Help yourself to a more rewarding future...

Keep ahead of graduates...with IT vendor qualifications

It is no secret that graduates are having a tough time at the moment; with fees set to rise and university places at a premium, there has perhaps never been a more difficult time to enrol. Exacerbating the problem is the shortage of jobs at the end of taking a three, four, or maybe even a longer degree.

The latest figures from the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU) suggest that prospects for recent graduates are looking bleak, with unemployment currently at a 17-year high. Looking at graduate figures from 2009, the statistics show that 8.9 per cent were out of work at the start of this year, equating to around 21,000 jobless students.

As one would expect, prospects vary depending on the subject taken at degree level. HECSU figures show that 64 per cent of IT graduates were employed in the six months after graduation. This marks a decline of four per cent when compared to 2008.
But to what can this trend be owed? There has been a decline in the number of placements available to IT students, leading to the number of unemployed graduates in the sector rising by 2.6 per cent over the 12-month period.

Even in light of these statistics, the need for highly skilled IT recruits remains. Although employers will not frown on a degree in IT-related disciplines, there are other ways in which people can get the skills they need to succeed in the workplace. The main thing is to recognise where opportunities lie before getting equipped with the tools needed to fill the available positions.

For example, a recent poll from IBM showed that mobile and cloud computing are likely to be two of the key areas firms require expertise in over the next five years. The 2010 IBM Tech Trends Survey, which analysed 2,000 professionals across 87 countries, found that 90 per cent believe it is important for recruits to possess industry-specific skills when making job applications. Furthermore, 63 per cent noted they are currently lacking the knowledge they need to keep ahead of the competition, which is where those with IT skills can really come to the fore.

Richard Nott, website director at CWJobs.co.uk, recently told the 360-degree IT event in London that there is one thing individuals undertaking IT qualifications need to bear in mind. "People need to keep abreast of developments in IT. It's an ever-evolving and ever-changing market and the pace of change is always very quick in IT," he explained.

As suggested, IT graduates far from have free rein over jobs that become available in the sector. An increasing number of employers are looking for people who not only have a theoretical understanding of computer-related issues, but also the ability to demonstrate practical skills. Someone applying for a job with a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) or Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) qualification, for example, is not going to be overlooked simply because they did not attend university. Assets such as these prove to employers that people have the necessary know-how their organisation needs in order to succeed.

avid Fleming, associate director at Badenoch & Clark, recently noted that the days of the IT contractor are starting to subside, with workplaces now in search of permanent team members to help them with day-to-day operations. "If they move away from this kind of transactional project-to-project approach, [organisations] are able to invest in permanent staffing," he explained. At a time when job security is no certain thing, those with IT vendor qualifications, such as Microsoft, can be safe in the knowledge that they will have desirable skills that are likely to land them a full-time and well-paid placement.

With graduates apparently struggling to get their hands on lucrative positions in companies, it is perhaps time that would-be IT workers go in search of means to stay ahead of the competition. Those who have attended university are far from the only ones eligible for jobs, so gaining skills through IT vendor qualifications, for example, could provide a necessary boost in what is a turbulent time in the employment market.