overall security posture.(3)
What They Do
- Monitor security access
- Conduct security assessments through vulnerabiloty testing and risk analysis
- Preform both internal and external security audits
- Analyze security breaches to identify the root cause
- Continuously update the company’s incident response and disaster recovery plans
- Verify the security of third-party vendors and collaborating with them to meet security requirements
Areas of Expertise
Ethical hacking aims to expose weak points and identify potential threats so that the organization can protect
itself from malicious hackers. This includes penetration testing during which an analyst will test networks, computers, web-based applications,
and other systems to detect exploitable vulnerabilities
Intrusion prevention involves monitoring network traffic to detect potential threats and then responding to these threats promptly
Computer forensics aids in the prevention of crime through the collection, analysis, and reporting of data. It also enables an analyst
to create evidence in the event of a breach
Reverse engineering allows an analyst to comprehend why a piece of software does what it does so that he/she can patch a bug or analyze malware
Multimedia Artists and Animators
Multimedia artists and animators create animation and visual effects for television,
movies, video games, and other forms of media. They create two- and three- dimensional
models and animation.
What They Do
- Create graphics and animation using computer programs and illustrations
- Work with a team of animators and artists to create a movie,
game, or visual effect
- Research upcoming projects to help create realistic designs or animations
- Develop storyboards that map out key scenes in animations
- Edit animations and effects on the basis of feedback fom directors, and other staff(which may include actors)
to review deadlines and development timelines(4)
Multimedia artists and animators often work in a specific medium. Some focus on creating animated movies or video games.
Others create visual effects for movies and television shows. Creating computer-generated images (known as CGI) may include taking images of an actor’s movements,
which are then animated into three-dimensional characters. Other animators design scenery or backgrounds for locations.
Artists and animators can further specialize within these fields. Within animated movies and video games, artists often
specialize in characters or in scenery and background design. Video game artists may focus on level design: creating the look,
feel, and layout for the levels of a video game. Other artists and animators prefer to work by drawing and painting by hand and then translating the resulting images into computer programs. Some multimedia artists use storyboards or “animatics,†which look like a comic strip, to help visualize the final product during the design process.
Many multimedia artists and animators put their creative work on the Internet.
If the images become popular, these artists can gain more recognition, which can lead to future employment or freelance work.
Questions