Check out the top 50 UK Jobs, average salary and pathways to employment.
50. Systems Analyst
Average Annual Salary (UK): £31,000
This role typically analyzes an organization’s computer systems and procedures; makes recommendations for process improvement; interacts with partners/ vendors and with programmers or programmer / analysts. Educational background might be technical, though this is more of an analytical than technical role that is focused on the business aspects of technology, including: analyzing the cost of system changes; the impact on employees; potential project timelines. Needs to interact with department managers on IT requirements; incorporate feedback from both internal and external users into business requirements documents; incorporate feedback from designers; contribute technical requirements; advise technical teams on their and their technology’s role in the organization; provide guidance to programmer / developers with use cases.
Academic Pathway:
To work as a systems analyst you will normally need an HND or degree, backed up with industry experience. Relevant subjects include:
- Computer science
- Information management systems
- Business information systems
- Maths and operational research.
Alternatively, you could take the Information Technology Management for Business (ITMB) degree. The degree has been developed by The Tech Partnership and employers to meet specific industry skills shortages, for example in project management and business awareness.
If you have a non-IT related degree, you could complete a postgraduate IT conversion course, although companies may still want to see relevant work experience. Employers recommend that you look for a course which focuses on business skills as well as technical ability. You would be expected to have a working knowledge of programming skills and analysis methods. Some of the most common are:
- SQL
- VBA, C# (C-sharp) and Java
- Agile software development
- SAP business software applications.
49. Business Systems Analyst
Average Annual Salary (UK): £31,000
This role focuses on specific computer systems – compared to a Business Analyst, who will analyze a broader range of processes and systems for an organization. Typically, it requires analytical skills and is business-focused, so often requires a BA background, not necessarily a B.Sc.. It does, however, require an understanding of computer systems and information, and more technical reporting and documentation procedures. Usually, understanding the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle), UML (Unified Modeling Language) and other technical concepts and skills are often a requirement.
Academic Pathway:
There are different ways to become a business analyst and the route you take will depend on your qualifications, and particularly on your experience.
Many analysts have a technical background, for example in software development or programming. This is helpful as new IT systems and digital technologies often form a major part of an organization’s development plans.
A qualification at degree or postgraduate level can also be useful, in subjects like:
- Computer science
- Business information systems
- Computing and systems development
- Business management
Employers may also look for recognized certification of your skills from a professional body, like the International Institute of Business Analysis UK (IIBA) or The Chartered Institute for IT (BCS).
48. CRM Business Analyst
Average Annual Salary (UK): £24,000
This is typically a less technical role which may require a marketing or business degree — often a master’s — combined with statistics, but usually requires certain technical knowledge such as database and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software, specifically. Typical responsibilities / skills: analyze customer relationship data – especially within product channels – using CRM software, and recommend strategy changes for building customer loyalty; define organizational procedures based on the data; document new procedures for internal use — typically for staff in sales, marketing and support.
Academic Pathway:
The minimum educational requirement for a CRM analyst is usually a Master of Business Administration degree, although some employers may accept a bachelor’s degree in a subject such as business, management, marketing, economics or computer science, according to Education-Portal.com. CRM analysts also require experience in marketing, customer service, customer relationship management or market research. They must have strong analytical skills in addition to knowledge of analytical or database software, particularly CRM or business intelligence systems.
47. Software Systems Engineer
Average Annual Salary (UK): £41,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: development and upgrade of computer systems; either interact with data and system security staff or define necessary procedures for them to follow; design, develop and test software when necessary — often middleware; document procedures for internal use, and provide various system and operations documents; participate in various review meetings, including design, program and test reviews with inter-departmental co-workers; define a process for change management.
Academic Pathway:
For entry level, like a large amount of sophisticated IT Jobs, a Bachelor’s degree in computer science, mathematics, software engineering or a similar area will be acceptable. However, employers do tend to prefer Master Degrees.
