Sometimes, when it comes to advancing your career, you need a little bit of direction.

And associations, with their broad reach, are often in a position where they can give their members and their industry alike a little bit of that direction. Such is the idea behind My IT Path, launched by CompTIA. The new interactive tool explains what prospective IT workers should expect from a series of different fields, such as IT networking, web development, IT support, cybersecurity, and data analysis. Additionally, the tool details what certifications are often required by many employers and what workers in each sector can expect to make at different career levels.

In a news release, Ryan Blankenship, CompTIA’s vice president for content and learning, noted that the tool was targeted at people interested in IT at all skill levels.

“Students who are beginning their career considerations; seasoned tech professionals looking to take the next step up; workers in other industries looking to make a career change; members of the armed forces planning to return to the civilian workforce; and anyone else with an interest in technology jobs can explore their options by visiting My IT Path,” he said.

The tool comes at a time when IT openings remain numerous, at an estimated level of around 300,000 in February—many in firms as diverse as manufacturing, education, healthcare, and government. Additionally, they pay well and do not always require a traditional college education. But often those interested in the field do not know where to look.

“We built this career road map to help demystify how to get into IT,” Blankenship said. “There are immediate openings for entry-level positions that often have above-average starting salaries and real opportunities for long-term career growth.”

(olaser/E+/Getty Images Plus)