IT Job Satisfaction on the Upswing

A survey from CompTIA, a training and certification association for channel and IT pros, found that a majority of IT professionals are satisfied with their jobs (79%). This number is up from 73% in 2015. 

In addition, InformationWeek and Interop ITX recently conducted their own survey of IT professionals and found that 95% of respondents would recommend IT as a career to young people, with 65% saying that it’s a great career option. 

“[IT] Job satisfaction is jumping,” says Nancy Hammervik, ‎executive vice president of industry relations for CompTIA. “A lot of [IT pros] are saying, for the first time they’re getting recognized for the work they’re doing.” 

Hammervik believes increased job satisfaction may be due in part because cutting-edge issues such as cybersecurity are giving IT pros greater exposure in the business.   

When it comes to cybersecurity projects, “they’re not just an IT guy building a solution anymore,” says Hammervik. “They’re contributing to the business. I think [working on cybersecurity projects] is elevating their status and making them feel appreciated and needed.” 

When asked about projects they’re interested in, half of the 820 IT pros surveyed by CompTIA (51%) expressed an interest in cybersecurity, ranking it ahead of the Internet of Things (30%) and artificial intelligence and machine learning (20%). 

Cybersecurity isn’t the only reason IT pros are finding greater job satisfaction. Nate Meneer, a researcher at Forrester says IT and technology are playing greater roles in business. “I think traditionally IT has been seen as a back-office function, as tech becomes the tip of the spear in engaging with customers, [IT pros] are getting to work on a more diverse range of products, which leads to satisfaction.” 

Andrew Bartels, vice president and principal analyst serving CIOs for Forrester adds, “When you, as an employee, feel like what you’re doing is making an impact, you feel better about your job.” 

A clear career path may also contribute to greater job satisfaction numbers. The data from the CompTIA survey shows that IT pros feel a career in IT makes good use of their skills and caters to their interests. Sixty-four percent said that IT was a good fit for their skills/aptitude for tech, and 52% said a career in IT aligned with their passion/interest in tech. In addition, 73% of IT pros feel that their job provides them with a sense of personal accomplishment. 

Furthermore, the report states that IT pros are “significantly more likely to report being exactly where they expected to be versus their IT pro counterparts in other industries such as government, military, healthcare/medical, manufacturing, education/training, and financial/banking/insurance.” 

CompTIA recently acquired the Association of Information Technology Professionals. CompTIA AITP offers national resources, such as job searches and online courses, coupled with local chapters. You can read the full CompTIA report, Evaluating IT Workforce Needs, here.