46. Solutions Architect
Average Annual Salary (UK): £59,000
A Solutions Architect role is similar to other architect roles and can go beyond the scope of IT. Experience with hardware and software systems is common requirement, as is an understanding of business operations. This role is sometimes but not always synonymous with a Director or CTO (Chief Technical Officer) position. Typical responsibilities/ skills; understand the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle); have broad technical knowledge of computer systems; conduct process flow analyses; transform business/ customer requirements into technical requirements (functional design document); understand and have experience with databases; interact with developers and bridge different IT architect roles.
Academic Pathway:
Solution Architects usually need a bachelor’s degree or higher related to information technology, software engineering or computer science. Undergraduate programs typically provide coursework that covers different operating systems and hardware compatibility training.
A master’s degree is usually needed for a specialization in systems architecture. Some employers may prefer applicants to have a Master of Business Administration in Information Systems. Graduate coursework includes advanced computer architecture theory, systems design, project management and software engineering. Some colleges also provide graduate-level certificate programs in systems architecture to complement undergraduate training. Courses are similar to those in the master’s degree program, but certificate programs might require less time and have fewer requirements.
45. E-Commerce Analyst
Average Annual Salary (UK): £27,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: analyze customer e-commerce data for behavioral or other trends; setup or configure reporting or dashboards for easy internal access to such data; create customer profiles for demographic targeting; utilize Web analytics.
Academic Pathway:
E-commerce business analysts often hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in business management, systems management or online marketing. These degrees give them skills in the major software used to track web sales and create multi-variable graphs to predict changes. This role also requires the analyst to have a strong understanding of the rules of web design and branding so as to understand the necessary steps to make a consistent brand image and user-friendly site that maximizes potential sales.
44. Infrastructure Business Analyst
Average Annual Salary (UK): £38,000
Business Analyst focuses on “back office” functionality for an organization’s various facets, including CRM, management, accounting, sales. Typical responsibilities / skills: have an understanding of typical business uses of ERP software; interact with various stakeholders to analyze business processes and gather requirements; incorporate business requirements to configure ERP software; interact with developers to build a reporting environment; document organization-specific customizations; conduct any necessary training sessions for use of ERP software and reporting environment.
Academic Pathway:
Good level of general education
• General commercial awareness of impact of client requirements
• Extensive knowledge and proficient in the use of:
Windows Server 2003 / 2008
Microsoft Active Directory and Group Policy Management
Microsoft Exchange 2007 / 2010
Microsoft ISA Server 2006 or suitable firewall
Person specification
Cisco / Extreme or similar
SAN Hardware management / support
Virtualisation Technologies (Hyper-V / VMware)
• Some understanding or knowledge of Microsoft System Centre Products (SCDPM,
SCCM, SCOM), Avaya Telephony and Contact Centre and Microsoft OCS /
LiveMeeting would also be advantageous.
43. Technical Engineer
Average Annual Salary (UK): £25,000
Similar titles include Pre-sales Engineer, PreSales Engineer, Pre-sales Technical Engineer. This role is for a product advocate/ evangelist who works with internal sales staff and possibly offers technical consulting to potential customers prior to a sale. They give product demonstrations to sales staff and potential customers and handle the technical aspects of RFIs / RFPs (Requests for Information / Requests for Proposal). So the ability to communicate with both technical and no-technical staff and customers is important, especially to pass on customer requirements to Product Managers.
Academic Pathway:
A degree in any subject is acceptable, although employers typically prefer graduates with qualifications in computer science or engineering engineering, physics, engineering, mathematics, applied science and software engineering. Previous relevant experience gained in any commercial/sales area involving contact with customers or the general public is essential.
