Integration architect

Overview

Although the title of an Integration Architect may not be a familiar career to most students, it stems from the popular field of information technology (IT). In this day and age, technology is advancing rapidly and companies are pursuing the best resources to help in their various tasks. This is where Integration Architects come into play. These professionals organize and develop the software programs a company might use. They research and adopt new technologies to implement them into their company’s infrastructure. Furthermore, if they specialize in a specific area, such as ecommerce, their tasks may include finding programs to improve retail or enhancing the efficiency of a specific part of their company’s system. Integration Architects are needed in a variety of different companies as the world is becoming more reliant on technology and needs people to maintain systems.  

Requirements

Integration Architects must be comfortable with various softwares, coding languages, and the field of computer science. The minimum requirement for an Integration Architect is a bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, computer programming, or business administration. However, the more education and experience they acquire, the better. Some coding languages they are fluent in include Java, LotusScript, HTML, XML, or XSL. They might also need to learn softwares such as Lotus Notes, Domino Designer R4, R5, or R6 Team Studio. Each company uses different coding languages and software programs to maintain their systems, so on-the-job training is also a vital part of being an Integration Architect. Companies may require applicants to demonstrate competency in several programming languages or softwares through previous projects or a portfolio. While the school education might not be that long, the knowledge of different languages and softwares along with the rising percentage of students creates competition between those pursuing this career. Computer science is a rapidly evolving field, so constant growth and learning is key to getting ahead. 

What Can High School Students Do?

• Start learning programming languages
  • https://codingbat.com/java
  • https://codingbat.com/python
  • https://www.freecodecamp.org/learn/
• Enroll in classes such as:
  • AP Computer Science A
  • AP Computer Science Principles
  • Intro to Business
• Participate in coding competitions
  • https://codingcompetitions.withgoogle.com/
  • https://www.hackerearth.com/challenges/
  • http://usaco.org/index.php

Please check out the sources below, they have links connecting more websites to further your research!

• https://www.infotech.com/research/it-application-integration-architect#:~:text=Enterprise%20Integration-,Application%20Integration%20Architect,business%20requirements%20of%20the%20organization.
• https://www.c4iusa.com/integration-architect-ma.html#:~:text=Integration%20Architect%20Identifies%2C%20publishes%20and,and%20adaptable%20future%20state%20model.