What is an IT Graduate Job?

If you have decided to start your graduate career in the IT and technology field then you will have some idea of which area within this you are going to specialise in.

It could be anything from PHP development, Project Management, Java or web design, either way, a graduate scheme is a great way of getting you used to what these jobs involve and what you want to work towards as you grow your career.

It is important to establish the difference between graduate jobs and graduate schemes. The main difference is that graduate schemes usually have a set timeframe for the contract for example 2 years, whereas a graduate job will not have a timeframe and is seen as a permanent role.

Graduate schemes will always involve a lot of training and a formal progression structure as part of your role – including sometimes further qualifications. Formal Graduate programmes are often offered by the biggest companies in the UK. Graduate jobs are advertised throughout the year rather than graduate schemes which are mainly advertised around the Autumn for final year University students.  

The Role of an IT Graduate

The specific role of your IT graduate job will differ depending on what field of IT you decide to go in to. The general idea of an IT graduate role is to introduce you to that sector of IT and giving you the experience you didn’t gain from university and an insight into the world of work.

The hours will be the usual working hours of 9-5.30pm but you may be expected to stay later sometimes if there are deadlines to be met or if there are any technical problems that need fixing as soon as possible- this is very common in the IT and technical industry.

It highly likely you will receive a lot of training as part of your graduate career as there is a lot you will need to know about the IT industry that you weren’t taught before you started. This may include specific programming languages. Training will also occur continuously throughout your IT career to keep up with the forever changing technologies.

Some employers may expect you to complete further qualifications in your specified IT field- if you’re lucky, your employer may even pay for these for you, or at least pay towards it. The studying could be done within work time (depending on your employers’ discretion) or in your own time, so you will be expected to put time aside to do your homework.

There is always a chance that you will move to different areas of IT throughout your career which will provide you with a variety of skills and qualifications in different areas.

How to get into an IT graduate job

To get into your first IT graduate job you will need some kind of qualification- preferably degree which is IT specific such as Computer Science, information systems, electrical and computer engineering etc. Although most degrees will count, it is most beneficial to have one that is IT related for your benefit and the employers as you will have learned some background information from your course. If you don’t have a degree you could complete a training scheme or apprenticeship and receive IT based qualifications that way.

The key skills required for an IT graduate job will vary depending on which sector of IT you choose to go into but the basic key skills needed would include problem solving, attention to detail, the ability to work under deadlines and keeping up to date with the latest technologies.

IT Graduate Salary

Starting salaries for IT graduate jobs will always vary depending on what sector you decide to go into. It will also vary on location, experience, education and more. Check out our article on IT Graduate starting salaries for more information.