Question: In honor of InCommon’s 20th birthday, what would you say are
the most-compelling reasons for a 20-year-old today to consider going into an IAM
career?
Response: IAM is the best place to prepare for where all of
IT is headed. IT can no longer be “those nerds in the corner.” To do IAM right, it’s a translation layer
where practitioners need to be just as well versed in the business and strategic needs of the organization
as they do in the technology itself. IAM must be positioned as a business transformation partner for the
organization. Faculty, staff, students, leadership, guests… you have to know how the business works, how it
makes decisions, and how to sit down with someone and help them make decisions that they may not be
comfortable with.
Response: To be candid, I just attended my 25th college reunion. A
sunny weekend wandering around my old campus and reminiscing with long-lost classmates was the perfect
setting for pondering this question. It reminded me of my headspace when I was 20 years old; looking forward
at uncertainty and constantly fielding the question of what I was planning to do with myself. I had several
vague aspirations but did not know how exactly to achieve them.
I wanted to make sure my
specialty was going to remain relevant, that the field I went into was going to continue to mature, and I
could grow and learn new things alongside it. I wanted to solve problems, and even though it is cliche, make
the world a better place. These career aspirations are not unique. 20-year-olds today want the same things.
And, it is very fair to say that going into an identity and access management (IAM) career would definitely
check all of those boxes.
High demand and growth industry: IAM is at the
forefront of technology, serving as the backbone for secure and efficient digital operations. With the
increasing need for robust authentication security frameworks and a renewed push for granular RBAC (thank
Zero Trust for that), organizations across the globe are investing heavily in IAM solutions. This surge in
demand means there are ample job opportunities and a promising career trajectory for those entering this
field.
Cutting-edge technology nexus: IAM is more than just a security measure;
it’s a cutting-edge nexus of various advancing technologies. As our world moves towards an identity-centric
technology stack, IAM professionals find themselves at the intersection of cloud computing, artificial
intelligence, and big data analytics. This convergence makes IAM an exciting field, continuously evolving
with new innovations and challenges.
Innovation to simplify user experience:
There is a considerable need for innovation in the IAM space to improve user experiences while enhancing
security. One of the biggest challenges is to make security seamless and unobtrusive. The more we can reduce
the burden on users to manage their identity tokens, such as passwords, the better. Innovations in IAM are
making it easier to secure identities while simultaneously improving the end-user experience. For instance,
key technology players like Google, Facebook, and Apple are investing heavily in secure delivery and
authorization mechanisms that minimize user effort.
The future of IAM: The
future of IAM is bright and full of opportunities. With the continuous advancements in technology, the role
of IAM professionals will only become more critical. As we move towards a more interconnected and digital
world, the ability to securely and efficiently manage identities will be paramount.
At Vantage,
we specialize in bringing together disparate technologies and communities to achieve common goals. There are
few career paths more central to that than those around identity governance and administration. As an IAM
professional, you would be at the heart of the technological and community support system, ensuring secure
and seamless access to resources. Your role would be pivotal in enhancing the user experience while
maintaining high-security standards. For a 20-year-old today, diving into IAM could be the start of a
fulfilling and dynamic career. Your future self will thank you!