Im finding it so hard to find a job in the IT industry! I did an A level IT last year, and since finishing that have been in an extremely boring job at a garden centre. Im trying to find a junior or trainee position in any sector of IT. So if anyone runs an IT company in Kent, then Im your man
If your looking for a job in IT.. look around schools... schools need netadmins... while not the best thing ever in the world it's pretty decent
i need a drivin licence to get into IT i think i maybe could have been working for SX3 if i had licence!!!!
sounds about the best an IT A-level will do ya they're pants. i quit half way through mine, and got a job which i love. how about getting some vaguely useful qualifications, CCNA, MCP/MCSE/something like that?
I have an A level in computing, and i had to work in bloody sainsburys for 3 months until i got my job. I went to an agency who had some temping for me, but they kept an eye out for helpdesk work. A month later they found a position. I have worked my way up and have been here 2 1/2 years now. Now i have that experience i can move on. The thing is that all my mates who went to uni and got a degree are at a lower or similar level of work to me, on less money!
I also need a job in the IT industry.. I took the AVCE ICT at college for the past two years now i need a job but have been unsuccesfull as i have found nothing really
The minimum entry level into the IT industry presently is a 2:1 with at least 3 A-Levels at BBB. However a lot specify a ideally a 1:1 with 3 A-Levels at AAA. Towards the top end of the spectrum are jobs that specify that candidates must be from Oxbridge (and maybe they will consider lesser candidates from other leading Red Brick universities), gained a 1st (preferably Masters/PHd), gained 3-Levels at AAA and also gained 10-12 GCSEs at A* level. For those of us who don't quite match (myself included with a 2:2 in Computer Science and BCD A-Levels) there is no place in the industry. So essentially with 1 A-Level you might as well learn to enjoy that gardening centre job.
I would say that is not completely true. I know a bloke who works for morganstanley who got a 2:2 and unknown A-levels, and walked straight into a 40k job. what do you define as "the industry"? If you mean working for Intel, AMD, Oracle or Microsoft, then I agree, they want the very best, the biggest bang for their buck. However, it is not impossible to get a very good programming job for very respectable money with not-all-A's at A-level and a less-than-1st degree. It depends on your level of skill. If You have 5-7 years experience with um...say Sybase SQL Anywhere or Oracle, but a 2:2 and 3 A-levels, BCD, that wouldn't prevent you from being appointed a company DBA, on good DBA money, because you have the level of skill. If you're fresh out of Uni, but are very experienced with some of your languages, that wouldn't prevent you getting a good job either. I would say ability outweighs academic achievement. Who cares if someone got a 2:2 or a 3rd if the job applicant can code all the languages you want?
JStormont - I totally disagree with you, I know people with MCSEs and Computing degrees who can't even build there own computers never mind fixing anyone elses. I know that Lord A (Sorry Aris if this offends you) has no UK I.T qualifications and yet he earns over 20k per year in his I.T jobs. I think as WireFrame says ability is far more important than academic achievement.
I know what you mean Lucifer about the A level courses being crap. Mine was new the year I started it, and was completely messed up The thing Im finding hard is trying to find a job with in a reasonable distance of where I live (South East of Kent), they all seem to be nearer London. I personally think I have the knowledge to go into a job such as building, upgrading, and general computer maintenance or network support with what I currently know. If I wanted to do something like Web Design or Programming, then I would need training in it. But its hard to find a company now a days willing to take someone on who says 'I can do this', but who doesn't have the qualifications to prove it. Really, I hated the Sixth Form where I done my A levels, and I really dont want to have to go back into education after having over a year of total independence and earning over £150 a week allowing me to run a car, and get nearly everthing I want at the moment (aint living with your parents great )
I didn't finish my A levels and am now on about £250/week doing scummy helpdesk work. I have interviews coming up for jobs in the £14-£18k range which are mostly hardware support (Setup and maintenance of machines) or more specialised helpdesk work. I think it is import to realise that the IT industry is so fluid that it is a gamble to take three years out to go to uni, incur debts and get a degree that may or may not leave you in good stead of getting a job. *n
I have no MCPs etc only a HND in computing and I've had a few jobs in IT, they weren't top paying jobs but you have to eat s*** to get a bigger feed, although I don't earn mega bucks but I earn more than what has been quoted here. I think I got a lucky break as I was 25+ when I started looking for IT work. Mind you I could build a pc and configure it without much problem before I went for these jobs. Job interviews tend to come like buses none for a while then 2 or 3 at the same time. I would say just hang on in there and you will get a job. I reckon in a month or two more jobs will turn up as most roles have been filled by gradutes at the moment. The I.T field is not as good as it was once, too many people outside the industry have been mislead by the press and these crappy adverts saying a job is waiting for you.
I have spent the entire summer looking through jobs on major job websites (such as www.cwjobs.co.uk, www.reed.co.uk, etc...), signing up with agencies and tracking down graduate recruitment programs. I only report on my findings. briefly taken from cwjobs "Fantastic opportunity for an ambitious graudate to work on cutting edge technologies with a forward thinking organisation. The graduate will be part of a team responsible for system design and is some cases development of a range of software applications. The ideal candidates will have a 2:1 or above in a computer realted discipline and 12 months experience (possibly as part of a work placement or post grad ) and have systems level understanding of large comms and IT systems." "1st Class Graduate in Physics, Maths or Engineering from Oxford or Cambridge required. If you have a first from Oxford or Cambridge in a relevant subject then my client would like to hear from you." "SAS, graduate, Data Analyst, Finance. Specialist finance company urgently requires a strong numerical graduate with at least a 2.1 or a 1st. You will have completed a placement and gained experience of using SAS in the commercial market place. " "My international client is seeking a graduate to join their forever growing IT Department. You need a 2:1 or above from a Red Brick University. Have an all round excellent experience in IT and MSc or Ph.D. would be advantageous not essential. " "(Graduate, IT, Software Development, Academic, 1:1, 1st, 2:1, Upper Second, London) Our client is always interested in any graduates with up to 2 years commercial experience provided they have a history of high academic achievement." "An outstanding opportunity has arisen for high achieving graduate to join a rapidly growing and well-respected telecomm company based in the heart of the Thames Valley. Based in Berkshire my client is looking for exceptional graduates with a 2.1 or above in engineering or computing discipline, along with this you must have strong A’ levels." If you have commerical experience this is of course less of a problem, but straight out of university you need a 2:1 to get any job working in the I.T. industry. This goes for all types of work. As I said this is just what I have found to be true.
That is a false statement as proven by people such as myself who don't have a degree of any kind and maybe even not A levels yet are working in the IT industry. I think you'd find things a lot easier if you stopped trying to shoot above your current station in life and accepted a job at a slightly lower level then used the experience garnered at that level to rise up in the industry. *n
