If you are a software developer looking for a slight change, then you have several options available. The process of software development requires multiple types of resources. A software developer performs the construction and delivery of software programs. An experienced software developer gains business knowledge, analytical skills, team management skills and communication skills. All of these skills can be used to divert your development career into a related and slightly varied role in software development.

Production Support Engineer
A developer can easily switch to the role of a Production Support Engineer. This role entails working with customers and technical teams to report, track and resolve production issues. For some, this might be an exciting opportunity to see the software application from a user’s point of view.

Engineering Manager
If you have experience in leading a team of developers, you could take the role of an Engineering Manager. This role requires managing a bigger team of developers. The Engineering Manager is also responsible for ensuring the delivery of software products and meeting the deadlines set by Product Management. You will get the opportunity to develop software, if you are inclined to do so. However, you will also take new responsibilities such as performance management, infrastructure management and vendor management.

Partner Engineer
This role requires some amount development as well as coordination with partners such as vendors and customers. The job of a Partner Engineer is to act as a middleman to help the integration of services with partners via application programming interfaces (APIs). For example, companies such as Twitter and Facebook employ Partner Engineers to integrate their services with customer websites.

Systems Analyst
Many companies offer developers with an opportunity to switch to Analyst roles. This role involves analyzing system requirements by working with business and technical teams. Many Systems Analysts also work on reviewing, developing and testing application code. This role is suitable for developers with strong analytical skills.

QA Automation Engineer
This role is responsible for automating test cases with the help of tools such as Java, Ruby and Selenium. This role is ideal for people with prior development experience. QA Automation Engineers work with developers and product managers to define test cases, and to automate and run the test cases. In this role, you will get the opportunity to work on back-end as well as front-end automation tasks. You will remain in touch with programming languages as well as database technologies.

Database Analyst
Most people gain significant amount of knowledge on databases while working as a software developer. This will help you to switch your role into a Database Analyst. A Database Analyst analyzes database issues, reviews performance problems, writes database scripts and runs queries. This role also provides a path to become a Database Administrator, if you are interested.

Deployment Engineer
This role is responsible for deploying the code developed by software engineers. You may not be developing application programs in this role. However, you will be responsible for code deployments, pushing the code into test and production environments.

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Passbook is one of the newest features of the iPhone. What many people were offput by standards today is that we rely too much on disposable tickets, and the like, such as when you go to the airport for a boarding pass, or a movie ticket. Apple strove to solve that with a new application that is bundled with the newest update: Passbook.

Passbook offers everything you need, especially when a ticket, coupon, or gift card is needed. When you first open the application you are greeted by a sampling of applications that support Passbook, and its features. To begin, install the particular application you want to use. For example, we will be going with the Starbucks application to satiate our coffee needs every morning, as we have a gift card to spend.

Open up the freshly downloaded application, and get ready to be blown away. Like most applications, especially when it has to do with airlines, or coffee, you are almost always required to sign up for a respective account. Don’t worry, it is easy. All you will be asked is to fill out your email, a password, and other miscellaneous information to identify you when you lose your password or others.

Once you have finished signing up, you’re ready to roll. It will prompt you to enter a gift card that you already own, or begin a digital gift card. If you don’t have a gift card, you can start a digital gift card (or, as many may call it: a prepaid card), and pay for your coffee in a fast, and efficient way. Just tap on “Tap to Pay” when you are ready to pay, and tap again after you have paid. It’s really that easy.

Recently, I asked my friend, Ray, to list those he believes are the top 10 most forward thinkers in the IT industry.  Below is the list he generated. 

Like most smart people, Ray gets his information from institutions such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Huffington Post, Ted Talks ...  Ray is not an IT expert; he is, however, a marketer: the type that has an opinion on everything and is all too willing to share it.  Unfortunately, many of his opinions are based upon the writings/editorials of those attempting to appeal to the reading level of an 8th grader.  I suppose it could be worse.  He could be referencing Yahoo News, where important stories get priority placement such as when the voluptuous Kate Upton holds a computer close to her breasts.

Before you read further, note that missing from this list and not credited are innovators: Bill Joy, Dennis Ritchie, Linus Torvalds, Alan Turing, Edward Howard Armstrong, Peter Andreas Grunberg and Albert Fent, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz/Hermann Grassmann ... You know the type:  the type of individual who burns the midnight oil and rarely, if ever, guffaws over their discoveries or achievements.

There are many excellent opportunities for IT professionals to present themselves to corporate entities for future consulting positions. You can find yourself in your next consulting engagement if you are willing to combine your IT skill-set, a good amount of corporate research and a bit of old fashioned moxie. Contrary to popular practice for applying for jobs through placement agencies and recruiters, it’s possible to meet with hiring managers, representing your firm, you, directly.

Although recruiters may not take a fee directly from you, the fact that they charge a fee for their services to a company after your placement may keep them from being able to place you. On the other hand, corporations searching for individuals with advanced knowledge of IT functions cannot rely on the friends and family of current employees to find superior consults in all fields.

What are some other options? First take the time to research corporations you would like to consult with. Look for the ones that most likely are complementary to your area of expertise because of the goods they produce or the services they provide to the public. Or you may opt to choose a company that is geographically close to where you live for the convenience of a short daily commute.  

Another way to find your next consulting job is to actively scan the news and see what corporations are making waves within their individual marketplaces. This is a good indicator of possible expansion and the need to hire on a contractual basis. Another good indicator of a need for IT professionals is a mention of a company relocation or expansion. Growth or renovation of office environments is often accompanied by a modernization of IT systems. Current IT team members may not be relocating or might not be familiar with systems other than the ones they already service.

Do as much research as possible about each corporation from their own websites and other sources dedicated to their particular field of endeavor. This gives you the edge in being able to speak about the IT systems they already have in place or your ideas for adapting their line of work or new product with the use of an IT system advancement. Their websites will often have a list of their corporate management. Make sure you address your cover-letter and resume to not only the Director of Human Resources, but to all executives in charge of their IT departments. Be specific in your abilities and the fact that you can be flexible with hiring arrangements.

Attend job fairs that have an emphasis on the more technical fields. When possible, also circulate your resume both digitally and in paper format to smaller and mid-sized companies. These corporations may not be able to maintain their own full-time IT group for fiscal reasons and your consulting prowess may be able to “save the day” for them in an emergency. You can become part of a corporate team on your own; all it takes is additional work on your part. However after your consultant job placement, you will be pleased that your efforts have succeeded so well.