Graduate Careers in Information Technology (IT)
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The future for students wishing to pursue a graduate career in information technology provided they develop the skills in most demand in the workplace. According to a recent survey of 5,000 staff by the Association of Technology Staffing Companies, salaries for IT staff have risen an average of 15% over the last year due to increasing demand for senior project managers and business analysts. There has never been a better time to embark on a graduate career in IT as demand for management information systems, IT managers, business systems analysts and project managers is rising dramatically. A graduate career in IT will require you to use a variety of skills in addition to those acquired in your degree.
IT touches more areas of business than almost any other discipline. In today’s business world many companies are interested in recruiting well-rounded staff who have business focused skills and can demonstrate an understanding of how IT can benefit the business as a whole, and an understanding of how implementation of IT systems will impact on the organisation. People skills, self management and an ability to see IT as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself are all equally important as the traditional core IT skills.
There are currently several routes to a career in the UK IT industry including full time study, part-time study whilst in employment and on the job training. The following are just some of the options open to those interested in an IT career:
- Graduation with a non-IT related subject.
- An accredited degree.
- Training in a specific IT skill which is in demand.
- Transfer to an IT department within a company.
- A year in industry/gap year experience prior to University.
Many companies are happy to recruit graduates with non IT related subjects who are willing to undertake additional IT specific training through post-graduate or professional training courses such as those offered by Information Systems Examination Board (ISEB) – a BCS subsidiary, which offers qualifications in systems analysis and design and project management, among others. It is also worth considering undertaking a language; the IT profession is global and having additional language skills can be useful in gaining employment.
For students interested in a “client facing role” a more business orientated degree such as one in finance, management or another engineering subject may prove a better grounding than a pure IT degree, providing students with a good insight into business and a better understanding of the sort of problems their future client’s are likely to face.
Whichever option taken, the key to improving the chances of being recruited is to achieve the best degree possible and take advantage of any work experience offered as part of the course or during the vacations.
The most direct route into the more traditional “hard” IT roles such as software development, infrastructure and research posts, is a degree in computing followed by an application to a graduate recruitment programme.An accredited degree offers a core of studies seen as the minimum necessary for the foundation of a professional career in the industry, together with specialist content in one or more areas studied in-depth; it will include an appropriate mix of engineering principles, design and problem-solving, and practical work. BCS accredits honours degrees in the IT area for Chartered Engineer (CEng) status and professional membership. BCS also accredits degrees for Chartered Scientist. In addition, there are four-year MEng courses.
Many degree courses include a year spent in industrial training in a company with a computing environment prior to the final year. Some employers will offer sponsorship for the final year after a successful placement, with or without a guarantee of employment on graduating. After study, there are opportunities to join a graduate development programmes offered by companies for new graduates aiming to work in IT. Alternatively, graduates with a good class degree may consider studying for a PhD or moving into industrial research.
A specific training course in a skill which is in demand offers a quick way to enter the industry. Internet website design and enterprise resource planning (ERP) are just two examples of skills currently in high demand, although the market is continually changing. However, as demand for particular skills can be short-term, it is advisable to continue developing additional skills and gain broad experience.
Organizations such as Microsoft (for Windows), Novell (for networking) and Oracle (for databases) offer vendor certification courses. The Information Systems Examination Board (ISEB) offers qualifications in systems analysis and design and project management and learning can be done via classes, computer-based training or distance learning.
Courses like these which focus on specific computer skills are aimed at the experienced practitioner and are not suitable for the beginner.
Finally the European computer driving licence (ECDL) is a users' qualification recognised across the world and offers a starting point and evidence that students are prepared to train and build skills.
For information relating to skills required for each specific role in graduate careers in IT, the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA), the high level UK Government backed competency framework, describes the roles within IT and the skills needed to fulfil them. SFIAplus contains the SFIA framework of IT skills plus detailed training and development resources to provide the most established and widely adopted IT skills, training and development model reflecting current industry needs. If you are interested in pursuing a graduate career in IT, then don’t delay, start enhancing your knowledge and skills with additional courses and qualifications to give your career the best possible start.
This article is in conjunction with the BCS and Inside Careers www.insidecareers.co.uk.
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