FOR a long time now, the Information Technology (IT) sector has been attracting the brightest brains in the country. But India is now moving beyond software engineering jobs, to more interesting and diverse portfolios, some of which need degrees in English, biology and even accounting, alongside IT.

First, the usual suspects. The IT sector can generally be classified into four broad categories:

1. IT Services
Packaged software support and installation, systems integration, processing services, hardware support and installation and IT training and education

2. Engineering Services
Industrial design, design validation and testing, industrialisation and prototyping

3. IT-Enabled Services
Back Office Operations, Data Processing, Call Centres, Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs)

4. e-business (electronic business)
Carrying out business on the Internet, including buying/ selling, collecting and disbursing payments etc.
But there are some new and exciting twists to the IT tale. Check out these job profiles, that pay reasonably well:

Technical writers

Skills required: A degree in IT; it could be an engineering degree or an MCA. Or a background in English, with excellent writing skills, coupled with in-depth knowledge of IT systems

Money talk: The average technical writer earns around Rs 35-50,000 per month. Entry-level technical writers can make about Rs 29,000 per month.

Key players: All major IT companies like IBM, Microsoft, Infosys, Wipro TCS in India and abroad require technical writers

Bioinformatics

Skills required: In general, Bioinformaticists have a graduation or post-graduation in molecular Biology, Genetics, Microbiology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Veterinary Sciences, Physics, Mathematics, with Computer and IT skills.

Money talk: Entry-level earnings amount to around Rs 25,000-40,000 per month. Higher salaries go to those with advanced degrees, and PhDs.

Key players: Drug companies, universities and major pharma giants and research organisations.

Photograph: AP/Paul Sakuma

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