What can I do with my degree? Graduate IT jobs

“What can I do with my degree?” It's a question that students up and down the UK are left with once the gloss of graduation wears off and there's no job in their chosen field in sight.

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A job in Information Technology may provide the answer. The sector is hugely important to the economy. It's always growing. And there's currently a shortage of qualified talent.

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This means that no matter what kind of degree you have, many employers offering graduate IT jobs may at least consider you.

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If you have a degree that you feel hasn't yet gotten you the job you want, here's how to leverage that qualification into an industry that will reward you:

Is a graduate IT job right for me?

IT jobs come in all shapes and sizes. Software engineers and web developers might be among the best-known. Yet there are also business analysts, customer-facing or commercial roles, and potential management opportunities.

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In short, you might not need the kind of technical qualifications in things like data science, infrastructure, or cloud and software you expected.

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If you do need technical skills for a role, the right employer will train you. As long as you can convince them that everything else you have to offer will balance out your less relevant degree.

How do I get an IT job with a non-computer degree?

There is a big shortfall of talent (jobs without people to do them) across the IT sector. To meet this demand, many employers are looking outside of traditionally qualified candidates.

Many also recognise that having a workforce with a diverse array of additional knowledge and qualifications – including a range of soft skills – can actually be an advantage in itself.

To appeal to those employers, you should:

1) Read the job description carefully

While many employers are driven by necessity or the desire to create a diverse team to accept applicants with non-technical degrees for IT jobs, others either can't or won't.

If the job description you're interested in states “must have computer science degree” in black and white, it's probably not worth applying.

At the most, you could ask your recruiter to fill you in on any knowledge they have about the employer to see if there is any chance you should apply.

2) Prove your commitment to learn

If you have a non-computer science or related degree, the first thing you'll need to show a prospective employer is your willingness to make up the gap in your learning.

This is often easiest with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) degrees but isn't impossible for you no matter your qualification background.

The first step will be to prove you have a serious interest in technology. This will need to be provable rather than just words on your CV. You might need to:

??????? Do a programming (or other key skill) course

??????? Go to industry or related events

??????? Volunteer, get an internship, or get relevant work experience some other way

Not only are all of these good ways to prove you have a passion for IT, they can also help you work out whether a technology career is going to be right for you in the first place.

3) Show what else you have to offer

If you don't have a degree in a computer science or technical field, the rest of your résumé is going to have to do a lot of work.

Some potential IT employers can be persuaded to try a candidate who offers some skills they feel their team might be lacking or that might round out an otherwise lesser-qualified candidate.

Try to do everything you can – including proactively signing up for more activities – that show your skills in things like:

??????? Communication

??????? Collaboration and teamwork

??????? Innovation and idea creation

??????? Problem-solving

??????? Curiosity and a desire to learn

Become a non-tech graduate in IT

If you're wondering what you can do with your degree, a career in IT might just be for you. The opportunities are there – if you can prove your degree and other skills add up.

It's far from impossible. But working with an expert is always going to be the best strategy if you don't just want to be blindly firing your CV into the void.

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Want to talk through what you can do with your degree with an expert?

Ernest Gordon is a specialist engineering and IT recruitment company. Our proven, open, honest, and transparent approach matches candidates with exclusive jobs you won't find elsewhere.

Reach out to one of our helpful team today to discuss your goals and ambitions.