IT Graduate

Corcs001

Hi

Im not sure if this is the right place but I just finished an ordinary degree in software development and I'm thinking of moving to London or maybe somewhere else in the UK because getting a job here seems to be next to impossible.

I'm hoping could any of you guys give me advice on how I should go about getting a job over there and what the chances are of getting one.

Any advice at all would be appreciated.


Thanks:cool:

WIZE

Do you mind me asking what age you are ?

Corcs001

BVB wrote: »

Do you mind me asking what age you are ?

22. Why?

John-Holmes

Hi dude,

I did my degree in UUJ in Computer Science. It took me a right while to get a job but that’s mainly because I was lazy/working on the farm at home.

I'm working as a software tester now. It’s only a maternity cover contract but I am just glad of the experience. What line of work do you want to get into?

There seems to be a lot of programming jobs around. Have you tried getting involved with recruitment agencies? When I was looking for work I found eolas.ie to be quite useful.

Corcs001

John-Holmes wrote: »

Hi dude,

I did my degree in UUJ in Computer Science. It took me a right while to get a job but that’s mainly because I was lazy/working on the farm at home.

I'm working as a software tester now. It’s only a maternity cover contract but I am just glad of the experience. What line of work do you want to get into?

There seems to be a lot of programming jobs around. Have you tried getting involved with recruitment agencies? When I was looking for work I found eolas.ie to be quite useful.

Well I figure most programmers start out in testing jobs so I'll probably start in that line of work.

Planning to get involved with recruitment agencies but I've only started the job hunt.

hobochris

I would defiantly consider doing an honors degree(level 8).. it seems the expected minimum by many employers now.

Corcs001

hobochris wrote: »

I would defiantly consider doing an honors degree(level 8).. it seems the expected minimum by many employers now.

Sorry should have explained I'm taking at least a year out for financial reasons. I plan on doing an honours degree eventually.

John-Holmes

The name of my course was Bsc Hons Comp Science.

Covers all aspects needed for a computer job really. Programmers don't need to get involved with testing to get to where they want to go. If you have a degree like mine and can show that you can program then you can get a development job. I just can't code worth a damn so I stayed away from it.

Spud83

Corcs001 wrote: »

Well I figure most programmers start out in testing jobs so I'll probably start in that line of work.

This is wrong IMO, I was once told in an interview by a company that they would tend to stay away from people who have spent time in testing due them picking up bad habits, and being away from development work for a while.

The only way IMO you can move from testing to programming is if it is within a single company.

With an ordinary degree you may find it very difficult to get a programming job. Its hard enough with an Honors degree.

If I was you I would be willing to take a testing job, especially if it promised some exposure to programming either now or in the future. If you decide you definitely want to get into programming then I would look at it as something to aim for after you have completed your degree.

hobochris

If the plan is to go back and do the honors degree, Id look for something in support or admin (Sys or network) to tie you over.

At the same time Id work on personal projects, as they show you have an interest outside of your course. Employers are looking for people ideally who have a love of programing and do it as a hobby more so then a 9-5.

Given the times, it may be harder to get your foot in the door, which means you have to go out of your way to get a job, the days of employers begging for developers are gone or at least on hiatus while we are in recession,so you need to show employers why they really should hire you before someone else snaps you up.

markpb

alanmurphy83 wrote: »

This is wrong IMO, I was once told in an interview by a company that they would tend to stay away from people who have spent time in testing due them picking up bad habits, and being away from development work for a while.

I'm not sure if companies actively dislike it but I certainly don't know any developers who came from a testing background. Obviously I graduated when jobs were more easily got, maybe things have changed now.

Spud83

markpb wrote: »

I'm not sure if companies actively dislike it but I certainly don't know any developers who came from a testing background. Obviously I graduated when jobs were more easily got, maybe things have changed now.

Just an impression of the industry that I got. Off course the industry changes quickly so it might not apply right now.

It just that what junior roles they are hoping for someone who can pick up stuff quickly and start contributing as soon as possible. Somebody straight out of college probably only finished coding a fews back, or there last active work was coding so everything should be fresh.

Someone who has spent a year or two doing testing could be rusty and could take longer to get up to speed and start picking things up again.

However I don't think it really matters to the OP right now. They just want to gain some experience in the IT industry and the fact he/she is planning on going back to college to finish there degree I don't think whatever experience they could get would be a bad thing.

onemorechance

There is a much bigger market in the UK so I would say your chances are much better over here right now. It would be no harm talking to some recruitment agencies and applying for some jobs yourself. This is so that you can suss out the situation first and see if / how many interviews you can get.

I think that a year work experience you would get would be of tremendous beneift to you later on. I don't think you should worry too much about what exactly the job entails, as long as it is IT related, and you are happy with the location and wages. You should finish your degree to Honours level at minimum and you will be very employable then with an Honours degree and work experience. I think it will also be an advantage that you worked in a different country.

You may need to be careful about how much work experience you get however, as soem Graduate programs which may interest you after you complete your degree, require that you have a Maximum of 12 months work experience.

cronos

Do the .Net 2.0 Application development foundation MCTS or the Sun certified java programmer exam. You can study for them in the evenings through self study and just pay to take the exam. You can find the material you need on the internet and most companies respect them quite highly. As highly as an honours degree anyway

Corcs001

My cousre was mainly a programming course so support roles in networking probably wouldnt be an option.

I dont really mind what role it is once I get decent experience in IT and a wage.

Do any of you guys know what are the best recruitment agencies to use in the UK and London specifically?

hertz

UK recruitment agencies for the IT sector:
Hays IT
Huxley
Aston Carter
Ashdown IT
Client-Server

That should get you started.

The good job sites for IT jobs to look at are:
CWjobs.co.uk
theitjobboard.co.uk
planetrecruit.co.uk

I work in IT in mostly support and sys admin and was getting now where looking in Ireland. I started looking in London and got a much better response but only after I put a London address on my CV and a UK mobile number. I have an old UK phone and keep it charged and use it for messages. I know it sounds daft but I spoke to agents about applying for jobs from Ireland and they said you need to be in the UK or at least pretend you are! Just be prepared to fly over last minute for interviews.