– Key skills for technical sales engineers
– Strong technical skills
– Organisational skills
– Communication skills
– Analytical skills
– Teamworking skills
– Sales skills
– Commercial awareness
– Personal skills
42. CRM Technical Developer
Average Annual Salary (UK): £28,000
Most CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software has both internal and external (Web) components. Users can be internal (sales staff, support, admin, systems developers) and external (customers, vendors, partners, researchers). These are the users a CRM Developer needs to keep in mind when developing solutions. Typical responsibilities/ skills: experience with a specific CRM system; custom configure a CRM used by the organization; develop custom modules to extend CRM functionality; integrate CRM features into an organization’s own computer systems, including for customer use – which requires experience with a programming or scripting language, and either server, desktop/ laptop, Web or mobile (phone, tablet) development experience as necessary; document custom settings, modules and features for different levels of user.
Academic Pathway:
- Possess a Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in a technically related field (i.e. computer science, engineering, IT, etc.)
- 1 – 3 years’ experience in a technical capacity preferred, but not required
- Professional demeanor
- Strong written communications especially related to articulating technical specifications
- Sound knowledge on concepts of unit testing own code
41. Portal Administrator
Average Annual Salary (UK): £19,000
Portal Administrator IT Jobs focus on Web portals and often requires knowledge of a specific portal software platforms. E.g., IBM WebSphere, Microsoft SharePoint. Typical responsibilities / skills: interact with Web and other systems administrators; create or oversee creation of necessary portal databases and user profiles; configure and manage portal applications; perform configuration and upgrade process tests; oversee integration of new technologies into the portal; document portal use policies and procedures (internal); handle relevant trouble tickets; train developers, content managers and end-users as necessary.
Academic Pathway:
Like most computer science careers, portal administrators are expected to hold a bachelor’s degree in computer science or information technology, information systems, or a related field. Whatever the educational pathway, aspiring portal administers are advised to have a strong background in programming, database architecture, and security management. In other words, the ideal portal administrator is a well-rounded computer scientist or information technologist with a specific interest and expertise in security issues. Many portal administrators are also expected to hold additional certifications, such as CISSP certifications. In most cases, jobs are posted for portal administrators with experience administrating a particular platform being used by the seeking organization; in fact, job postings are sometimes so specific that they simply appear as an administration opening for a specific program, rather than an all-inclusive portal administrator.
40. Promgrammer Analyst
Average Annual Salary (UK): £40,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: design of applications from a high level first – such as by using flowcharts or other graphical views — as well as actual coding of software; testing and maintenance. Specific programming language skills influence salary ranges.
Academic Pathway:
Bachelor’s degree in computers or related field typically required. Similar work experience, technical skills or relevant certification may be considered in place of bachelor’s degree; must maintain awareness of changing technology
39. Network Engineer
Average Annual Salary (UK): £30,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: work with a variety of types of networks including LANs, WANs, GANs and MANs; determine network capacity requirements and ensure that the infrastructure can handle it; monitor and administrate the network; troubleshoot problems. Depending on the size of the organization, a person in this role might also setup, install and configure all types of hardware, from servers and printers to desktops and laptops, routers, switches, support internal network users. Non-standard work hours are a possibility.
Academic Pathway:
You may be able to get into network engineering through a computing apprenticeship with an IT company, or within the IT department of a commercial or public organization. Another possibility is to take an IT course at a local college to learn the skills needed to install and maintain computer networks. Relevant courses include:
Level 2 Diploma in ICT Professional Competence
Level 2 Diploma in ICT Systems Support
Level 2 Certificate/Diploma in ICT Systems and Principles.
These courses include networking options, with units on:
how different systems communicate (protocols) – TCP/IP, FTP, HTTPs, VoIP and Bluetooth
data transmission technologies – ISDN, ASDL, wireless, and ATM
network security – firewalls, anti-virus software and virtual private networks.
You could also take higher education computing qualifications, like a foundation degree, HND or degree.
If you already have qualifications and experience in related areas, for example in IT support, service and repair, you may be able to move into network engineering.
38. Wireless Engineer
Average Annual Salary (UK): £27,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: analyze wireless networking and communication requirements; design and develop network infrastructure; capacity planning; recommend system improvements; document necessary processes; develop any necessary software such as drivers; monitor systems use and performance; setup and run wireless network tests. A senior position might lead a team of junior and intermediate engineers.
