Digital Agents

There are several ways you can explore this type of work. Test your interest in technology and digital media by joining a tech club at your high school or in the local community. Does your school have a Web site? If not, talk to your principal about designing one. If it does, get involved with the people who update the site and volunteer to help. Create your own video games or animated features to gain an introduction to these specialties.

Do some research on the latest in computer technology. Examine Web sites, books, and Internet chat groups that provide good computer education material. Attend computer trade shows and learn about recent developments. Of course, you should take computer science and digital media classes at your school, but you should also check out what classes are available through community offerings. The local college, for example, may offer an evening class in Web site design that your high school does not.

Simply accessing the Internet frequently and studying different Web site designs and the increasing number of e-commerce sites can give you an insight into today's technology and how rapidly the computer industry is changing. Learn about emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (especially generative AI), quantum computing, and edge computing. Also, ask your school counselor or computer teacher to arrange for a computer consultant, Web designer, social media professional, or programmer to give a career talk at your school. Ask if you can "shadow," or accompany, a professional for a day.

Try getting a part-time or summer job working in a computer store. In this setting you can meet people involved in many aspects of the computer world, from the programmer, to the seller, to the user. You can also get experience in the field of human resources by working at a temporary staffing agency. You may just be answering phones and filing, but you will see how professionals in the human resources field work.