Financial services, manufacturing and public sectors all recruit a large amount of IT professionals. Almost every organisation uses IT and requires support staff for their system, so any company which uses computers is a potential employer.

IT is facilitating accelerated business; the sector is highly innovative and constantly adapting to meet with new demands. It is highly probably that the IT industry will change beyond recognition within 5 or 10 years.

IT employers generally look for talented graduates. Recruiters prefer applicants who have work experience, and this is often the only way to differentiate between graduate candidates, as most of them have a 2:1 in unrelated degree subjects. Most jobs have skills which are transferable to IT.

Qualifications and Experience

Anyone can work in information technology provided they have an interest and some knowledge. A degree in any subject will be a great help, as those who haven't studied computer science or technology focus on consultancy and business analysis.

Technical jobs such as network engineer, software developer and systems analyst do require graduates with specific qualifications, i.e computer science, information systems, software engineering, telecoms engineering, physics or maths (with a computing module). Core skills include competence in programming languages, knowledge of operating systems, network and infrastructure understanding and development skills.

Hardware development roles can require degrees like physics or electronics engineering. Whether the IT job you are going for is technology or business orientated, recruiters are generally looking for:

• Communication skills
• Teamwork
• Organisation and planning
• Problem-solving
• Enthusiasm and motivation
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Willingness and ability to learn new skills

Graduates of all disciplines are of interest to companies in this sector. A degree in any subject gives graduates a good skill set of logical thought, analysis, presentation and communication. The initial training should provide enough information for you to carry out the work expected of you.

Training and Development

Graduate programmes in IT will provide a range of experience, technical understanding, industry knowledge and professional skills like communication, presentation and negotiation. Working in IT is a great opportunity to learn a lot on the job and learn from experienced colleagues around you.

Whether you are working in a large IT company or a small software consultancy, career development is not always formally structured like it is in other industries. You need to take responsibility for your own development, but IT employers are big spenders on training compared to other sectors. If competence with a new type of software or operating system is important to your job, your employer will normally provide you with the time and resources to learn.

There are post graduate qualifications, such as the Chartered IT Professional (CITP) through the British Computer Society (or BCS). The Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) also offers opportunities for accredited training and professional qualifications.