Depending on the job and employer, any graduate with an interest in information technology can work in IT: there are career opportunities for graduates from all degrees. Many graduates without computer science or technology degrees choose to focus on consultancy and business analysis roles, applying broad technical knowledge to a commercial environment and business processes. Information technology organisations may also have graduate roles in business support functions such as marketing and finance.
Specific technical jobs, such as network engineer, software developer, programmer/analyst, systems analyst really do require graduates with a technology degree, eg computer science, information systems, software engineering, telecoms engineering, physics, maths (with a computing component). You will need to have core skills such as programming languages, operating system knowledge, network and infrastructure understanding and development skills.
Hardware development, research and development, and device-level design roles can require degrees such as physics or electronics engineering.
Whether your IT job is technology or business focused, graduate employers want you to demonstrate the following core competences:
- Good communications skills – written, verbal and listening – particularly the ability to communicate without excessive technical detail or jargon.
- Teamworking and interpersonal skills
- Organisation and planning skills
- Problem-solving ability
- Commercial awareness and customer focus
- Enthusiasm and motivation
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Willingness and ability to learn new skills quickly.