Today’s businesses rely as much on their IT systems as today’s individuals do in their day to day lives. Just as we would feel somewhat lost without our smartphones and high speed internet access at home, a modern organisation would be unable to function without technology systems.
As well as revolutionising the way we live and work, this has also caused some huge changes within what is loosely called the IT employment sector. Loosely, because the days of an IT department being somehow removed from the rest of the organisation – a peripheral function akin to catering or building maintenance – are long gone. Research by Prospects suggests that around half of IT graduates will find themselves working in roles that do not fit the traditional IT definition. Here are some examples.
Content creator
A business’s website is its modern day shop window, and it needs to attract customers better than the competition. Web design is important, but what it really comes down to is content. Businesses need to publish interesting, engaging and authoritative content regularly, and it all has to be written by someone. In this age of social media interaction, the need for fresh engaging content is growing by the day.
Operations management
Modern operations are as reliant on their IT systems as they are on their people. The most successful companies are the ones that can leverage their IT resources the best to improve efficiency, not to mention morale. Integrated and hyper-converged systems, as described at probrand.co.uk, are being adopted by a growing number of businesses, as they bring tangible results. But they need operations managers with the technical vision to make them work.
Games developer
These days, gamers are all ages and both sexes. Gaming has become as normal a pastime as watching TV or reading a book, and game developers have never been in higher demand. From TV-themed games for pre-schoolers to over 18’s only real money casino games, the sector has never been more varied. And with the latest developments in virtual reality, it is an area that is constantly evolving.
Teaching
There is a significant skills shortage in IT, as the gap grows between those who know how to operate technology and those who understand how it works. Sweeping changes to the school curriculum are underway to address this, but there is also a shortage of teachers. Who better to educate the next generation of IT professionals than those who already have an IT degree in their back pocket? With government assistance available to acquire the necessary teacher training, it is a compelling option.
TV and streaming
TV has changed dramatically over the past decade, and there is now an increasing overlap between traditional broadcasting and online streaming. The popularity of on demand services like Netflix has created an explosion of job opportunities for IT professionals who would like to get into the entertainment industry. Who would have thought that an IT degree could lead you to becoming the next Steven Spielberg? In the 21st century, anything is possible.
