[Mr. Jeeves]

My advice? Don't do it at all. At least not looking to be a "dedicated" IT professional. Follow this path:

- Read and write and speak with expert fluency in the English language.

- Get very good at Microsoft Excel - it's the default business software tool in America and it's always worth studying in depth.

- Understand databases and SQL.

- Take college classes in statistics/business analysis if necessary.

- Try to get a job that uses Excel and other IT tools but does not come with an IT-specific job title.

Otherwise, you will be outsourced/replaced within a decade. Don't listen to people who say their specific IT speciality is untouchable. They are wrong, but FR's history indicates they will not be told otherwise. :)

[SpinnerWebb]

Sadly, I must agree. I sit here right now while my upper management makes plans to outsource my job.

[killermosquito]

After reading Mr. Jeeves advice I like it best. It is very similar to the path I am on.

I was unemployed for 54 weeks after a 22 year career as a college administrator. But I had learned Microsoft Access and did some consulting on the side (both Access and Excel).

Found a job as a corporate trainer but demonstrated that I know more about Access and Excel than 95% of the others who work here so I am in demand.

[Riflema]

Bravo! Let's hear it for Excel, very much the Rodney Dangerfield of applications. In my 30-odd years of earning a living as essentially a desktop developer, that has been my entree to all sorts of interesting assignments. IT departments loathe it, which is also something of a recommendation in my eyes.

Essentially your list describes me and my experiences to date - avoid dropping into any pigeon holes in IT itself, make yourself very useful to the people on the sharp end of whatever business you find yourself in. The tools you list make up a superb toolkit for that.