It's no secret that the pandemic massively disrupted many sectors of Canada's economy.

It dramatically changed the way many people work, shop, socialize (and pretty much every other aspect of our lives).

But while some industries have suffered large job losses, sectors like information technology experienced substantial growth.

With everyone stuck at home, relying on digital systems to keep them connected to the outside world, the demand for computer networking professionals has kicked into high gear.

In this post, we walk you through 4 computer networking jobs that have seen increased demand during the pandemic.

Find out which IT careers offer promising opportunities both now and in the years ahead.

Photo: Karnig Kazandjian, Networking Department Head and program instructor at Herzing College Montreal

Updated January 2021.

Computer networking training is one of the most popular diploma programs at Herzing College Montreal.

The field has grown tremendously over the past few years, with increasing demand for roles like network administrator, IT support specialist, and network technician.

If you're considering this path, you're probably wondering what kind of training you need to get started. Or what jobs you can qualify for, straight out of college.

There's no one better to answer these questions than Karnig Kazandjian. Karnig is the Computer Networking department head at Herzing College Montreal.

As a freshly hired computer network administrator or technician, your top goal is to ensure the network you’re responsible for is secure, optimized, and free from disruptions. 

For businesses, a well-oiled network means improved productivity, increased profit, and more satisfied customers. And with so many daily processes and transactions relying heavily on high performing networks, talented administrators are in very high demand. 

Updated January, 2021.

There are so many computer networking skills that are in very high demand right now. Network analysis and optimization is big, and so is virtualization, data storage, and hybrid cloud management (just to name a few).

But there is one area of expertise that outranks all others in terms of demand—and that's network security.

There is a well-documented, worldwide shortage of cyber security professionals. According to the Cybersecurity Jobs Report 2018-2021, we'll have 3.5 million unfilled cyber security positions across the globe over the next 5 years.

These jobs are not concentrated in any particular country, either. Numerous regions are feeling threatened by intensifying hacker attacks and data leaks—and a serious lack of specialists available to offer solutions.

Countries with the biggest security skills shortages include Israel, Canada, the US, Australia, India, Japan, Mexico, and parts of Europe.

This research matches what individual companies are saying about their networking needs.

In the 2018 State of Infrastructure Report, 60% of polled companies said network security was one of their biggest challenges right now—and highest priority for spending.

So let's say you've looked into computer networking careers, and you're particularly intrigued by the growing opportunities for security specialists.

Here are a few things to know about getting started in this field after college.

If you've set your sights on an IT career, and are getting ready to start computer networking training, you probably already have some natural IT skills.

Have you seen the latest job outlook for computer networking careers? So many of these occupations are booming right now, as we move further and further into digital dependency.

There are very few businesses who don't rely on computers—and specifically, computer network technology—for everyday operations.

From governments to private corporations, start-ups to medium-sized businesses: networking is the new normal.

The problem is, as our digital networks grow more complex, they become much harder to setup, maintain, protect, and enhance.