Careers in the IT Industry

Research by e-Skills UK has shown that IT and telecommunications now employs 1 in 20 of the UK workforce and makes a 9% contribution to the country's economy. Over half a million new entrants will be needed to fill jobs in this sector over the next five years, hence computing and ICT professionals are in demand by employers.

In Northern Ireland, the IT sector alone will need around 4,000 graduates to meet demand. This demand is largley coming from large IT multinationals who have recently relocated here due to our highly-skilled workforce and lower salaries (relative to the rest of the UK). These companies include some very recognisbale brands:

Fujitsu;
Citi Bank;
Pricewaterhouse Coopers;
Allstate;
LibertyIT;
NYSE;

The arrival of these larger, multinational organisations has also helped develop smaller/medium-sized local IT businesses which have created almost as many jobs as these much larger companies. The net result is fastest growing jobs sector in Northern Ireland and one that will continue to grow over the next 5 years.

The range of organisations employing graduates from Computing and ICT is extensive. Opportunities exist across retail, financial services, telecommunications, broadcast media, digital media, manufacturing, transport, tourism, the public sector and healthcare. There is growth and demand in cyber security, mobile development, cloud computing and the management of Big Data. Beyond pure technology roles, some graduates also enter management consultancy firms or corporate roles, while others go into technical writing roles or work freelance.

Some general job titles within ICT and Computing are:

Applications programmer
Information systems manager
Database administrator
Information technology consultant
Multimedia programmer
Software engineer
Systems analyst
Systems designer

Computer World's Top Ten IT Skills in high demand (2013):

1. Programming and Application Development

2. Project Management

3. HelpDesk/Technical Support

4. Security

5. Business Intelligence/Analytics

6. Cloud/SaaS

7. Virtualisation

8. Networking

9. Mobile Applications and Device Management

10.Data Centre

Source: Computer World Survey 2013

For IT sector news, analysis and information plus a video discussion of trends currently affecting the UK IT industry visit www.computing.co.uk. IT Jobs Watch gives an ongoing picture of trends in IT recruitment. You can also explore the e-Skills UK, labour market research report, "Technology Insights 2012" available for each of the nations.

We advise you to thoroughly research your career choices as early as possible, particularly in relation to experience required, as this could have sever repercussions on where you study and consequently your future opportunities.