Good news, computing and IT job seekers: a background in computer science can land you a job in virtually any field which uses new technology. Today, that means pretty much any field that your heart desires. Whether you fancy staying close to your roots and working in IT support or cybersecurity, or you want to spread your wings and apply your computing skills to a more niche area ā whether that be in drug discovery (see GSK employee Emmy Whittemoreās case study), aircraft design, finance or even fashion ā the future looks bright.
Nearly 60 per cent of the UKās top employers said they expected to recruit IT staff this year when polled for recruitment analysts High Fliersā at the end of last year. āInformation technology is ever changing, so the IT careers landscape is always evolving,ā says Louise Raycraft, a graduate recruiter at , an international IT services provider and the UKās biggest graduate recruiter in IT. āOver the past five years the demand for IT professionals has kept steady within business as firms look to implement new IT systems to save money, save time, or make money.ā She says the trend ālooks set to continue for future years as IT plays a more integral role in the global economyā.
And computing professionals are not limited to working in the traditional technology sector of IT service providers. On the contrary, graduates or career-changers with a background in computer science can easily find themselves working in a broad range of industries ā from pharmaceuticals to media and virtually everywhere in between. While IT and telecommunications provided the seventh-highest salaries of the UKās 14 major sectors in 2012 according to the High Fliers report ā with a median starting salary of Ā£30,000 ā non-technical industries currently recruiting computer scientists include the top two best-paying industries, investment banking and law.
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The demand for technical proficiency in non-tech industries is a growing trend, says Brian Beneda, director of Hewlett Packardās academic programmes for , the companyās newly launched academic body that provides students with skills sought after by the industry. āNo matter what field someone is going into, most are becoming technology-enabled, if they arenāt already,ā he says. For example, a college of fashion has asked HP for help developing a technical module for their fashion design degrees to help students become proficient in design software such as AutoCAD.
