Professional development and training in IT

Extra qualifications and membership of a professional body could well be your ticket to career progression in the IT industry

Do I need to do postgraduate study?

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.

Should I join a professional body?

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:

• networking opportunities;
• access to professional qualifications;
• the ability to keep up to date with industry news;
• access to training and conferences.

Which professional qualifications are recognised in the IT sector?

• Association of Computer Professionals (ACP)  - the independent, professional examining body aims to raise the standards of everyone involved in the IT industry. It offers a full range of professional courses, divided into certificate, diploma and advanced diploma levels.
• BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT)  - the body aims to support professionals in the industry in a number of different ways. It offers numerous training courses, professional certification, scholarship schemes, accreditation and chartership.
• Microsoft Learning  - while not a professional body, Microsoft does provide training and certification to do with all areas of its operating system Windows.
• Novell - Training  - again, Novell is not a professional body, but offers training and certification opportunities to professionals who work mostly in networking.
• Oracle University  - Oracle is a software and hardware production firm, but its 'university' gives access to training courses - spanning database, Java, operating systems, applications and more - and certification.