By: John Meersma | 3 Min Read

The youth of today are never without a mobile computer within their reach. Whether it be a cell phone or a tablet, the teens and young adults of today should probably be told that this device is actually a real computer they are tossing in their backpack or willingly giving to their toddler. What if your teenage son or daughter knew that their phone could be the source of a high paying career for themselves?

The lines that separate the “haves” and the “have nots” are those that understand technology and those that don’t. Anyone, youth or not, has an opportunity to become a successful IT professional. This profession does not discriminate. A person only needs to be willing to try new things independently, stop making excuses about why ‘it’ (the computer or software) won’t let them do something, and make the commitment stick to it.

According to the US Department of Labor, “Employment of computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow…faster than the average for all occupations. These (IT) occupations are projected to add about 557,100 new jobs. Demand for these workers will stem from greater emphasis on cloud computing, the collection and storage of big data, and information security. The median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $86,320 in May 2018.” If you want to learn more about the benefits of being in the technology industry, view this blog, “Why Should You Get Certified in Technology?“

Salaries of IT occupations are going to continue to rise and are not entirely dependent on your academic achievements. Certification tracks are readily available to everyone, no matter your concentration. You can view a list of the certifications we offer here. You can take the exams when you feel you are ready, at thousands of locations. Cisco has a Networking Academy available to high school students which offers online and in-person class offerings. To learn more, check out the resources here.

I remember being 27 and broke with no marketable skills. I had spent years as a part-time history major and ran a small family business. My options were entry-level jobs or waiting tables. Forget that. So I started taking computer classes. I got a $2,500 student loan, sold my $1000 car, and got a $375 apartment. I bought my first PC and walked everywhere. All I ate were PB&J’s and locked myself away to learn something called Cisco CCNA. Less than a year later, I was making over $60k and had the premiere teaching job at the same college. That was 2001. Becoming a CCNA changed my entire life. Since then, I’ve watched it change the lives of everyone who pursues it with enthusiasm.

Encourage the youth around you to learn exactly where their photos are being stored and how they are being secured. Make the technology personal for them and you just might spark an interest in technology that will lead them to a fulfilling and lucrative career for them and their future family.

Instructor Bio:

John Meersma has nearly twenty years of experience working in the IT industry. His areas of focus are Collaboration; voice, video, and SIP, in addition to routing and switching. John has put his enthusiasm for data networking and his love of working with people to work as an instructor. Over the past two decades, he has taught a wide variety of IT courses to diverse audiences.

During the nine years while living in Denver, John worked with area medical centers to upgrade their network and VoIP infrastructure. John currently consults for southwest Michigan area businesses on ways to improve their self-sufficiency in maintaining their converged networks. He is finishing his exams for the latest Cisco Voice over IP certification as well as preparing for the Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert exam.

Interested in taking a course with John? View our Cisco Collaboration courses here!