Working towards a Career in IT

Making a deliberate decision about what to embark on in your career path can often be a daunting prospect.

A career in IT has dozens of different avenues to go down, be that becoming an IT Consultant, a Software Project Manager, or perhaps even a Web Designer – there’s an exciting amount to choose from.

Do you see yourself as computer savvy? Are you the person your friends and family go to when their computer breaks? Can you see yourself fitting into a fast paced, engaged and thriving workplace?

From the proliferation of personal computers in 1975, when people still thought of them as a gimmick, through to a predicted 365 million+ people now using computers across the globe – and counting – the technology industry has always experienced rapid growth, and is one of the most significant elements and driving forces in today’s global economy.

Did you know that?

• It’s estimated that the technology industry generates over half of our total economic output in the UK.
• The industry has created jobs for an estimated 1.5 million people across Britain.
• It’s predicted that 20 million+ UK workers use some form of technology everyday as a crucial element in their job – this figure is rapidly growing as new jobs are created.
• It’s the fastest growing and highly demanded industry around the world at this current time.
• More than 150,000 new recruits are required each year in order to meet high demand levels in the UK alone, but this is becoming harder to reach each year as demand grows and there isn’t enough trained recruits to fill the skills gap.
• This shortage of suitably qualified candidates in the IT industry means that salary levels are higher than the national average, growing to eight times the average national rate every year.
• Deciding whether to enter into a career in IT is a bit more shady than plain black and white – almost all jobs now require you to be computer literate to some degree, it’s up to you whether you then choose to take this capability to a level where you undertake training and become a specialist in a particular field.

IT is such a common and vital component of everyday life, that starting out in IT immediately offers a lucrative work path and plenty of prospects to choose from – a good work life balance, monetary bonuses, travel opportunities, an open and unhindered career trajectory, and more freedom in terms of working hours.

Some questions to ask yourself:

• Do I have the concentration levels to spend long periods of time working on coding and programming?
• Am I methodical enough to go through the fine details to improve a system’s functionality?
• Do I have the communication skills to explain network errors in a support position?
• Do I have the perseverance and determination to diagnose and fix reoccurring system errors?
• Do I have the innovation to develop, create and implement creative and new software solutions?
• Am I creative enough to design functional but also ground breaking websites?
• Whether you want to embrace the world of ecommerce or become an expert in mobile telecommunications, if the answer to any of these questions above is yes and you’ve decided that a career in IT might be for you, the outlook for new entrants is a welcoming one.

Source: The Learning People