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Careers & Qualifications

Working in IT

Overview
IT Services
IT Operations
IT Sales & Marketing
IT Research & Development

Overview

Information Technology has completely changed the world in which we live. 40 years ago, there were just six computers in the world. 10 years ago, you wouldn’t even have heard of the world wide web. Today, more than 72 million computers all over the globe are linked by the internet. Almost all businesses rely on IT in some form. IT is used to reach more customers, to offer better services, to reduce costs, to improve efficiency. A career in IT means you will develop highly valued technical and business skills, and you can work in almost any industry – from retail to healthcare, travel to financial services. You can work in government or education. A world of opportunity awaits!

More than 1 million people are employer as IT professionals in the UK; 45% in the IT industry itself, and 55% working in other industries. The IT industry itself is expanding rapidly, with IT Services growing at 38% in the last year alone. Around 150,000 to 200,000 additional IT professionals are needed every year, and employers are recruiting from all sources – new graduates of all degree disciplines, school leavers, those returning from a career break, or those seeking to change career altogether, as well as people already experienced in the industry.

There are many different types of job in IT, ranging from the business or people-oriented through to the deeply technical. Most jobs need a blend of technical, business and personal skills, the mixture depending on the particular role. Some examples of different jobs are included here, to try to help you understand the range available. Please be aware that this is such a dynamic area that new jobs are being created every day. Employers use different titles for similar jobs, and there are many titles not included here. We have chosen a range of typical roles to help you decide in what sort of area you are most interested.

NB: Understanding what is needed for a career in the IT & Telecoms industries has long been a problem, particularly for those whose task it is to advise young people. This has not been helped by the fact that those industries have not, until now, had any clear way of expressing what skills they require.

In June 2001, e-skills NTO provided a solution to this problem with the launch of the Skills Framework for the information Age (SFIA), a simple matrix of job roles mapped to the skills required to perform them.

SFIA was developed with the help and support of major industry players including MOD, Consignia, IBM and Nortel providing the IT & Telecoms industries with a common model for defining the roles and skills required across the industry. It is also a useful tool for careers advisors who have the difficult task of trying to help young people understand the relevance of their educational qualifications and aiding them in deciding which career path to take.

Click here to visit the SFIA section for further information.

IT Services

If you work in IT Services, you work for an IT company or a Consultancy company specialising in IT. Customers of your company will buy IT Services to help them implement, maintain or exploit IT systems. For example, an insurance company might want to buy IT Services to design a new website. A gas company might want IT Services to make sure their emergency call system is operational 24 hours a day. A hotel chain might want IT Services to draw up a new IT strategy that exploits the internet.

You could work for a large global corporation or a small local business. You could work for an international consultancy or an internet start-up. You could be involved in a range of activities such as:

  • developing websites
  • designing and installing IT systems for customers
  • supporting customers with software or hardware problems
  • managing projects

The main thing to remember about IT Services is that it is customer-facing – that is, you will be working for much of your time directly with customers. So you need to enjoy working with people, enjoy being part of a team, be good at solving problems, and be able to keep a business perspective.

Examples of jobs in IT Services include:

  • IT Consultant
  • Project Manager
  • Technical ArchitectSoftware Support Professional
  • Hardware Engineer

IT Operations

If you work in IT Operations, you work in the IT department of a company running the IT systems the company needs for its business. You could be working within retail or healthcare, travel or financial services – in fact, you could work in any industry, as almost all organisations today need IT. IT companies themselves also have IT departments, running their own IT systems, and some also run the IT systems of customers who don’t want to do it themselves.

You could be involved in a range of activities such as:

  • helping people who are having trouble using the IT system
  • making sure the IT system is working properly
  • upgrading the system to add new functions
  • deciding how best to use IT to further your company’s business

You will mostly be working with people within your own company, in a team with your colleagues. You need to enjoy problem solving and team work, as well as be able to develop the technical skills you will need.

Examples of jobs in IT Operations include:

  • Applications Programmer
  • Systems Analyst
  • Network Manager
  • Database Administrator

IT Sales & Marketing

If you work in IT Sales & Marketing, you work for an IT company, promoting or selling its products, services and IT solutions. You may be assigned to a particular customer or group of customers, or you may specialise in a particular range of products or services your company offers.

The sorts of activities you could be involved in include:

  • analyses of customers’ business requirements
  • technical specification of IT solutions
  • managing a sales campaign
  • writing proposals to explain your recommendations
  • negotiation

In Sales & Marketing roles, you will be largely working directly with customers. You will need to learn about their business, and understand their requirements. You will then work with colleagues to come up with an IT solution that meet the customer’s needs. You will need to have excellent interpersonal skills, like working with others, and enjoy being in a sales environment.

Examples of jobs in IT Sales & Marketing include:

  • Client Manager
  • Technical Sales Specialist
  • Marketing Professional

IT Research & Development

If you work in IT Research and Development, you work in an IT company, creating new technologies or new products that your company can sell in the future. You could be researching new approaches to mobile communications, or developing a software game for teenagers.

You may be involved in activities such as:

  • developing code for new software products
  • testing new features
  • correcting errors in software code before a product is made available
  • writing instructions for users of the product

Research and Development jobs are very technical, and most also require good teamwork with colleagues. Some developers also work with customers; understanding what typical customers need helps the developer create successful products.

Examples of jobs in Research & Developing include:

  • Software Developer
  • Product Tester
  • Technical Author