The IT Job Market

Practical and Transferable Skills for Computer Scientists 2009

Session Structure

• The IT job market

• Case studies: what would you do?

• Tactics for looking for work experience

• Summary

The IT industry for Graduates. Brief history & glimpse into the future• 1995-2000 !!!!! 60% growth• 2001-2003 !!!!! Redundancies• 2003-2005 More vacancies

(contractors/freelancers)

• 2006- early2008 !! “IT job market enjoying its longest period of stability in 20 years”

• 2008-2010 Not quite all “gloom and doom”.

Despite highest unemployment rates for IT staff since 2004 and falling demand for IT professionals (Computing/e-skills) – better news for IT graduates. Falling unemployment rates. Higher than average ‘into employment’ rate. 45.4% of IT graduates working as IT professionals which represents the fifth consecutive increase.

As it was…

1990’s – Boom! • Growth in home/corporate PC market• Y2K• IT/telecoms convergence… spread of internet• Work permit restrictions eased for roles in IT

sector considered “shortage occupations”• Demand for graduates high - separate IT and

Management Consultancy fair plus recruitment of non-computing students

As it was…Then… Bust!• Mid 2001 – cutbacks across industry and job losses• Result of 4 year global downturn – maturing markets

led to a “wait and see” attitude to IT investment• 2002 Growth in outsourcing of IT to Far East• 2002 no IT jobs considered “shortage occupations”• IT fair combined with science and technology• Publications – IT lumped in with Science by some

careers info publishers

As it is…

“Despite fears over the credit crunch, IT job market is fairly buoyant….Innovative IT is one of the ways for businesses to stay ahead of their competitors”

New technologies… chip and pin, growth in e-commerce and m-commerce, self-scanning checkouts, security, identity protection, open sourcing, virtual learning environments…

As it is…Consultancy firms who focused on techies when the market tightened are now targeting non-techies again

So…

To compete for jobs and work experience, you MUST effectively demonstrate strong transferable skills

As it is…

• PA Consulting …

“We still struggle to attract technical IT graduates that can offer the right blend of technical know-how with interpersonal and transferable skills. We want computer science graduates who are technically good but can work well in teams and communicate effectively”

Key message for computer scientists…

It is not what you know but what you do

As it will be…?

• Growth of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises requiring your skills and labour www.foresight.gov.uk & www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/careers/job-huntingandworkexperience/workinginukregions/workinginthenorthwest/

• Promotion of Graduates as entrepreneurs www.ncge.org.uk Regional events/workshops

• University support at… MSEC www.msec.ac.uk (L3 units) www.umic.co.uk, www.umip.com • Distribution/retails, banking/finance, software houses –

sectors with IT demand• Outer London, North West, North East, South, East Mids. –

locations in demand for IT www.computerweekly.com

Who will you apply to?• Companies who CREATE Technology

eg. IBM, Microsoft, HP Compaq, Intel, Cisco, Oracle

• Companies who HARNESS Technology eg. Accenture, Nortel Networks, PwC, Logica, Reuters, EDS, Cap Gemini

• Companies who USE the Technologyeg. BBC, NHS, Orange, Oxfam, Astra Zeneca, M&S

Some companies overlap or even operate in all 3 zones

• Small Businesses• Yourself - Start your own business!

Which employers recruit Manchester Computer Science graduates?

Employers of Recent Manchester Computer Scientists

Types of roles entered by Computer Science Graduates

Within IT;• Project Management• Consultancy• Design• Development• Engineering• Specialist• Technical Support & Training

Over to you…

- some case studies of typical student queries

- You will act as a careers adviser

- How will you advise them?

QUIZ TIME

Commercial Awareness Quiz1. Which institution sets the base rate in the U.K.?

2. What is the name of the Group that owns these retail brands? – Topshop, Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge

3. What does GDP stand for?

4. Which country’s currency is called the Dong?

5. Which UK based Building Society is the largest in the world?

6. Which two mobile phone companies announced merger talks earlier this month?

7. What name is given to a depressed stock market?

Commercial Awareness Quiz

8. Which American Investment Bank went bankrupt last year and some say triggered the global meltdown?

9. Name the First Lord of the Treasury

10. Which of the following is not an oil company: B.P.; AstraZeneca; Total; Gazprom; ExxonMobil;

11. Which country currently has the world’s highest inflation rate?

12. Which Group owns these brands? Guinness, Baileys, Smirnoff.

13. In which country would you find Nokia’s head office?

Commercial Awareness Quiz14. If you see the letters LLP after a firm’s name what

does it mean?

