Jobs and Careers Winter 2022/23 - 129

Diversity in digital sector
The IT sector is a predominantly male workplace. Tech Nation's
report, Diversity and Inclusion in UK Tech Companies, indicates
that the industry is overwhelmingly male, with women accounting
for just one in five workers, including at director level. It fares
slightly better for racial diversity: the Inclusive Tech Alliance's 2019
report indicated around 15% of the workforce come from a BAME
background. However, many of those say they have experienced
discrimination and have found it difficult to rise to senior positions.
" I'm frustrated to see talent from different backgrounds being
forced to follow alternate routes - like entrepreneurship, or leaving
the industry all together - in order to be properly recognised and
valued, " says Anne-Marie Imafidon, founder of Stemettes, which
works to support young women going into science, technology,
engineering and maths (STEM). " Leaders need to continually build
better habits in their sponsorship, recruitment, treatment and
respect of non-white and non-male tech talent. "
The good news is that initiatives such as Women in Tech
(womenintech.co.uk), Diversity in Tech (diversityintech.co.uk)
and the government's Tech Talent Charter are encouraging people
from non-traditional tech backgrounds to consider a career in
the industry. It makes sense for the companies, too: Tech Nation
also reports there is a £70,000 turnover premium for firms with
gender-diverse boards, while an internationally diverse board is
able to attract investment an astonishing 453% higher.
IT never sleeps so you'll need to be
flexible and available at odd times
could work for a company offering support
to smaller businesses or individuals. You'll
troubleshoot problems, as well as installing
hardware and software, setting up user
accounts and dealing with any potential
security issues that arise.
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 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 the data that's collected -
basically, how best to apply it to benefit
a 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? Know as
much as possible about the industry you'll
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 they work
for, and this can rise to as much as £55,000.
Gaining professional qualifications or
specialising in a particular program or tool
will help increase earning potential.
Find out more
* Chartered Institute for IT
bcs.org
* Institution of Engineering &
Technology (IET)
theiet.org
* IT Jobs Watch
itjobswatch.co.uk
* Technojobs
technojobs.co.uk
jobsandcareersmag.com /// JOBS & CAREERS /// 129
http://womenintech.co.uk http://diversityintech.co.uk https://www.bcs.org/ https://www.theiet.org/ https://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/ https://www.technojobs.co.uk/ https://www.jobsandcareersmag.com/
Jobs and Careers Winter 2022/23

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jobs and Careers Winter 2022/23
