Many of the skills necessary for administrative professionals easily cross over into the IT world. From organizational skills, multitasking, and attention to detail to working with a priority matrix, all of these abilities would be beneficial in IT roles. Your talent and expertise, in combination with a few new skills or certifications, could help you break into a new career in IT.
Interfacing with external parties and customers is standard fare in any administrative role. In the context of IT, this role assists customers with troubleshooting their issues, managing communications, providing resources, and resolving concerns. With an administrative background, you would have a stronger focus on customer outcomes and provide higher-quality support.
The world runs on data. Data informs business decisions, marketing strategies, training materials, customer support, and more. IT systems rely heavily on data to manage databases, software platforms, and networks. Analysts interpret the data provided with tools like SQL or Excel to provide clarity.
IT projects have a reputation for being more complex than initially planned, leading to programming obstacles, schedule delays, and altered objectives. An IT project coordinator would use their skills in task management, coordination, and communication to assist in project planning and tracking.
A quality assurance analyst will leverage their attention to detail to test any type of software application. Their goal will be to root out any bugs, ensure smooth operations, and enhance user experience. These efforts improve future projects and help foster customer satisfaction and, ultimately, customer loyalty.
Keeping organized and accurate physical or digital records can be a tedious task. A records management specialist will leverage their organizational skills and keen attention to detail to create easy-to-use file management systems, ensure compliance, and assist teams and departments with sharing resources.
As an administrative professional, you may already have several skills that lay a strong foundation for a future IT job, like these 5 Skills You Didn’t Know Could Land You an IT Job. If you’re ready to make the transition now, see open IT job listings here.