The IT Job Market

1
The IT Job Market

• Practical and Transferable Skills for Computer
  Scientists 2008

2
Session Structure

• The IT job market
• Case studies what would you do?
• Tactics for looking for work experience
• Summary

3
The IT industry for Graduates. Brief history
glimpse into the future

• 1995-2000 ?!!!!! 60 growth
• 2001-2003 ?!!!!! Redundancies
• 2003-2005 ? More vacancies
  (contractors/freelancers)
• 2006-2008 ?!! IT job market enjoying
  its longest period of
• stability in 20 years

4
As it was

• 1990s 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

5
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

6
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

7
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

8
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

9
Key message for computer scientistsIt is not
what you know but what you do
10
As it will be?

• Growth of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises
  requiring your skills and labour
  www.foresight.gov.uk www.studentnet.manchester.a
  c.uk/careers/job-huntingandworkexperience/workingi
  nukregions/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

11
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,
  LogicaCMG, Reuters, EDS, Cap Gemini
• Companies who USE the Technology
• eg. BBC, NHS, Orange, Oxfam, Astra Zeneca, MS
• Some companies overlap or even operate in all 3
  zones
• Small Businesses
• Yourself - Start your own business!

12

• Which employers recruit Manchester Computer
  Science graduates?

13
Employers of Recent Manchester Computer
Scientists
14
Types of roles entered by Computer Science
Graduates

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

15

• Over to you
• some case studies of typical student queries
• You will act as a careers adviser
• How will you advise them?

16
QUIZ TIME
17
Commercial Awareness Quiz

• Which institution sets the base rate in the U.K.?
  
• What name is given to a depressed stock market?
• What is the name of the Group that owns these
  retail brands? Topshop, Burton, Dorothy
  Perkins, Miss Selfridge
• What does GDP stand for?
• Which countrys currency is called the Dong?
  
• Which American Investment Bank went bankrupt last
  week?
• Which UK based Building Society is the largest in
  the world?

18
Commercial Awareness Quiz

• Name the Company which has bought Somerfield ?
• 9. Which of the following is not an oil
  company
  B.P. AstraZeneca
  Total Gazprom ExxonMobil
• 10. In which country would you find Nokias
  head office?
• 11. What is the FTSE 100?
• 12. Which country currently has the worlds
  highest inflation rate?
• 13. Which group of Companies owns these brands?
  Guinness, Baileys, Smirnoff

19
Commercial Awareness Quiz

• 14. Who is the Republican candidate in the U.S.
  Presidential Election this year?
• 15. What are FMCGs?
• 16. If you heard a businessman talking about MAs
  what would he mean?
• 17. Whats the current standard rate of VAT?
• 18. If you see the letters LLP after a firms
  name what does it mean?
• 19. Name the current Chancellor of the Exchequer
• 20. What is the name given to the financial
  district of New York?

20
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 dont be afraid to
  ask for help!

21
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?

22
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)

23
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

24
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

25
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

26
Looking for Work Experience

• Summer Internships
• Advertised from autumn 2008 i.e. SOON!
• Careers website, employer websites, GMEX fair,
  campus presentations by employers
• VERY COMPETITIVE
• Essential for areas like consultancy and finance
• Application process just like applying for a
  graduate job

27
Looking for Work Experience

• STEP Programme
• Provides challenging, definable, structured
  projects for prefinal year undergrads in SMEs
• 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 c200 exempt
  from Tax/NI
• Applications accepted from September.
• www.step.org.uk

28
Looking for Work Experience

• Industrial Placements
• Advertised from autumn 2008 i.e. NOW!
• Careers website, Science, Engineering and
  Technology Fair (23rd October)
• Part-time jobs fair (2ndOctober)
• CS Careers Fair (21st October)
• Again, usually a formal application process
• Some not advertised as obviously e.g. Forensic
  Science Service

29
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

30
Looking for Work Experience

• Cant find it by the usual routes?
• Targeted, speculative applications
• Check out websites
• Use your own contacts
• Follow up leads!

31
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