Considered to be a key industry in the UK’s fast-growing digital sector, IT graduates have excellent career prospects.
The number of people employed in IT, computing and software services has been increasing year-on-year. There are now approximately 1.5 million people employed in the IT industry in the UK. While employment in the UK fell by 730,000 between March and July, the technology industry seemed to be largely resilient.
There are many specialist roles in the IT industry; for those looking for a graduate job in IT, it is advisable to focus on the areas where your technical skills and qualifications are best suited. Careers in IT include:
Applications or Game Developer
Essential duties include designing, building, testing and implementing applications using programme languages and development tools.
Cyber-Security Analyst
Cyber-security is a fast-growing field which is currently suffering from a skills shortage. You will be responsible for preventing, detecting and managing cyber threats.
Data Analyst
Suited to curious and inquisitive individuals with strong mathematic skills, data analysts are required to collect, process and perform statistical analysis on large datasets.
Software Engineering, Tester or Analyst
Responsibilities include creating, maintaining and improving systems to meet the needs of an organisation.
Web Developer or Designer
Well suited to those with creative minds, web developers plan, create and code web pages using both technical and non-technical skills.
Graduate Opportunities
A relevant qualification is a typical requirement for most careers in IT. There are many different undergraduate and postgraduate degrees suited to the technology industry, including data science, web design, software engineering, computer science and computer networking.
The introduction of degree apprenticeships offers students an alternative route to a career in IT that doesn’t require traditional university education. Degree apprenticeships allow students to work in the industry alongside part-time study to gain a bachelors or masters degree. Relevant degree apprenticeships in the IT industry include IT Development, Digital Marketing and Electronic systems engineering.
There is a great variety of graduate schemes in the IT industry, some of which are the biggest employers in the UK and globally. Technology graduate schemes are competitive; submitting a stand-out application is essential. Some of the most popular graduate degrees include:
MI5
The MI5 run a technology graduate development programme which provides graduates with the experience, knowledge and skills required to become a professional in the corporate technology areas of business, or a technical specialist.
London Stock Exchange Group
The technology graduate programme offered by the London Stock Exchange Group allows graduates to undertake 6-month rotations across the group. They are keen to recruit graduates from a broad range of disciplines, so it is not a specific requirement for your degree to be in computing or IT.
BT
The rotational technology graduate scheme at BT provides graduates with the opportunity to develop a broad skill set by working across areas such as IT, cyber-security, dynamic infrastructure and more.
Civil Service
The Civil Service offers a four-year Digital, Data and Technology graduate scheme, designed to equip trainees with the skills, knowledge and experience in a range of areas, including data analysis, user research and web design.
For more information on other technology-based careers, visit our guide to Transport and Logistics.