Academic Pathway:
To be worth of becoming a Wireless Engineer, Knowledge in the fields of the following will place you on the right starting path.
– SOAP
– ASP.NET
– C#
– MySQL
– XML
– ERP
– Dynamics CRM
Most companies also look for a degree within a computer related technology subject.
37. Business Continuity Analyst
Average Annual Salary (UK): £30,000
This role is primarily focused on focused on disaster recovery after a crisis with computer systems. Typical responsibilities / skills: develop strategies for disaster prevention and for resuming operations; ensure backup of data for the organization (process-wise); design and implement computer systems that will support continuous operations; interact with vendors when necessary; design and test recovery plans; report risk potential to senior management.
Academic Pathway:
Possessing a bachelor’s degree in business, information management, or computer science is mandatory for business continuity analysts. Most employers also require that applicants hold designations as either a Certified Business Continuity Professional or Master Business Continuity Professional. Interpersonal skills and articulation helps business continuity analysts communicate solutions to managers. Some experience in IT risk analysis also helps before being hired as a business continuity analyst.
36. Infrastructure Technical Analyst
Average Annual Salary (UK): £31,000
This role is often focused on an area of expertise within ERP software, or could require broad knowledge, depending on the specific position. ERP use is common in manufacturing companies, hence why backgrounds for this role vary, including information technology or a variety of relevant engineering education, depending on the industry and the organization. Typical responsibilities / skills: understand business operations and how ERP supports them, to be able to develop improvements; interact with various stakeholders; apply continuous improvement principles, processing mapping, and engineering principles; perform troubleshooting.
Academic Pathway:
A bachelor’s degree in a business major, like economics or finance, is required for a career in technical analysis. Some firms may require employees to have Master of Business Administration or master’s degrees in finance. Depending on the college or university, students may be able to choose from different concentrations, like corporate finance and investments. Finance-degree programs usually include courses in accounting, financial statement analysis, investment management, financial modeling, and statistics.
35. Database Administrator
Average Annual Salary (UK): £29,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: maintain an organization’s databases; design and implement databases, in coordination with a Data Architect; schedule and run regular database backups; recover lost data; implement and monitor database security; ensure data integrity; identify the needs of users and provide access to data stakeholders, data analysts and other users, as necessary. DBAs can have broad or specialized duties. E.g., divide tasks up: System DBA upgrades software for bug fixes and new features. Application DBA writes and maintains code and queries for one or more databases in an organization.
Academic Pathway:
Any degree is acceptable for entry into the profession, although a qualification in a relevant subject such as operational research, mathematics, electronics, computer studies or software/computer engineering can be advantageous. For graduates without relevant qualifications or experience, a postgraduate computing/IT qualification is beneficial.
34. Software Developer
Average Annual Salary (UK): £30,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: produce the overall design of new software or modules based on requirements passed down; produce flowcharts, algorithms and anything else necessary for the actual coding. Junior developers might start out by maintaining (debugging) existing code / features rather than design new code. If code in an organization is not done separately by Computer Programmers, then it falls to the Software Developers — who might also do testing and debugging, or work with teammates who do that work.
Academic Pathway:
You will normally need a HND, foundation degree or degree to become a software developer. You could choose to study a variety of subjects, including:
- Computer Science
- Information Technology
- Software Development
- Software Engineering
- Mathematics
- Business Information Systems
If you don’t have an IT-related degree, you may still be able to find a place on a graduate trainee scheme. Many larger employers accept graduates with other subjects, providing they can show enthusiasm for the field and have some understanding of the development process.
You could also study for a postgraduate IT conversion qualification, although this is not essential.
