You would have to had been living under a proverbial brick for the past fifteen years or more to not have realized the importance and overarching significance that computers and software systems have on the modern world of business, and beyond.

If you are one of the hundreds and thousands of people who have more than a passing interest in everything related to computers and want to make a career out of working with them (in a variety of different capacities) then you have come to the right place. Continue reading to learn of the top nine most challenging and rewarding careers which involve working with computers.

1.    Applications Architect

Applications architects are digital professionals with an academic background in computing and computer science, and who have successfully acquired a physical or online master’s degree in data science to provide them with enough detailed knowledge and technical acumen needed for such a role.

Theyperform code reviews and provide technical and expert leadership to the management team within the company they work for; perform technical reviews; and are solely responsible for maintaining the legally compliant status of all software applications within the business.

2.    Database Administrator

Database administrators’ main job roles are to develop, maintain, and monitor specialist software programs which successfully, accurately, and securely organize and store data and information. Professional database administrators are tasked with ensuring that all the relevant data and information are accessible and fully available to all authorized users—both within the company or external clients—as well as protecting such data from hackers and cyberattacks.

3.    Computer Software Engineers

Computer software engineers spend their professional working day developing and designing software packages that control computer mainframes and the hardware within. To become a professional computer software engineer, it is not only necessary to successfully acquire an undergraduate qualification in computer science or engineering, but also a highly challenging yet equally rewarding postgraduate online master degree data science—or at least a computer science degree majoring in engineering.

Computer software engineers work in an incredibly ambitious and complex professional environment, and as a result a career in this area requires intensive study and a compiled wealth of knowledge from which to draw.

Typical roles and responsibilities assigned to a professional computer software engineer usually involve:

• Accurate and thorough testing of software development technology and methodology
• The provision of professional recommendations on how to monitor, maintain, and continuously improve software programs and packages
• Developing, designing, and analyzing test-automation suites and the tests themselves
• Collaboration with other professionals within the industry, including business users, clients, project managers, data scientists, and other software engineers
• The initial design and development of a processing platform through the use of different management configuration technologies
• The provision of ongoing software programming and system maintenance, as well as enhancements and overall support over the entirety of the platforms and systems
• Working alongside other computer software engineers in an effort to elevate and improve the technology
• Ensuring legal compliance as well as the execution of best practice

Aside from the academic undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications necessary for the successful acquisition of a professional career as a computer software engineer, there are also other types of experience, skillsets, personality attributes, and pre-requisites that, although are not entirely mandatory, you should at least be aware of.Such pre-requisitesinclude the following:

• Proven experience and knowledge in automated testing frameworks and test-driven development practices
• Exceedingly high literacy capabilities and strong written and verbal communication skills
• A strong knowledge and awareness of cloud deployment technologies
• Experience with development methodologies
• At the very least, a basic knowledge and/or experience of the following computer software packages:
  • scripting languages such as Shell and Perl
  • modern programming languages such as Python and Java
  • automation technologies such as Jenkins and Maven
  • APIs such as SOAP and REST
  • monitoring technologies such as Ganglia and Nagios
  • infrastructure automation technologies such as Vagrant and Docker

4.    Systems Analyst

Another exciting and immersive role working in theprofessional world of computing and computing science is that of a systems analyst.

Systems analysts—also referred to as system designers or system architects—are industry professionals who evaluate and utilize modern business technology to suggest enhancements to the program and network structure, or else resolve any arisen problems or issues. Systems analysts create, design, develop, and implement customized and tailor-made system solutions based entirely on the needs of the client or company.

Roles and responsibilities generally assigned solely to the systems analyst of a team or business involve, but are certainly not limited to, the following:

• Training employees to maximize their usage of both current software programs and packages,and newly implemented systems
• Assessing the benefits, costs, and comparisons of said implementation of new software programs and systems
• The research into and the study of new software systems and technologies to aid the professional suggestions and recommendations made to business managers and department heads that are specific to their business needs
• The overseeing of the installation of the new technologies, new systems, and new software packages and programs
• Determining theexact requirements of the company’s computer systems and networks, concentrating specifically on memory capacity and speed
• The analysis of the company’s database, data processing systems, and network to identify where improvements can be made and where there may be a possibility of a data breach

5.    Computer Information And Research Scientist

An incredibly fascinating career that involves working with computers is that of a computer and information research scientist, which is an extremely highlyskilled profession.

Computer and information research scientists’ professional working lives are divided into two main and fundamental objectives:the first, to discover new and innovative actions and uses for the software and hardware computing technologies that already exist; and the second, to design, create, and invent entirely new approaches and types of equipment and technology.

Such professionals can work across a wide array of different industries, including medicine, business, science, and mathematics and are dedicated to the improvement—and also the creation—of new computer hardware and software.

