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| The Information Technology industry is huge, dynamic
and continually expanding and developing at an extremely rapid pace. The
industry is continually striving towards the development of faster, smaller
and more powerful systems. Almost every sector of business and administration
all over the world applies IT in order to be able to store, process, retain
and present information. As well as in a business capacity, IT is increasingly
being applied to our leisure and recreation activities and our home lives.
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Not surprisingly, the industry offers a wide range of career opportunities to people with a wide variety of specialist skills. Opportunities also exist for those who have developed a specialist knowledge of aspects of computing and can combine their specialist knowledge with business, management or language skills. |
| The main work of individuals working in the IT industry is to provide solutions to business information problems. This can be achieved in a number of ways, for example, designing a system for a new enterprise, introducing a system to extend or replace an old system, or by the upgrading and replacement of old procedures. | |
| The Systems Analyst will investigate and analyse the problems in hand in order to produce a functional specification for the solution. Programmers will work to this specification in order to create or modify a software program, which will perform the function. |  |
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Systems Integrators turn the software created into practical working system involving suitable computers, networks, and peripheral equipment such as printers, plotters, data capture equipment and production machinery. Computer Operators are involved in the day to day running of larger systems, usually performing routine activities such as start up and shut down of the computers and the network, and dealing with minor problems. |
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Software Support Engineers help users to obtain optimum results from
their systems and solve any problems that may occur. Finally, in large
corporate installations there is often a Systems Administrator, who has
a proactive role in maintaining, specifying and installing a system and
ensuring that it delivers the service required. |
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Because of the complex and varied nature of the industry, there are no standard entry requirements for obtaining employment in IT. Opportunities exist for non-graduates as well as graduates, and it is possible to apply previous business or industrial expertise to a specialist aspect of the IT industry. Many further education colleges offer a wide range of computing and IT courses which can enhance career opportunities or simply provide you with basic IT skills. The courses available range from CLAIT, desktop publishing and word-processing through to programming, Autocad and computerised accounts. Students can study at a leisurely pace – two hours a week – or on a full time basis. For further information on courses, please contact your local college or careers service. This article appears with thanks to Calderdale College and first appeared in the Halifax Evening Courier. |
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