Jobs and Careers Winter 2020/21 - 297

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What qualifications do I need? In some cases a degree is
required, but software skills and knowledge of programming
languages such as C# and SQL are more important, and
many employers offer training on the job. An International
Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) certificate
will help, but the main thing is to get as much experience as
you can. Beyond formal qualifications, great communication
skills are crucial because you'll need to report your findings
in a way that others can immediately understand.
How much can I earn? You'll start on £18,000 to £20,000,
but this can rise quickly to £35,000 with just a few years'
experience. This is also a role that can give you the grounding
to move on to other jobs, such as software developer.

IT support officer
All that tech needs someone to make sure it keeps functioning,
and most companies over a certain size have an IT support
department to do that. Alternatively you could work for a
company offering support to smaller businesses or individuals.
You'll troubleshoot problems, solving them or helping
others to do so, as well as installing hardware and software,
setting up user accounts and dealing with security issues.
The stereotype of the surly, unhelpful IT support person has
largely been banished - now you're expected to communicate
well and work with others to solve problems. You'll also need

" Although some IT roles are
highly specialised, there are
plenty of ways to get into the
industry without a degree or
related qualification "
to be flexible, which means both being available at odd times
(IT never sleeps!) and being able to prioritise your workload.
What qualifications do I need? Knowledge and ability
outranks all else in this area, so just make sure you learn
everything you can and get as much experience as possible.
Studying a related subject to any level - school, HNC, HND
or degree - can only improve your employment prospects,
as will a thorough knowledge of popular systems such as
Microsoft Windows and Linux.
How much can I earn? Depending on your qualifications
and knowledge, you might start on anything from £17,000
to £25,000, progressing to £40,000 or more in managerial
roles. Specialising can help you earn more, and IT
support can lead to other roles in network engineering
or systems development.

Data analyst
We hear a lot about " big data " these days, and it's the data
analyst's job to know what to do with all that data that's collected
- basically, how best to apply it to business. An analyst will
gather data, compile their findings, present them in a useful way
and explain to colleagues in other areas how it can help them.

What qualifications do I need? Make sure you know as
much as possible about the industry you will be working in,
and demonstrate an ability to produce clear graphical
representations of data. You'll probably need a degree, although
it doesn't have to be an IT one - business, economics, statistics
and maths are all useful, as is knowledge of data analysis tools
such as Microsoft Excel.
How much can I earn? Entry-level data analysts will make
£24,000 to £28,000 depending on the organisation, and this will
rise to as much as £55,000. Gaining professional qualifications
or specialising in a particular program or tool will help.

Software engineer
Having responsibility for creating functioning applications
is one of the most important jobs in IT. Without them, all
those millions of PCs and laptops and smartphones and
tablets would be useless! Software engineers figure out a
program's objectives, design the way it works and write the
code that creates it.
What qualifications do I need? A degree in software
engineering or a related subject such as computer science
is usually required, while knowledge of mathematics and
computer hardware is highly useful. Written and verbal
communication skills are also key because software is usually
produced by a team of engineers. Employers look not just
for knowledge of programming languages but also for a real
understanding of how code works, not least for fixing
problems that arise.
How much can I earn? Engineers can expect to start
on £30,000, the median salary is £50,000 and you can
ultimately earn as much as £90,000 - while contract work
can be even more lucrative.

Find out more
* Chartered Institute for IT
bcs.org
* Institution of Engineering
& Technology
theiet.org
* IT Jobs Watch
itjobswatch.co.uk
* Technojobs
technojobs.co.uk

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http://www.bcs.org http://www.theiet.org http://itjobswatch.co.uk http://technojobs.co.uk
Jobs and Careers Winter 2020/21

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jobs and Careers Winter 2020/21
