Many graduates who come out of university with their Computer Science degrees will assume that it’ll be enough to land them an IT job. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. It can come as a wonder to those graduates who are applying and having their applications rejected or not even considered. You’d think that after all those years of studying, something would come out of it, right?
So why exactly would a degree not be enough?
Right, so there is a lot of confusion when it comes to studying a degree and applying for a job in IT. Although 2-3 years have been spent studying the industry, it does not however, provide an individual with the hands-on experience needed to thrive within an IT based role. Yes, you may know about the theoretical side, but we are starting to see more and more that theory is not always everything.
So, what is it that employers are looking for during the hiring process?
Employers are looking for people who have a real understanding
Like many jobs, employers in the IT sector are sending out job descriptions with a requirement for certain skills and abilities. Candidates applying are expected to tick off the vast majority of these essentials. We’re not saying that employers are only looking to take on experienced individuals, but those who are eager to start off in a junior position must have some sort of experience behind them to demonstrate that they can and will be able to do the job.
Employers are looking for more than what’s taught in university
When we look at what a degree involves, we tend to see that it covers a broad subject where a lot of units have been taught. This is a great foundation point for an individual to start their learning, but their time for undertaking qualifications is not up yet, in fact it has barely even started. A career in IT involves continuous learning with new certifications. Taking up specific certifications alongside a degree will prove to employers that you have enough knowledge to do the job.
So, is going to university even worth it?
Whilst reading this you may be thinking, “well if I can’t get a job in IT with a degree, what is even the point?”. Do not think of your degree as a waste of time, there are no right or wrong answers when it comes to university, for some it’s a great starting point where they can get a real understanding of what they would like to do after education, and for others, well some people have the advantage of knowing what they want to do from early on, so they have the option to start out in their career early.
Lastly, if you do have a degree and can’t get an IT job, what are your next moves?
Applying for jobs is not easy for anyone. We live in a competitive generation where securing a job is a far bigger challenge than it should be. If you have the right qualifications and experience behind you, it’s not too bad, but starting out in your first ever role is always going to be difficult, unless you get lucky.
Researching online does not always help as what may have worked well for someone else, might not work the same for you. We find that speaking with professionals about your next moves is more personal and you can get step by step advice. At Just IT we offer career days for those who are looking to start their tech career, but are just not too sure how. We will tell you everything we know about the current IT market along with the qualifications that we teach.
You will also have the chance to speak with our recruitment consultants who will give you advice on what employers are expecting from candidates. They will also go into further detail about our job guarantee programme that takes off a lot of the job-hunting pressure.
If you’re interested in joining one of our career days to find out what your next moves could be, give us a call on 020 7426 9835.