Careers Brief - Computing & Internet Technology FdSc

Overview

The Foundation degree in Computing and Internet Technology offers you the opportunity for progression onto an Honours degree programme or direct job entry, although the majority of software professionals are honours graduates.

Success in your course will not only have given you the opportunity to develop a strong grounding in technical skills but also have demonstrated key employability skills and competencies in demand by recruiters. Functional Skills such as: communication, team working, analytical thinking, logical problem solving and multi-tasking.

You can improve your prospects further by gaining appropriate work experience (or industrial placement).

Career opportunities are widespread, both geographically and across all industry sectors. You could be employed, working freelance on contract as a self-employed professional or running your own business.

You could be working in a variety of roles within software development and management, such as: software engineer; systems designer; systems developer; IT consultant; network manager; software trainer; technical author; technical marketing executive; database administrator; user support; applications developer; project manager.

You could specialise in website design or as a computer games developer. You could be working for a specialist and internet service producer, publisher, broadcasting company, the press or an organisation with an in-house website.

For an overview of the industry sector, go to National Guidance Research Forum for 'LMI Future trends' and 'Sectors covered'.

Go to the website links below to find out more.

Be aware that many of the multi-national companies start their recruitment programme for honours graduate trainees from the Autumn Term of the final year. If you plan to continue onto a one-year top-up honours degree or final year honours degree, you should be prepared for job-hunting before you start your final year.

Go to the Employability section of this Careers Guide for help and advice.

Further Study

You will be able to apply for a Top-up degree. Top-up degrees are designed as direct progression from Foundation degree to achieve an Honours (or Ordinary) degree, though entry may be selective.

Alternatively, you could transfer onto a related Honours degree. Entry point would depend on your grades, experience and overlap between courses but could be the final year.

Go to http://onlineservices.bournemouth.ac.uk/courses/ for information on the computing top-ups and other degree courses at Bournemouth University.

Other institutions offering related Top-ups include:

Blackburn College; Bradford College; University of Glamorgan, Cardiff & Pontypridd; Sheffield Hallam University; Staffordshire University.

To search degree courses go to www.ucas.com/ (UCAS - Universities and Colleges Admission Service for the UK). Use university/college links for course details.

You will need to use UCAS to apply for courses. Contact the Course Tutor of your chosen course to find out your position, before you make your formal application.

Find out how much this will cost you. Where is the funding coming from? Go to the university/college links for information on course costs and finance and to the Financial support section for additional help.

Alternatively, you could consider 'topping up' your Foundation degree to Honours through distance learning with the Open University. You could be awarded up to 240 credits and then only need 120 credits of OU study at level 3 to achieve an Honours degree. This would also give you the opportunity to take up employment. Go to www.open.ac.uk/ to search undergraduate courses and credit transfer.

With a good Honours degree (First or 2.1), you may progress onto an appropriate higher level degree to attain a Masters and/or PhD doctorate. This could be to develop your area of study to a more in-depth practical and/or academic level or to gain other specialist training.

For information on postgraduate study and finance, go to the national online directory at www.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate_study.htm .

Go to the main section Further Study of this Guide for further information and help.

Useful Links

http://mycareerhub.bournemouth.ac.uk/

Bournemouth University Graduate Employment Service - job news, campus events, part-time work, placement, graduate jobs, ask a question, book an appointment

www.e-skills.com/careers

e-skills UK - Sector Skills Council for IT and Telecoms

www.bcs.org/

BCS - The Chartered Institute for IT

Drop down sub-heading 'Qualifications, Training, Careers' for 'Careers' + 'Students'

www.prospects.ac.uk/starting_out.htm

Graduate Prospects - national careers website for HE students studying in the UK:

Drop down 'Careers advice' for 'Options with your subject'

Drop down 'Jobs and work experience' for 'What jobs would suit me?' using Prospects Planner

http://nextstep.direct.gov.uk/

Next Step careers site - go to sub-heading 'Planning your career' for 'Job Profiles'

www.totaljobs.com/Content/Job-descriptions/IT.html