Computer and information research scientistsare involved with a wide plethora of different duties and responsibilities, including the following:

• Working alongside computer scientists and computer engineers to solve complex and multi-faceted problems and issues in computing
• The development and the improvement of specific software systems which form the foundation of the modern-day experience of computing
• The invention of innovative and brand-new computer programming languages, computing tools, and other proactive methods to improve the overall way in which humans interact with and work with computing technologies and equipment
• Creating, designing, and developing scientific and data-based mathematical experiments to test the entire operation and capabilities of a particular software system
• Deep and thorough analysis of each and every experiment conducted
• The publishing of the findings of the analyses in academic media sources and journals

6.    Mobile Application Developers

With the exponential rise of the use of smartphones across the length and breadth of the United States (as well as throughout the rest of the world) in the past decade or so, a new career pathway has been born: that of the mobile software engineer.

Mobile application developers entirely focus on the testing, debugging, coding, and monitoring of all mobile applications, using a wide plethora of different skillsets and pools of knowledge.

To become a professional mobile application developer, it is necessary to have had previous experience working with, developing, and even creating and building mobile applications across a wide variety of different platforms and media formats. In addition, it is also strongly advisable to make yourself fullyversed in the most popular mobile development languages.

7.    Data Security Analysts

One of the most challenging career paths which involves the professional usage of computers and computing technology is that of a data security analyst.

Data security analysts possess a wealth of knowledge on both the security of network functions and the security of computer systems themselves. Such professionals are fully experienced and knowledgeable on concepts such asencryption technologies, network protocols, and firewall administration, to name but a few; and are always at the forefront of any and all legal and governmental regulations, as well as trends in internet and security industry.

Typical key skillsets, personality attributes, and areas of expertise of a potential data security analyst should include:

• Project management skills and the knowledge on how to prioritize tasks appropriately, as well as experience in working alongside stakeholders and other business executives in order to gather the required data, and then report and deliver the research findings in an accessible and comprehensive way to the appropriate people
• A deep understanding of data management and the knowledge of how to organize, store, and source data securely
• Exceptionally high mathematical and information technology knowledge and skills that should be practically demonstrated through proven experience
• Skills and proven experience in data cleansing, data enrichment, and data modeling
• Problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, with the ability to apply and enact specific analytical tools and techniques in order to present a viable and effective solution to a specific issue or problem
• Both a natural logical mindset and the ability to think creatively and outside of the proverbial box
• Exceptionally high levels of communication skills

8.    Statistician

Professional and qualified statisticians are employed across the entirety of the spectrum of industry—from public health, government, biology, and medicine to business, engineering, and politics.

Essentially, statisticians are responsible for presenting their findings after collecting, collating, and analyzing data by employing their skills and wealth of knowledge of statistics and mathematics. Professional statisticians are incredibly technically skilled and workwith computers on a daily basis to aid their job role.

The roles and responsibilities of professional statisticians include the following:

• The collection of data from arange of viable sources
• The training of others on how to best and most accurately collect and collate said data
• Deciding exactly which datasets (and the data within those datasets)can be most effectively applied to the particular problem or question in hand
• Expertly, thoroughly, and accurately discovering, analyzing, and subsequently interpreting the data
• Designing experiments and/or surveys, as well as opinion polls, to collect as much data as possible
• Determining, refining, and developing new and innovative ways to collect credible data

9.    Business Continuity Analysts

Essentially, professional business continuity analysts work to ensure that businesses across a variety of different industries recover as quickly and as efficiently as possible after a data breach, blackout, or other technology-related disaster.

To become a professional business continuity analyst, it is absolutely essential to have had many years previous experienceworking in the world of business, preferably as a manager or a leader, and to have an extensive and proven knowledge of risk management and information security.

Business continuity analysts work to both prevent such disasters and work tirelessly to minimize the fallout when problems do occur; and as a result they are a sought-after commodity by business owners and managers across the country—as well as internationally.

The roles and responsibilities involved in the professional working life of a business continuity analyst include the following:

• Creating, developing, monitoring, and improving business continuity plans. Business continuity plans are specifically designed to come into play in the event of a technological breach or other business disaster, and as such, should be as userfriendly and thorough as possible. Such plans are crucial in ensuring that the company can recover as quickly as possible without losing their chance of solvency and future trading
• The designing and testing of restoration, prevention, mitigation, and recovery strategies, all of which are designed to protect and maintain the company’s core business functions
• The implementation of processes, policies, and procedures that can improve the organized and planned resilience and resistance levelsof the individual business in the event that a technological disaster occurs
• The analysis of all potential and present business impacts and risks that may occur as a result of different type of data breaches and disasters