What is a career in IT?

What is a career in IT?

 

 If you’re thinking about a career in IT but not sure what that entails, here’s some helpful information.

What are the IT career options?


Careers in Information Technology deals with the design, creation, management, and maintenance of the varied components of a computer system, including software, hardware, networks, systems integration and multimedia.

A career in IT in Guernsey can be mainly divided into 3 areas:

  • IT Support/Software Engineers – fixing computer hardware and software, managing computer networks. You may either be directly employed by an organisation and assisting in-house staff with their IT issues or employed by an IT service provider and helping the clients at their premises with IT problems.
  • IT Development/Programming/Coding – this is creating or writing software from scratch using coding “languages” such as C#, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python, Visual Basic, PHP, Perl and other bespoke languages. This field includes the role of Web Developer, which is writing code to create websites, and you could even be a Game Developer creating new computer games.
  • IT Project Management/Business Analysis – in simple terms, this may involve analysing a business’s systems then researching and installing new software, or undertaking various IT-based projects for an organisation.

 More recent areas of IT are Cyber Security and GDPR (recent data protection legislation). These 2 roles can sometimes be linked, as entire IT systems can be set up with GDPR rules and cyber security in mind. Cyber analysts need to think like a hacker to premediate their actions and prevent them - they test a company’s system to expose any holes in security. GDPR consultants need to be fully aware of the data protection rules and ensure that a company’s systems and processes are set up to be compliant, as well as ensuring that staff are trained in the legislation and its use.

Getting into the IT field


 If you’re a school leaver and want to get into a job in IT, you could study for an IT degree at University. Alternatively, the Guernsey College of Further Education offers a BTEC course in IT, which comprises a variety of relevant modules to start off your computer career.

Get some IT Work Experience


Practical IT experience will really help your CV and therefore your chances of getting a job in the computing field. Contact relevant local employers to try and secure a few days’ work experience, or even some full time work over vacation periods.

IT Job Levels

  • If you work in IT support, you may start your career as an IT Trainee, then an IT Administrator, IT Support Officer, Assistant Manager, Manager, Senior Manager and ultimately an IT Director.
  • If you’re a Developer/Programmer, there are usually fewer levels in this field, so you may start out as a Trainee Developer, then Developer and later a Senior Developer.
  • If you’re a Project Manager/Business Analyst, you may well have had a previous career in IT Support, Development or various industries in the finance or commercial sector, and you may initially start out as a
  • Project Officer then goes straight into Project Manager level. Business Analysts don’t tend to have different levels of job title.

 At senior level - Manager or Director, you’re likely to be supervising a team of IT staff which may comprise a variety of Support staff, Developers and/or Project Managers.

What are the relevant IT qualifications?


As mentioned earlier, a degree in IT or related discipline would be useful for an IT role

  • BTEC / HND in IT
  • City & Guilds have various IT qualifications available
  • Microsoft offers relevant qualifications such as MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer), MCSA (Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate) or MCSD (Microsoft Certified Software Developer).
  • A huge range of online IT courses are also available

Positions Available in IT:

  • IT Engineer
  • IT Analyst
  • Systems Developer
  • Web Developer
  • Information Specialist

IT jobs available

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