Data Processing Technicians

Advancement opportunities for skilled data processing technicians are good. In addition to the steps from data processing technician to junior and senior programmer, there are parallel steps in supervision and management. Technicians who are considered extremely competent in the details of problem analysis and programming generally can progress to the analyst position. Advancement occurs faster for those whose education goes beyond a two-year technician program. Supervisory and managerial positions are available to technicians who show promise in managing and supervising people and projects.

Experienced technicians will find increased opportunities to work as consultants. There are many companies and businesses that need help in designing custom systems using small computers, storage and information processing systems, and the programming know-how to apply computer technology to their work. Often, such a system and the ability to use it will make the difference between failure and success of a business.

In a similar way, data processing technicians and programming specialists in either numeric process control or computer graphics can often find excellent advancement opportunities working for consulting companies that specialize in these services.

Advancement is often a result of activities with and contacts in the many professional computer societies and organizations. The areas of concentration of such groups are diverse, ranging from systems management groups to special interest groups involved in research, statistical programming, and business programming.