15 What are FMCGs?

16. If you heard a businessman talking about M&As what would he mean?

17. What’s the current standard rate of VAT?

18. What is the name given to the financial district of New York?

19. In employment law what do the letters DDA stand for

20. What is the FTSE 100?

Meeting the challenge

• Actively seek out opportunities…– Meet with employers who visit campus and

pick their brains– Contact organisations you are interested in

and arrange to speak to them– Think about who you know… and don’t be

afraid to ask for help!

Networking: Good things to ask

• How did you get into this occupation?• What attracted you to this occupation?• What is the progression of jobs from entry level

to more senior positions?• What is a typical day like for you?• What skills, abilities and attitude do you need to

be successful in this occupation?• What changes do you see in this field in the next

few years?

Meeting the challenge• Take advantage of help on offer…

– Mentoring schemes… Manchester Gold (with specialist strands for diversity groups)

– Insight courses– Employer events on campus… careers fairs,

talks, presentations, workshops,– Careers advice… free and non-judgemental

(quick query, blogs, guidance appointments)

Mentoring – how does it work?

• Apply by mid October deadline

• Places are limited – spend time putting together a good application form

• Successful applicants are matched with a mentor from their area of interest

• Meet several times with mentor plus additional workshops

Meeting the challenge

• Get some work experience relevant to the career you are interested in– Industrial placement– Summer internship– Arrange some work experience yourself

“70% of work placements lead to a job offer”

Work Experience: what counts?

• Industrial placement• Summer internship• Voluntary work• Paid or unpaid• 12 months or 2 days• Work shadowing• Project

i.e. ANYTHING that demonstrates you have beenpro-active in finding out about a career area and/or developing relevant skills

Looking for Work Experience

Summer Internships• Advertised from autumn 2009… i.e. SOON!• Careers website, employer websites,

Manchester Central fair, campus presentations by employers

• VERY COMPETITIVE• Essential for areas like consultancy and finance • Application process just like applying for a

graduate job

Looking for Work Experience

STEP Programme• Provides challenging, definable, structured

projects for prefinal year undergrads in SME’s– E.g. Design/implementation of a website– Setting up IT systems

• Usually last 8 weeks during summer vacation• Available across the UK• Paid weekly training allowance of c£200 exempt

from Tax/NI• Applications accepted from September. • www.step.org.uk

Looking for Work Experience

Industrial Placements• Advertised from autumn 2009… i.e. NOW!• Careers website, Science, Engineering and Technology Fair

(Wednesday 21st October from 10.30am-4.00pm at Manchester Central) • Again, usually a formal application process• Some not advertised as obviously… e.g. Forensic Science

Service• Websites,www.prospects.ac.uk, www.studentplacements.org.uk/, www.targetjobs.co.uk/it, www.cwjobs.co.uk, • IT sector in the North Westwww.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/job-huntingandworkexperience/workinginukregions/workinginthenorthwest/

itindustry/

Looking for Work Experience

Working Overseas• Check Careers website for links to over 90 organisations • CIEE – internships in USA (list some but impetus on

applicant to find a host company) www.ciee.org• AIESEC – international traineeship exchange

programme www.aiesec.org • Leonardo Da Vinci scheme – European work placements

13-52 weeks www.leonardo.org.uk• IAESTE – work experience exchange scheme for

technical students www.iaeste.org

Looking for Work Experience

Can’t find it by the usual routes?

• Targeted, speculative applications

• Check out websites

• Use your own contacts

…or generate some via the BCS (British Computer Society) – www.bcs.org

• Follow up leads!

Other important stuff

• How will you demonstrate passion for IT?– Using IT outside your course– Teaching yourself new technical skills

• How will you demonstrate transferable skills?– Taking responsibility for something– OPTIONAL THINGS… show motivation

• Commercial awareness – Not just for business positions– Students fall down on this area