The IT sector employs among the highest number of graduates of any sector. It is popular because graduates can work for an IT company or in an IT role at any firm in any industry. It's also an attractive career choice because it allows for flexible working arrangements, regular on-the-job training, and the opportunity to apply skills and knowledge across a range of sectors.
Graduate roles in IT include technical ones such as programming, technical support, web development and software engineering, while business roles also exist. Employers most often welcome applications from graduates with engineering, maths, physics or finance degrees. Graduate training schemes tend to offer training specific to the applications and systems graduates will be using.
GETTING IN
Theresa McHenry, UK HR director, Microsoft
We take about 30 to 40 graduates a year on our training scheme, and also about 100 interns who form a pipeline into the graduate scheme. We don't tend to take many graduates with a pure computer science degree, as we like to take on people from all different backgrounds – and that includes mature graduates.
The scheme isn't rotational. We give graduates a specific role and they will be given responsibility and accountability from day one. From the last four years, we have well over 100 graduates at different levels and positions in the company, and many of the previous graduates will mentor the new ones – we have a good communications network to support and help graduates on our scheme.
We monitor our attrition rate carefully, because graduates are our leadership pipeline for the future. It means we track graduates' progress closely and look after them because the level of knowledge and skills they attain mean they become very marketable, very quickly.
GETTING ON
Richard Nott, CWJobs.co.uk
IT is the fastest growing and most future-proof industry. While this makes it a sensible career choice, IT pros should be mindful that the IT industry will constantly evolve. To stay on top of your game and provide yourself with the best prospects for career development, staying aligned to these emerging trends is crucial. For example, the proliferation of mobile is driving demand for IT professionals with JavaScripts, C#, .NET and HTML5 experience.
As a result, 81% of IT pros surveyed by CWJobs stated that they were planning to "skill up" to compete for roles in mobile – an area on which businesses plan to double their spend in the next six months.
Technological developments aside, IT pros should keep abreast of other factors increasing demand for certain types of skills. Last summer, 80% of IT pros said they planned to skill-up on IT security skills, with a further 45% expecting to see an increase in job opportunities in this discipline.
VIEW FROM THE INSIDE
Vince Sharp, graduate trainee with Waterstons
After completing a Master of Mathematics I joined IT consultancy Waterstons as part of their managed services team. Most of my time has been spent on a service desk, which serves as an escalation point for some clients and as the IT department for others. This has given me the opportunity to tackle all manner of problems, from desktop to enterprise. By retaining ownership of issues and with the support of experienced specialists, I'm continuously developing my technical skills.
I was intimidated by how many applicants had technical backgrounds, but many of the skills learnt studying maths are relevant to my role. While technical expertise is very important in this industry, I believe the ability to relate to your customers and understanding how technology addresses their business needs are equally important.
Source: Mark King, Guardian.co.uk, Friday 4th May 2012
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