There are lots of different programming languages and operating systems, and it may be useful to have some knowledge of these and what they do. Here are just a few examples:
SQL, Javascript, C++, HTML/XML, Ruby, Python and PHP
Oracle, MVC and Linux
.NET frameworks (such as C# (c-sharp), ASP and VB)
Experience of project management methods like PRINCE2 will also be helpful along with a working knowledge of project development processes like Agile.
33. Telecommunications Manager
Average Annual Salary (UK): £33,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: identify telecom needs for an organization, including voicemail; create policies for the installation and maintenance of telecom equipment and systems within an organization; take into account any compliance needs, especially for a publicly-traded company; oversee actual installation and maintenance of equipment (cabling, modems, routers, servers, software); manage of a team of telecom/ networking specialists; stay abreast of new telecom technologies for upgrade consideration; interact with vendors as necessary.
Academic Pathway:
For this role, you are required to possess demonstrable experience of establishing clear security strategies, managing security requirements and contractual compliance across complex business models
Experience of managing senior management within the customer’s organisation
Understanding of telecoms networks and associated technical security requirements
32. Infrastructure Technical Developer
Average Annual Salary (UK): £45,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: understand the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle); interact with business teams to understand requirements; analyze technical problems in ERP configurations and assess risk; write any necessary code for extending an ERP platform’s features, or to integrate with an organization’s applications.
Academic Pathway:
Bachelor’s degree in information technology, information systems or computer science.
31. Network Manager
Average Annual Salary (UK): £30,000
Depending on company size, this role may overlap with Network Administrator. A Network Manager has overall responsibility for an organizations networks; ensures that networks are always running, especially if customers and/or partners rely on them; devises and implements a plan to either prevent or recover from a disaster. Overall, they are responsible for all the networks, local and non, that drive an organization, and for maintaining the hardware and cabling that goes with the networking infrastructure. That includes installing hardware and software, monitoring networks, etc., or managing a team of Network Analyst/ Engineers and/or the various Network Administrators.
Academic Pathway:
You normally need relevant experience to become a network manager, for example from working as a network engineer, senior IT support technician or from more general IT management. You may be able to take up a trainee position as a network manager with a company if you have a foundation degree, HND or degree. Relevant subjects include:
- Computer Networking and Security
- Networks and Communications Systems
- Computer Science
- Digital Communications and Networks
Employers may also consider you if you are qualified in a subject other than IT, providing you have relevant experience and skills.
30. Network Security Administrator
Average Annual Salary (UK): £41,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: implement and follow a network security plan; document the networking infrastructure, including any firewall protocols and policies, monitoring and disaster recovery plans; use vulnerability assessment tools to determine potential risks; monitor and investigate security breaches; recommend organizational security policies; keep up to date on changing networking technology, and review software and hardware to be able to recommend upgrades when necessary.
Academic Pathway:
Bachelor’s degree in information technology, information systems or computer science; experience and certification in computer security may substitute for a formal education
29. Project Manager in Application Development
Average Annual Salary (UK): £51,000
This role may overlap with Application Development Manager. This is a fairly technical role and sometimes requires a background as an application developer. An App Dev PM needs the ability to interact with co-workers from multiple departments, to keep them on track to achieve milestones, drive a project forward and resolve bottlenecks. They understand the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle), budgets, project management principles, basic psychology of motivating people.
Academic Pathway:
Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field OR four (4) years’ experience in a directly related field.
• High School Diploma or General Education Development (GED) required.
28. Systems Security Administrator
Average Annual Salary (UK): £52,000
Overlaps with others administrator roles. Security administrators oversee access to an organization’s computer systems, whether by internal or external users. Typical responsibilities / skills: develop and configure automated solutions for granting user access rights; oversee internal/ external user access rights manually when necessary; have knowledge of traditional and leading-edge security techniques and tools; understand security auditing procedures; determine security risks; investigate security breaches.
Academic Pathway:
Usually Internet security administrator positions require a bachelor’s degree, but not necessarily in a related field. Common majors found in the field may include information technology, computer science and information systems. Although a bachelor’s degree is beneficial, some employers may not require one. Many employers may find work experience and certification sufficient for many entry-level positions.
