IT and information services sector
At the centre of everyday life and found in almost all industries and businesses, information technology (IT) is a huge driver of growth in the UK
Industries that fall under the IT umbrella include:
Within these industries, there are many spheres of work available to graduates, including:
The IT and computing sector is forecast to continue to expand, and to be a key element of business growth. Employment in the sector over the next decade is projected to grow nearly five times faster than the UK average.
Many of the largest companies in this sector are organisations that play multiple roles. The sector varies immensely in occupational scope and breadth, and so do employers.
In the private sector, big employers are typically international companies such as:
In addition, however, over half of IT professionals find roles outside of the IT industry. Other industries that are big employers of IT professionals include:
Many small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the industry provide a range of specialist services, particularly in consultancy and technical roles. Common jobs for graduates are software designers and engineers; web developers and producers; computer analysts and programmers; web designers, IT consultants; help desk technicians.
Graduates entering the IT and information services sector can expect:
With the current situation in the global economy, business is operating in a climate of uncertainty, and this makes companies reluctant to make major decisions. Infrastructure and technology upgrades are not always a priority. This is considered by far the biggest pressing issue for UK IT firms.
The sector is highly innovative, but also subject to constant technological development. This can present a significant challenge in ensuring businesses and staff are able to adapt to constantly changing technological requirements.
The fast-moving nature of parts of the industry, and the continuing growth of the sector means that many employers are experiencing significant skills demand. Recruiters reported difficulties recruiting software developers and programmers and web designers, and found the following skills most likely to be in short supply: .NET, ASP.NET, Dynamics, SharePoint, Visual Basic, Visual Studio, C# and PHP. The sector also reported gaps in sales skills, business skills, higher level technical skills and sector knowledge.
Data security, privacy and intellectual property issues are all important in the sector and businesses spend significant resources to deal with current requirements and to be prepared to adapt to a changing legislative landscape.
A vast array of opportunities is on offer for those interested in a career in IT, and some could prove to be a perfect match for your skills and ambitions
These job profiles are examples of graduate careers in the IT sector:
To find the graduate job roles that best match your skills and interests, log in to what jobs would suit me?
For job vacancies in the IT sector, search graduate jobs in IT.
Learn more about the skills and qualifications you might need in order to secure a graduate job in the industry
In 2011, 35% of new first degree graduate entrants to the sector had gained a degree in computing or a related subject.
If you want a job that deals directly IT or computing, then it is necessary to be able to demonstrate computing skills, and a degree is the most common way to provide this evidence.
But the sector as a whole has a wide range of opportunities in functions such as finance, marketing, accounts, human resources, law, design and management, and so there are opportunities in the wider industry for graduates from all disciplines.
Employers seek commitment and interest and often expect candidates to have relevant prior experience.
Alongside specific skills and knowledge requirements, many job descriptions feature employability skills such as:
Candidates may often be expected to work long hours under certain circumstances.
There are also technical skills that the industry currently sometimes struggles to find in large enough numbers. These skills shortages included:
The sector also reported gaps in:
Employers are ideally looking for well-rounded graduates who have academic qualifications, technical skills and work experience. Being able to hit the ground running and adapt quickly to a customer-focused environment will be a big plus.
Many IT-related degrees include a compulsory placement, which can help you build up the skills employers are looking for. Alternatively, you can find placements and internships - short term and long term - advertised on company websites and on job sites. You can apply for work experience with smaller companies speculatively.
In this industry it is particularly common for people to be offered a full-time position upon completion of a placement.
Even if your work experience or part-time job is not related to IT, you can show evidence of developing soft and transferable skills that could give you an edge in the application process.
To find work placements and internships in the IT sector, search for work experience.
Vacancies are posted on organisations' websites, generic job websites such as Prospects, and on trade websites.
In addition, they can be found in specialist press such as Computer Weekly and New Media Age.
Furthermore, professional bodies like BCS - the Chartered Institute for IT - often have careers and recruitment sections on their websites.
Extra qualifications and membership of a professional body could well be your ticket to career progression in the IT industry
Postgraduate study is not essential, but it could give you a big edge in an increasingly competitive job market. Employers in the sector are looking for even better, well-qualified workers than in the past. However, just like lower degree qualifications, a postgraduate degree (even if it is very specific to the relevant occupational profile) needs to be supplemented by continuous personal skills development.
Some of the skills shortages in the sector are in roles that require specific, often quite uncommon, degree or research disciplines.
IT is a highly dynamic industry and it is crucial that workers in the sector continue training to keep skills up to date with new technology.
Becoming a member of a professional body could help you progress your career further, and show employers that you are serious about a career in the industry.
Just some of the benefits of joining a professional body include: