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Introduction

• The position of IT today - by Alan Ford
  Looking to the future IT recruitment is on the up as we climb out of recession. Throughout the recession many organisations were forced to impose a moratorium on new hires, meaning that companies that continued to hire - like Sophos in the IT security sphere - benefited from an increase in

The Profession

• Where is IT Heading? - by Alastair Wilcox
  The IT industry has continually looked for technology changes that will transform the experience of its users whether at work or during leisure time, for example the iPod. Sometimes these have taken IT off in unexpected directions, such as the emergence of the internet. At other times, changes
• Career opportunities
  Types of IT work One million people are estimated to work in IT in the UK. Not surprisingly, they are involved in a huge number of different activities. Some have a large technical element such as ethical hacking, programming, software testing and systems analysis. Others have a greater business
• Salaries and recruitment trends in IT - by Mark Crail
  XpertHR has published the UK’s most comprehensive and reliable IT pay survey over a 40-year period, first under the Computer Economics Ltd name and since 2008 as an XpertHR Salary Survey. The most recent findings, covering 60,000 IT professionals and managers in 226 companies, are summarised in
• How IT is shaping our businesses - by Piers Curran
  The air is filled with excitement and a tinge of nerves, as a smart row of fresh-faced interns take to the desks. The coming months of intensive training will help to distil the unique qualities that separate the future stars of the industry from the rest. Their computer screens form a digital
• Women in IT - by Rebecca George
  Today’s job market, post recession, is very competitive. For some companies, it doesn’t feel much like ‘post recession’, and growth is still evasive. Some are growing again and vacancies are opening up as recruitment freezes are lifted, but not all. The public sector will remain challenging for
• Videos: IT debates
  IT and the health service BCS Managing Editor Brian Runciman spoke to Peter Bath, Jonathan Kay and Paul Major about where the Health Informatics profession now is, what the future holds, potential career structures and the NHS's National Programme for IT.
• Video: Interview with a UK Digital Champion
  Martha Lane Fox, the UK's Digital Champion, talks about her role with the government and also Race Online 2012, which aims to help get more people online. [
• Frequently Asked Questions
  Do I need a degree in IT? A degree is always useful and most entrants to the industry have one. It does not necessarily have to be IT-related. A degree in another discipline indicates a level of achievement and employers are often interested in the essential soft skills acquired through studying

Recent Graduates

• System Developer - Aquila - by Luke Dennis
  A day in the life of a System Developer As a system developer my role involves coding, maintaining and fixing our market leading solution for life and pensions companies, administrator. As you would expect from a market leading solution, the software is highly functional and covers a vast array
• Design Engineer - Imagination Technologies - by Robert
  After my bachelors degree I worked as a summer intern in compilers before starting a masters by research in compiler design. I then spent a few months working in financial services before realising that life in a bank wasn’t for me and that I wanted a more technical job with low-level work close
• Software Developer - PA Consulting - by Edward Hartwell Goose
  You know you’ve found the right job when you walk into work genuinely looking forward to the challenges you’ll face that day. Every day is different and I’ve had the opportunity to work on some really interesting projects. I work as a software developer, but the opportunities within consultancy
• Research Scientist - QinetiQ - by Alison Holmes
  What’s a typical day for you in QinetiQ? There are no typical days for me! Sometimes I will be working in the computer lab writing algorithms and running analyses. Other days I will be presenting in customer meetings, or coming up with ideas for new projects. What’s been your biggest challenge?
• Graduate Engineer - Asidua - by Brent Kelly
  A couple of years ago, I graduated from the University of Ulster with a first class Honours Degree in Computer Science. I worked for [Asidua during my placement year and they also kept me on part time during my final year. I
• Senior Consultant, Technology Assurance & Advisory – Deloitte - by Chris Jackson
  I applied for a role in TAA at Deloitte, attended interviews and received an offer, all within a couple of months. I was attracted to Deloitte as they are one of the UK’s fastest growing professional services firms and their client list was very impressive. When I first started, I concentrated on
• Business Analyst – Credit Suisse - by Kemi Taiwo
  Overview of projects At school I was not entirely sure what I wanted to do. I enjoyed a lot of my subjects so narrowing down the choice for A levels was difficult. I ended up studying Maths, French, Information Technology (IT) and History. Whilst studying for my IT A level, I found that I really
• IT Specialist – IBM - by Deepak Khaira
  What aspects of your job do you enjoy most? The most enjoyable aspect of my role is the teamwork, flexibility and dynamics of IBM as a company. I am constantly communicating with colleagues, throughout the company who are located all over the world, in order to achieve results for our clients. I
• Graduate Analyst – Barclays Capital - by Stacy-Ann Sinclair
  Technology was always my career path of choice from studying for the IT Practitioners qualification at college to my Computer Science degree at university. Throughout my education I have always envisioned working for a software company, which I pursued with internships and placements. I never
• Health Informatician – Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust - by Nikki Cooper
  Then, when a move back to Scotland beckoned (where there is little call for Arabic speakers), I spotted an advert for a job where the main criteria were an ability to work with data and report on it as well as sound knowledge of the NHS. Ignoring the sound knowledge part, I applied and was lucky
• Games Programmer – Sumo Digital - by Benjamin Bradford
  After completing a BSc in Computer Science, I decided I wanted to specialise my knowledge a little more before getting into the games industry and undertook a MSc in Games Programming. Upon finishing the MSc, I was fortunate enough to land a job straight away at Sony in London. I worked there for
• IT Graduate Trainee – Sainsbury's - by Katherine Stoner
  The graduate scheme offered the opportunity to work in IT within a fast-paced, constantly evolving industry. Sainsbury’s is a huge organisation and this meant that they were able to offer the opportunities to work within several different areas of IT. I have been at Sainsbury’s for nearly two
• Test Engineer - Red Gate Software Ltd - by Robin Anderson
  Causing problems is something most people avoid. Test engineers on the other hand, get paid to make a science of it. It’s not just mindless button-bashing; to be effective requires an academic approach to analysing the software you’re working on. Testers will need to employ lateral thinking as
• Penetration Tester – Qinetiq - by Sheena Wallace
  This was a valuable experience and it was through this that I was introduced to the pentesting team, which sits in a business division of some 200 information security professionals. In a nutshell, pentesters are invited by a customer to try to hack into their computer networks in order to
• Software Engineering – Accenture - by Lana Rose
  Having spoken to Accenture’s employees at careers fairs, it quickly became my number one choice. It offered me everything I wanted from a graduate scheme: training, the chance to travel, variety; it was exactly what I wanted. Once I was offered the role, there was never a question over whether I’d
• Graduate Trainee – Shell - by Martin Beek
  My role I graduated with a MA in Philosophy from the University of St Andrews. I was keen to join a multinational company, which could continue to offer me exposure to international colleagues and opportunities. Having always had a latent interest in technology in general; I explored career
• IT in Finance – Credit Suisse - by Crystal McEwan
  In 2005, I came to Credit Suisse through an IT internship after a presentation at my university. Having no previous banking experience I learnt a lot within the first few months, and thrived in the fast-paced environment. Everyone I’ve worked with has been very supportive and helped me understand
• Software Engineering – Metaswitch - by Ben Jones
  I had finished my degree and travelled the world for a couple of months. Even at this stage I was unsure in which direction I wanted to take my working life. I always thought that I would work it out as I went through university, but here I was at the end of the summer no closer to knowing what I
• Software Developer – Bank of England - by Matthew Watson
  When I first applied here, I didn’t really know what the Bank did! It caught my eye initially because it had attractive pay and benefits, and was based in London. After I started researching, I discovered that it offered a very different kind of career to the other jobs out there. There aren’t

Senior Profiles

• Videos: Working at Google
  Lina explains what the work environment at Google in Zurich is like.
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