If you choose to work in the IT sector you could find yourself designing computer games, developing the latest App, managing an IT department, working for yourself, teaching IT or developing the next must have gadget.

IT is used every day by millions, if you choose to work in IT you may be office based, spending the majority of your time working on or with computers. Working in-house, IT often involves working in a small team and supporting the company with any IT technicalities they may have.

National 
• An estimated 1.5 million people currently work in the I.T. industry in the UK.
• 58% of the workforce has a degree or higher education qualification.
• Over 500,000 new IT & Telecomm professionals will be required over the next five years.
• There is over 100,930 IT manufacturing and services establishments in the UK.

Yorkshire and Humber 
• On average 1.6 million, 71% of Yorkshire & Humber’s workforce use IT in their everyday jobs.
• 92% of all job vacancies require applicants to have IT user skills.
• Employment of I.T. & Telecoms professionals in Yorkshire & Humber is forecast to grow at almost 4 times the regions average over the next decade.
• The average ICT weekly wage for full-time ICT industry workers in Yorkshire & Humber is £560.00.

• The ability to solve problems and a logical mind.
• Have a creative imagination (for some jobs).
• Have good communication skills.
• Have an ability to meet deadlines.
• Be a team player.
• Have analytical skills to be able to interpret data.

The majority of jobs in the IT sector require some form of qualifications, you may choose to do an apprenticeship programme to help get you on the right path which could lead on to a HND. Most of the jobs mainly start at degree level or equivalent (HND, Foundation Degree), however there are some support-level roles available to those with lower level qualifications. 

Depending on what role you choose within there are levels of career progression which could lead to supervisory and managerial roles, freelancing opportunities or owning your own IT company.

www.doncasterchoices1419.org.uk
An online prospectus for courses/training available in your area.

www.e-skills.com/careers
Get up-to-date, useful information on I.T. careers to make choosing a career that much easier.

www.bigambition.co.uk
Provides all sorts of information about working in I.T., including a ‘dream job finder’ game, video profiles of people at work and information about employers.

www.regionaltrainingprospectus.co.uk
A guide offering careers and training advice, ranging from helping you choose a college to finding an Apprenticeship in your region.

What are you main responsibilities? What does your job involve?

I work in a busy studio creating graphics and visual design work for a variety of clients. My role includes a deep knowledge of Graphic design software and the print industry. As well as a willing to learn about each one of our client’s business in an effort to understand and further develop design work beyond that of our client’s vision.

What hours do you work?

Between 37 and 40 hours a week.

What is your working environment like?

Our working environment is very important to us and we prefer a relaxed open studio without any working structure to ensure the creative process is optimised.

Do you wear a uniform or have a specific dress code?

No. Our dress code is strictly based on what you feel comfortable in.

Do you use any special tools or equipment?

We run a full Apple Macintosh network with a couple of decent mid range printer to out put proofs and laptops for design on the move.

What skills or qualities do you need?

You will generally need a degree or HND in art and design or specifically graphic design, although at First Class Design we do have a little movement in this. In the past we have worked with people qualified to degree level with web design skills and 3d design accreditation.

Why did you choose this type of work?

Because at the time of choosing what to do I found being creative easy and so this was a natural progression route to go into with any kind of chance of employment.

What training do you do/have you done?

Mmm, not sure really my job is about learning new skills virtually every day but formal training, too little to remember. At First Class Design we are a small team so we tend to learn from each other and use each other to bounce ideas of.

What do you like/dislike about your job?

I like the chance to be creative and turn client briefs into something spectacular. This gives me job satisfaction but also making the client happy with the job produced. I dislike overbearing client who obviously know graphic better than we do.

What are your main challenges?

I suppose the main challenge for us is getting the job done to meet the client’s deadline. We tend to find that bad planning (generally by the client) we get very little time to produce the work we are capable of.

How do you see your future?

I hope the business grows steadily over the next couple of years and possibly expand a little without being too large to care.

What advice would you give to young people who are about to leave school or are considering a job in a similar work area?

Make sure you get work experience in a real studio as soon as you can and work for free if you have to. It’s the kind of industry where if you are good enough, people will be loath to let you walk out of their door.