What they do all day? If a company's software (and hardware and architecture) have a caretaker, it's the configuration manager, who keeps track of changes and controls development from the first stages of code to the final product. The CM handles the pre-authorization and approval of all changes to documentation, code, and everything else.

How to get the job? A bachelor's in computer science, information science, or computer engineering can get you there, but you might also be able to land a job with a math or science degree and a few programming courses if your computer skills are sharp. You can also get certification from an organization such as the Institute of Configuration Management. Employers look for analytical problem solvers who know software.

What's great? What's not? It's a helping role, which can be professionally fulfilling, and there are plentiful opportunities to learn because the CM supports every other function on a team or project. But having to make a lot of small administrative updates can be tedious, and sometimes team members are resistant to running a change through the CM's process. --K.A.

What they do all day? If a company's software (and hardware and architecture) have a caretaker, it's the configuration manager, who keeps track of changes and controls development from the first stages of code to the final product. The CM handles the pre-authorization and approval of all changes to documentation, code, and everything else. --K.A.