CS Industry Categories

Introduction

Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, Twitter, Amazon, Alibaba ...
When I started to look for a job in IT industry, these are the companies I am targeting for. But what is the difference between them? What do I really want to go for my career? There are some Terminologies, which are very basic but very important.

1. Information Technology
Information Technology is basically everything related with computers. It includes three broad categories: hardware, software, and the Internet. 

• Hardware refers to the physical equipment of a computer, such as motherboards, memory chips, microprocessors, router, mobile phone and tablet.

• Software includes the programs that tell the hardware exactly what to do and how to do it, such as OS, compiler, library, applications and games. 

• The Internet is composed of numerous global networks that are connected to each other, such as social network, chatting, searching, blog and WWW.

2. Computer Hardware Structure
Products: 

• PC, tablet and cell phones
• semiconductor 
• navigational, measuring, electromedical
• peripheral manufacturing, such as USB flash drives, wireless Internet cards, speakers, scanners, web cameras

Roles:

• Computer scientists
• design engineers
• system analysts
• computer production engineers
• Quality assurance engineers
• Computer sales representatives
• Technical writers
• Computer support specialists

*When I am looking for the job, my skill set is not in Hardware.

3. Computer Software Structure
It includes three categories:

• corporate information services (IS) departments.
• Roles: Programmers, Database/data warehouse administrators, Systems analysts, Directors and managers , Unix administrators, Network engineers, operators, Chief information officers

• software vendors.
• software architects or software engineers, UI design analysts, testers, and quality-assurance technicians, The sales staff, project managers and trainers,Directors of product planning, Vice presidents or directors of development

• consultants.
• software professionals, project managers, consultants

Cloud Platform and Mobile Platform are big recent changes, which may move a lot of jobs from 

IT Departments in various industries, to consultants companies.

4. The Internet 
the Internet is one of the most dynamic and evolving sectors of the U.S., and the world. So, there is no clear definition of the internet industry. But, the internet includes:

• Internet service providers (ISP)
• Search engine 
• E-commerce
• Internet security 
• Online gaming 
• social network and chatting
• Online video
• Online advertising
• Cloud computing
• Mobile networking

Besides, there are a larger number of jobs and opportunities that are not listed in this paper, like Jobs in Research Centres, Governments, etc. 
  
Remember: 
The nature of Computer is to fire people who does not work professionally, especially when AI-robots are created.