Computing and ICT

ICT and computing graduates are in demand by service and user organisations alike, in a range of sectors.

Skills you can develop

As well as the specific subject knowledge gained from studying an OU degree, you'll develop many transferable and work-related skills that are highly valued by employers and which will increase your employability.

The OU Careers Advisory Service defines student employability as: ‘A set of capabilities and achievements that support students in developing their careers, raising their aspirations and enhancing their contribution to society’.

Whatever your motivations for study, your goals and career aspirations, you are entitled to supported personal development planning either as an intrinsic part of your programme of study or through signposted optional activities.  You can view our full Student Employability Policy Statement on our website.

For Computing and ICT students the employability skills you will develop will include the ability to:

• draw together, analyse and critically evaluate information
• cope with rapid changes in technology
• interpret, use and evaluate data
• put together reasoned arguments and question assumptions
• be effective communicators, capable of team working
• understand the principles, concepts and techniques associated with the technology of computers and digital communication systems
• identify and handle ethical, social and legal issues in relation to software development and use
• design, program, test and evaluate software systems
• manage time, learn independently and take on responsibility.

To check which work-related skills can be developed from studying a particular subject, look at the Student Employability Profiles (PDF 3MB) on the Higher Education Academy website. Although these are designed for higher education practitioners, the subject profiles can help you identify the transferable skills you will gain from studying this subject area.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Career opportunities

In the UK over 60% of graduates enter employment where a degree in any subject would be acceptable. In this instance what they offer the employer is evidence of the range of competencies which have been developed through their academic study, rather than the specific subject content of their degree. This page will focus on careers directly related to Computing and ICT, however, if you want to explore all of the choices open to you, also refer to the ‘Further Resources’ section.

Given the current economic climate and increased competition for graduate positions, it is important to consider a range of occupational areas. Bear in mind that many careers require further study, training and/or work experience beyond your degree.

Research by e-Skills UK has shown that IT and telecommunications now employs 1 in 20 of the UK workforce and makes a 9% contribution to the country's economy. Over half a million new entrants will be needed to fill jobs in this sector over the next five years, hence computing and ICT professionals are in demand by providers (such as software houses) and user organisations alike.

The range of organisations employing graduates from Computing and ICT is extensive. Opportunities exist across retail, financial services, telecommunications, broadcast media, digital media, manufacturing, transport and the public sector. Increasingly too, IT specialists are being asked to design and upgrade virtual learning systems throughout the education, cultural and training fields. Beyond pure technology roles, some graduates also enter computing or management consultancy firms, while others go into technical writing roles.

Some general job titles within ICT and Computing are

• applications programmer
• information systems manager
• database administrator
• information technology consultant
• multimedia programmer
• software engineer
• systems analyst
• systems designer.

The emphasis is increasingly towards web-based solutions, and job seekers with a proven track record in this work are in high demand.

Globalisation is having a significant impact on the shape of the UK labour market in computing. The proportion of employees with specialist, high value-added design skills is expected to increase and non-specialist design and development work will move ‘off-shore’. The OU computing and ICT degrees attempt to address this trend by training graduates in the specialist branches of computing that are most needed.

Alongside the anticipated huge demand in the future for IT and telecoms professionals is an increasing expectation that IT professionals will be multi-skilled with commercial awareness, good business skills (e.g. project management, business change, risk management) and interpersonal skills (e.g. networking and relationship management), as well as having technical expertise. Some entrants to IT or telecoms-related work may come from other occupations but will be retrained as IT professionals on the job. People who have developed their ICT/computing skills while working in other areas are likely to be highly sought after.

For IT sector news, analysis and information plus a video discussion of trends currently affecting the UK IT industry visit www.computing.co.uk.

We advise you to thoroughly research your career choices as early as possible, particularly in relation to experience required, differences that relate to where you live, or where choice of courses may affect future opportunities.

Use the Prospects website to explore career options related to this subject. Click on your subject to see examples of job roles and get information for further research.

If you live in Ireland look at the relevant information on career sectors and jobs with your degree on the Gradireland website.

To find out about ways of gaining experience through volunteering see our voluntary work pages. You can also make use of the searchable databases on the following websites:

• Do-it!
• Volunteer Scotland
• Volunteer Ireland
• Volunteering Wales

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Your employers

Rigorous academic standards ensure that OU qualifications are recognised and valued by professional organisations and employers.

As an OU student, you can access the Employer Showcase to find out about some of the employers who are keen to recruit OU graduates, including:

Employers featured on the Employer Showcase particularly relevant to ICT and Computing graduates include

• GlaxoSmithKline
• Hyperknowledge
• Logica
• Metropolitan Police Services
• Tesco.
• Unilever

If you are a student you might want to see further advice from major employers on applications, the skills they require and the value of OU study. Go to our What employers say pages.

As an OU student you can also register for our online vacancy service and receive email notification about job opportunities.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Further resources

Use the other sections of this web site to

• plan your career
• explore your career options
• identify your achievements, skills and strengths
• get advice on job seeking 

Don’t forget to check the careers home page regularly for news of events, forums, careers fairs and short courses. If you are an OU student you can participate in and read entries on our online forums.

If you are a current OU student (or finished your studies within the last three years) you are entitled to a careers consultation with a careers adviser in your region or nation. This is designed to help you through the planning process and identify an action plan for your future. (Non-OU students should go to the Contact page of this website for other sources of careers advice.)

1 | 2 | 3 | 4