Tech Careers That Make a Difference

Help with Skills and Passion Wanted, Your Community

Add problem-solving savvy to technology skills, and anything is possible. Own your own businesses, develop a life-saving product, travel the world. Here are a few jobs that require these skills, and can get you out of the cubicle, into the world, and feeling good about what you do for a living.

Telehealth Specialist

Over 50% of people who live in rural parts of the world cannot access basic healthcare. Many lack the money or resources to travel to health facilities – which may be hundreds of miles away. Imagine if you could change that with technology. Telehealth specialists do, every day. Telehealth uses networked medical devices, video conferencing, and other Internet-based technologies to let doctors see and speak to patients as if they are face-to-face, no matter how many miles separate them. Telehealth specialists use their skills in VoIP, computer networking, video streaming, and more to increase access to healthcare for patients and improve their quality of life. Become a network engineer with CCNA Routing & Switching.

Disaster Response Network Engineer

When disasters strike, communications systems are often the first to fail. Imagine being unable to use smartphones, email, or social media during a crisis. Without it, responders can’t save lives or deliver food and water where it’s needed. Survivors can’t get medical care or find their loved ones. But network engineers with special training and the right equipment can provide voice, video, data, and radio communications via satellite when communities are devastated by disasters. These professionals often deploy to the front lines of a disaster, working directly with government and humanitarian agencies to ensure public safety and provide humanitarian assistance. Explore Mobility Fundamentals.

Smart Grid Cybersecurity Specialist

Technology is modernizing our electrical grid. We use Internet-enabled thermostats to control and monitor energy consumption. Cities use motion-detecting sensors and software to control when streets lights go on and off. These technologies can reduce energy costs, light pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. But the increased connections expose electric systems and our homes to cyber attacks. People skilled in network security protect communities and families from those risks so they can enjoy the benefits of a modern electrical system. Prepare for CCNA Security certification.

Tech Entrepreneur

Do you want to be your own boss or start a business with the goal of achieving positive impact? As a tech entrepreneur you’ll work hard and take on big risks, but you’ll have the potential for big rewards, especially if making an impact on society is important to you. One study estimates that every $1 of profit earned by an innovator generates $50 worth of benefits for society at large. Technology is behind most every transformative innovation of the last two decades, with no signs of slowing down. Find out how to start your own business: Entrepreneurship.

How will the next phase of the Internet will change the world, and your future? Listen to a 20-minute podcast on the “Internet of Everything.”