Title: 1.2 - Careers in Mission Critical Operations
Course: Introduction to Mission Critical > Section: Introduction to Mission Critical

Click here for a downloadable version of this document: (EXTERNAL) Careers in Mission Critical Operations

Careers in Mission Critical Operations

We have learned that many things have become increasingly dependent on technology, and we all realize that as good as it is - technology can still fail or be hacked. In order to cope with, plan for, and in some instances prevent systems failures or failures in our country’s infrastructure a knowledgeable workforce is needed.

MCO careers can be in medicine, utilities, the transportation industry, 911 call centers, and in many more places. The skills needed to excel at a career in MCO vary according to the specialized field, but the focus on reliability and the need to keep the MCO organization running twenty-four hours a day - seven days a week stays the same.

SME, the Society for Manufacturing Engineers, is currently in a campaign to boost workforce readiness and promote employee development. They say that, “despite high general unemployment, a critical shortage of skilled workers threatens the future of manufacturing in America and experts say that, if not addressed now, the crisis will dangerously accelerate in the next decade [1]."

Automation Federation states that, “Our Companies cannot possibly succeed in the long term without attracting talent from future generations.” They also spell out the shortage of employees that is caused by a retiring baby boomer generation [2]."

Although industrial and Information Technology positions may top the list of those jobs that are available in the Mission Critical field, they are far from the only careers in the area that require knowledgeable employees.

Below is a sample of some of the career choices that you may not have considered while searching out and preparing for a Mission Critical Operations career.

- Business
- Business Intelligence
- Business Intelligence Analyst
- Construction
- Electrical
- Emergency Response Services:
- Emergency Medical Technician
- Fire Fighter
- Energy
- Facility Maintenance
- Critical Facility Technician
- HVAC
- Information Technology
- Computer Network Defense Auditor
- Director of Voice Over IP
- Systems Administrator
- Medicine
- Clinical/Laboratory
- Nursing
- Scheduling
- Technicians
- Security

The careers listed above were all found on Indeed.com in a job search for Mission Critical Operations

Reference List

[1] | sme, "Mission Critical: Workforce 2021," 2014. [Online]. Available: http://www.sme.org/missioncritical.aspx. [Accessed 20 February 2014].
[2] | Automation Federation, Automation Federation Automation Careers Pamphlet, Research Triangle Park, NC.
[3] | indeed.com, "indeed.com," 20 February 2014. [Online]. Available: http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=Mission+Critical+Systems&l=.
[4] | Career One Stop, "Fastest Growing Occupations," 20 February 2014. [Online]. Available: http://www.careerinfonet.org/oview1.asp?next=oview1&Level=Overall&optstatus=&jobfam=&id=1&nodeid=3&soccode=&stfips=&ShowAll=.