The University of Kent Careers Advisory Service COMPUTING CAREERS You can download a copy of this presentation at

Survey of Skills required by IT Employers 1. Communication - oral and written 2. Technical aptitude 3. Career motivation 4. Analytical skills 5. Business Awareness 6. Numeracy 7. Technical Knowledge 8. Team-working 9. Problem solving 10. Leadership

Survey of Skills required by IT Employers  Communication skills come top of the list.  Technical aptitude comes before technical knowledge - it's more important to be able to learn a new language quickly from scratch, than to know a particular language.

CORE SKILLS REQUIRED BY MAJOR IT JOBS  Teamworking is required for ALL jobs! PROGRAMMER, SOFTWARE ENGINEER  analytical and logical reasoning  good technical knowledge  attention to detail  problem-solving  work to deadlines  determination SYSTEMS ANALYSIS, CONSULTANCY  business awareness  persuasiveness  handling clients  written communication skills  oral communication skills  creative problem- solving

Top 10 Technical Skills Computer Weekly Magazine Survey  Java  MS Office  Visual Basic  SQL Server  SAP  SQL  C++  Unix  Oracle  Windows NT  C

I.T. EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE REVIEW  Technical knowledge Quick Learner  Planning Establishing priorities and scheduling time. Well organised.  Productivity Professionalism - "completing projects on time".  Quality of work "On schedule, under budget, works first time  Self Development Teaching yourself new skills!“  Communication Presentation skills, Clear, concise, documentation.  Teamwork  Problem Solving and Judgement Coming up with effective solutions  Innovation and Change Receptivity to new ideas. "Flexible designs that can withstand last minute changes"  Administration Documentation - "Much of software development involves writing things down and looking them up again"

Gartner Research  IT Professionals who maintain only a technical toolbox will be at risk. Executives will seek out and elevate IT professionals who demonstrate knowledge of how the company can apply technology to achieve business goals.

IT Employers  Consultancies  Hardware and Software Firms  Telecommunications firms  End Users  Government

Consultancies  Recruit IT consultants, systems analysts, systems designers, project managers, sales staff  Major recruiters of new graduates.  Lots of client contact so interpersonal and business skills important.  Project based work - move to a new project every few months so constantly learning new skills, but can be a bit unsettling.  Focus on "whole solutions" rather than just consultancy  Often international so opportunities to work abroad.

Vacancy Sources  Kent Jobs Database  Prospects Web  Recruitment Fairs  Directories e.g. Target IT  Recruitment Agencies  Speculative CVs to IT Employers

Careers Web Pages  What can I do with Computer Science?  What can I do with a Multimedia degree?  MSc Computer Science CV Computing Application Form Practice Computing Interview

ACTION PLAN  Pick up a directory of employers  See the vacancy lists on-line  Register with Prospects Web  Check your campus /newsgroups regularly!  Apply soon for jobs in large companies– closing dates are early.  Apply for most postgraduate study around December/January  We will help for 3 years after graduation.

Jenny Walters  UKM Careers Adviser  Room M2 – 24 Tel: (88)  For full details of the Careers Advisory Service at Medway including photographs see

The University of Kent Careers Advisory Service You can download a copy of this presentation at