Overview
The Hardware and Networking sector in the IT industry is the highest paying and fastest growing segment. Today many students opt for computer hardware and networking courses. The cause of this paradigm shift in the IT domain can be traced to the widespread usage of computers, tablets, mobiles, desktops and internet in private and governmental organizations that have generated enormous demand for hardware and networking experts. Hardware and network experts focus primarily on the computer component research, design, development, analysis, and testing. Any machine consists of multiple pieces, each piece having a different and unique function.
Hardware and Network experts are also known as: Server Technician, Network Support Technician, Network System Engineer or Administrator, IT Administrator or Network Manager, System Engineer or Administrator.
Typical day at work
Job description, Profiles, Roles and Duties:
Abilities and Aptitude needed
One should hold a degree in computer science / electronics / electrical and telecommunication to become an expert in Hardware and Networking. Those with a diploma in the field concerned can apply for the networking jobs.
Hardware and networking practitioners typically manage various hardware components such as chips, operating systems, motherboards, processors, RAMs, circuit boards, modems, external hard drives, printers, and keyboards. Hardware professionals need to look after software installations and make sure computers work faster and more efficiently. A hardware professional who also has knowledge of networking skills increases value to a company and is therefore, often preferred.
Becoming a hardware engineer requires you to have creative and analytical skills, as much of the work in this field comprises analysing and understanding defects and design discrepancies and suggesting suitable changes about the same. For the ones who want to become computer hardware engineers, it is necessary to have programming skills, a competent understanding of electronic circuitry, and skills in quality control and analysis.
Pathways
Entrance Exam
Courses
Best Colleges
Industries
internship
Career outlook
The career path in IT Hardware and Networking is relatively broad with multiple- sentry points. IT and web hosting companies are in constant need of hardware professionals and network administrators. In this field, IT professionals can hold a range of positions, such as working at the Help Desk, providing network support, offering field support, working as a server or network support technician, or serving as an Internet system administrator.
The career path will pave the way of becoming a part of a large company's IT team, where you can install printers and computers. You can become a LAN manager or a support team member who helps people over the phone to solve problems.
Some areas where computer hardware engineers are working are manufacturing companies, industrial plants, and research laboratories. Computer hardware engineers take part in planning and crafting new models and hardware products in such locations. They perform maintenance and value analysis on prevailing designs when they are not developing new models, concentrating on the segregation and resolution of performance problems and operational discrepancies.
Some engineers opt to become private hardware engineers, in which case they make house calls and perform customer/client system maintenance. They can also take contracts for the maintenance and upkeep of computers at offices from individual companies or branches.
Networking and hardware experts are desired by software enterprises, hardware manufacturing firms, call centers, network design corporations, telecom businesses and hardware repair shops.
After acquiring adequate knowledge and experience one can even open his / her hardware repair shops.