National IT Professionals Day – September 20, 2022, history, significance why we celebrate
We celebrate National I.T. Professionals Day on the third Tuesday of every September, on September 21 this year, to recognize the technical experts — network engineers, system administrators, database admins, ethical hackers, and many more types of I.T. professionals — that make sure our computer systems run smoothly. It takes a solid set of skills and talents to fill the shoes of an I.T.
pro so, today, we say thanks to the people who come to fix our devices when they stop working the way they should — the behind-the-scenes operators without whom we’d be back in front of an archaic chalkboard, doing things the hard way. On this day let us support IT students and help them find scholarship resources to advance their studies in the field and become professionals in near future.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL IT PROFESSIONALS DAY
National I.T. Professionals Day was created in 2015 in an effort to show appreciation for the tech wizards who take care of the nuts and bolts so that the average worker’s station stays hooked up to the company network and operates flawlessly.
If you’re old enough, you remember when the only meaning of ‘attachment’ was an actual piece of paper fastened with a metal paper clip to a memo that had been copied physically on a mimeograph machine.
Technology has practically advanced at the speed of light since then and someone has always had to keep up with the latest technical advent in order to manage any misfires in a given system. These guys and gals are nothing less than essential to successful business practices. Today, we give them a pat on the back, buy them a cup of coffee, or just say, “Thanks!” Your I.T. pros will appreciate it.
NATIONAL IT PROFESSIONALS DAY TIMELINE
1975
Truly Prophetic
An article in “Business Week” predicts the proliferation of the ‘paperless office,’ citing the growing popularity of the personal computer.
2000
Save a Tree
The overall use of physical paper in American offices levels off — ostensibly due to a generational shift — and begins to decline.
2015
It’s About Time
I.T. professionals get their due recognition when a holiday is created just for them.
2020
This Darn Virus
I.T. professionals have to work long hours and adapt to massive change to help their companies keep up and stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL I.T. PROFESSIONALS DAY
Treat your I.T. guy or lady to a cup of joe
Think about how many times during a typical year you call your I.T. pro to come and help you fix something on your computer or to remotely control it to solve your issue. Once? 10 times? For us, it averages about a dozen times a year. So on this day, show your appreciation with a coffee-shop gift card or other small tokens.
Post on social media
Use the hashtag #ITProDay to draw attention to the holiday — and the tireless computer geniuses it honors. Encourage your friends and online followers to do the same.
Try to solve a technical issue on your own…
…Or at least think about what might happen if you were to. Do you see visions of irreparable damage? Permanently lost files? Weeks of work, down the drain? Notice that, and give a mental nod to the I.T. pros who prevent those disasters from happening.
5 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THE APPLE TECH COMPANY
Doubling down
Apple as a corporation has roughly twice as much money as the U.S. Treasury.
How many?
Apple employs about 90,000 people, roughly equal to the population of Albany, New York.
Don’t light up
Users that smoke cigarettes while using an Apple computer automatically void its warranty.
Compare and contrast
In the first quarter of 2014, Apple made more money than Facebook, Google, and Amazon combined.
Modest to a fault
In his last 15 years with Apple, the late Steve Jobs only paid himself a dollar a year, so he could qualify for the company’s health plan.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL I.T. PROFESSIONALS DAY
Those guys can do things we can’t
I.T. pros exercise a specialized set of skills that make them seem like magicians to us. Sort of like your auto mechanic who can diagnose and fix things in your vehicle that you’ve never even heard of. Except — if your company has an in-house I.T. staff — you don’t have to pay 80 bucks an hour out of pocket for a complicated fix!
I.T. pros deserve recognition like anyone else
The people that keep things going — garbage collectors, postal carriers, truck drivers, and especially I.T. professionals — need to hear from everybody else that we consider them essential and indispensable because, without them, things would come to a screeching halt.
A chance to get to know an acquaintance
Say you do take your I.T. pro out for coffee, who knows what you could learn about them and their lives? You might even find out you have interests in common and make a new friend out of someone who has only been another face up to that point!
NATIONAL IT PROFESSIONALS DAY FAQS
How much do I.T. professionals make?
According to the industry website, Glassdoor, an I.T. pro can expect to make anywhere between 44,000 and 130,000 dollars a year.
Should I tip an I.T. person when they fix my system?
Our research shows no precedent for tipping your company’s I.T. pro, but there’s nothing wrong with giving them a glass of lemonade or a cup of coffee — depending on the weather — especially on National I.T. Professionals Day.
How much schooling does a typical I.T. person have?
It’s common for an employer to require a Bachelor’s degree, although they ask for a Master’s degree increasingly frequently. And of course, the more years of previous experience, the better.
