Job Family: Computers and IT

The dramatic and sustained growth of information technology (IT) continues to bring about big changes in the working and home environment. Most organisations, large and small, national and international, now rely almost entirely on their computer systems, and personal computers are used by millions of individuals.

Jobs range from the highly technical, such as software developer, computer games designer or technical support, to those requiring good business awareness, such as systems analyst, database administrator or web author. Jobs such as interactive media designer or web developer provide work in this sector for those with high levels of creativity and possibly a design background. Job titles can be confusing as they are not consistent across the industry, and multiskilling means job functions can overlap.

People in IT may spend a lot of time at a computer screen, working as part of a team, in open plan offices. Working hours vary from normal office hours to shift working. Some jobs involve travelling to sell or install systems, or sort out problems on site. Employers include:

• banks, building societies and multinational companies
• financial institutions such as the Stock Exchange
• retail and wholesale groups
• public sector organisations such as the NHS
• transport organisations, airlines and airports
• any medium-sized and large business that uses computer systems.

More than 20 million people use computer technology or the internet every day at work in the UK, and over one million people work in IT. Job opportunities exist in all parts of the country and, as IT skills are international, opportunities to work abroad are fairly common.

Teamwork skills and good verbal and writing skills are often just as vital as technical knowledge, and almost all jobs need the ability to solve complex problems in a logical manner. The internet has seen great advances in e-commerce, database-driven websites and wireless fidelity ('WiFi') networking. Consequently, all computer specialists also now need to have a broad knowledge of internet technologies.

There are many ways into IT, and people may start training with very different levels of educational qualifications. Some go in with a degree in IT, others may have an unrelated degree, an HND or BTEC national qualification, A levels/H grades or GCSEs/S grades. It is possible to take an Apprenticeship in IT leading to NVQs/SVQs. There is also a lot of training material on the internet.

IT offers good promotion opportunities. The fast pace of change in the industry means that career progression depends on keeping up with developments, retraining in new skills and anticipating future trends. Once experienced, many people work on a freelance or contract basis, or set up a consultancy.

Why not have a look at other Job Family articles as they may hold information on related jobs.