IT "is all about opportunities"

12:09 2nd June 2008

People considering a career change to IT jobs have been advised that there are many opportunities offered by the sector.

Asked what the benefits of IT careers are, Jan Peters, manager of the British Computer Society's (BCS) Women's Forum, replied: "Connecting and working with people, benefiting society, money and travel.

"For anyone working in IT, these are the key things. It's all about opportunities."

Ms Peters added that there could perhaps be more done to highlight these advantages to women to encourage them to consider IT jobs.

She suggested that role models - such as senior professionals but also recent graduates and apprenticeships - are needed to help educate women on the variety of opportunities available.

According to the BCS, in 2004, only 14 per cent of the society's membership was female.

Ms Peters believes that mentoring programmes could be a good way to promote IT careers to women.

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