OXFORD

COMPUTING + IT
Computing and IT jobs exist in all sectors and all
types of organisations – in fact, more than 40%
of all IT professionals work outside the sector.
Moreover, demand for people is high and many entry
opportunities are open not only to those with proven
IT skills but also to anyone with the right interests
and potential.
Kate Thompson
Software Engineer, Ensoft
“A few years in and I haven’t looked
back – moving to a career in software
has been great for me – rewarding
and interesting work, learning new
technologies all the time, and lots of fun
along the way!”
COMPUTING + IT
Within the IT sector there is a huge range of jobs, roles
and job titles - from software engineering, to website
production; cloud computing and systems development
to cyber security specialists. Alongside this, the sector also
employs people across the full variety of non-technical roles
Outside the sector, technical roles exist across all industries
because computing and IT are now critical for all types of
organisation. Some sectors recruit particularly heavily into
IT roles, notably in advertising and marketing, banking
manufacturing, retail and public sectors. In parallel, the
extra demand for technically skilled graduates.
The volume of employment opportunities for IT
positions. As a result, people with proven programming
skills are highly sought after and many companies now
actively recruit people without technical skills but who have
the potential to learn and develop quickly once in post.
Companies provide excellent training and support for new
graduates, from an initial intensive ‘bootcamp’ to on-thejob
development. Starting salaries, even for those without
technical skills, often exceed £30,000.
The IT consultancy industry is also growing fast, and
organisations will train new recruits fully before embedding
return for a minimum 2-year commitment (‘employment
bond’), but take note, staff leaving before completion of
GETTING IN AND ENTRY POINTS
Companies visit Oxford throughout the autumn to give
presentations and join our Career Fairs, including ‘Careers
in Computing’ and ‘Jobs for Mathematicians’. Deadlines
tend to fall either side of Christmas, running into late
January/February, however jobs and internships are now
returning to Oxford for summer recruitment as late as June.
You do not need a Computer Science degree. Technical
experience is highly sought after and self-taught or extracurricular
experience is highly valued. However, many
opportunities are open to anyone who can demonstrate
can provide evidence of that interest or, if you struggle with
this, start to get involved now and gain some experience.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR IDEAS
+ Join societies, attend events and enter competitions:
try the Oxford CompSoc and/or Women in Computer
Science (OxWoCS).
+ Access free short courses at the University’s IT Services
on Banbury Road – or with CompSoc or Oxford’s branch
of CodeFirst: Girls.
+ IT Services provides free access to Lynda.com:
a vast online library of video-based courses, including
IT, management and business skills, and career
development.
+ Try free, open source self-directed learning at
www.codecademy.com and similar sites. Popular
languages include C, C++, C#, HTML, Java, NET,
Python and SQL.
+ Showcase your programming skills on open-source
platforms like GitHub.
+ Volunteer for an IT-related project/responsibility with
your JCR/society/club or local charity.
+ Mingle with local entrepreneurs and techies at regular
Oxford Geek Nights to hear about their latest ideas and
developments over a (free!) beer: search online for the
next event.
+ Find and follow IT professionals on social media – read
their blogs/tweets/posts to learn more about their
world, and join the conversation.
MORE INFORMATION:
www.careers.ox.ac.uk/computing
Risham Nadeem
Technology Consulting Analyst,
Accenture
“Do an internship. I didn’t, and I wish I had.
Picking a grad scheme is a bit of a gamble,
especially if it’s completely unrelated to your
degree, and doing an internship not only
gives you valuable transferable skills, it also
may help you feel surer about your choice.”
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