Certification is viewed as an industry standard. Internet security administrators are expected to stay up-to-date with current technology, so continuing education is also important. Individuals can find certification and continuing education courses on a variety of topics including:
- Identity theft risk management
- Internet crime
- Information security management
- Ethical hacking
- Technology infrastructure
- Information assurance and security
27. Network Security Engineer
Average Annual Salary (UK): £41,000
This role is typically responsible for network and server architecture; implementation, admin, upgrade of hardware and software, e.g., firewalls, etc.; enforcement of security policies set down by either the organization’s Network Architect, Network Security Administrator, or similar position; monitoring and analyzing network usage for security issues; troubleshooting network problems; contributing to the selection of new technology and/or upgrades; contributing to the documenting of systems and processes; providing technical support for IT coworkers.
Academic Pathway:
Employers often require network security specialists to have a bachelor’s degree in a computer-related field (www.bls.gov). Relevant degree programs include computer science, information technology and management information systems. Some employers may be willing to hire applicants who don’t have a degree as long as they have the equivalent experience.
Employers may prefer applicants who have years of experience working in networking systems, network security or information technology, according to multiple job listings found on Monster.com in October 2010. Areas that aspiring network security specialists should be knowledgeable in include network access control (NAC) systems, firewalls, routers, incident response techniques, intrusion prevention systems, information security methodologies, authentication protocols and different attack types.
26. Data Analyst
Average Annual Salary (UK): £25,000
A data warehouse is a repository that combines data from several sources, internal and external, within an organization – e.g., sales and marketing – and is used for trend reporting. Typical responsibilities / skills for a Data Warehouse Developer: interact with business analysts to understand the necessary business logic; follow standards and procedures for databases set down by a Data Warehouse Manager; design and create databases for the purpose of data warehousing; design and run ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) procedures to extract external data and load into a data warehouse; test integrity of data warehouse; write and maintain any code necessary for data warehousing tasks including report generators.
Academic Pathway:
For most jobs you will need a degree in statistics, mathematics or a related subject involving maths, such as economics, operational research, psychology or geography. Other degrees are also acceptable if they include formal training in statistics as part of the course, for instance social science or informatics.
To do a maths-based degree course, you will usually need five GCSEs (A*-C) plus at least two A levels including maths. You will need to check exact entry requirements with individual colleges and universities.
25. Database Developer
Average Annual Salary (UK): £29,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: data management and development, data modeling, data warehousing, investigate data integrity issues; devise and conduct data tests for integrity, and follow an action plan for any necessary recovery; document access of specific databases for developers in other departments; work with logical and physical models of data; understand principles of distributed data, data redundancy; incorporate database updates as per stakeholder requirements; produce reports on analyzed business intelligence data; write database queries and complementary computer code to support internal applications, and which are possibly shared with developers in other departments. This may require knowing “back end” programming or scripting languages such as Java, Ruby, Python, Perl, etc., as well as knowledge of both traditional RDBMSes (Relational Database Management Systems) and newer NoSQL databases such as Cassandra, CouchDB, MongoDB, Hadoop and others.
Academic Pathway:
For most database developer jobs, you would need to know how to use structured query language (SQL) and database management systems (DBMS), which include:
- DBMS (relational database management systems)
- OODBMS (object-oriented database management systems)
- XML database management systems
Employers often look for previous experience in computing such as IT support, programming or web development.
You could study for a qualification such as a HNC/HND or degree, then join a company’s graduate training scheme straight from college or university. Relevant subjects include:
- computer science
- information science
- software engineering
- mathematics
If you do not have an IT-related degree, you may still be able to get a place on a graduate training scheme, as larger employers tend to accept graduates from any discipline. You could study for a postgraduate IT conversion qualification, although this is not essential.
24. Data Modeler
Average Annual Salary (UK): £47,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: creates the Conceptual Data Model representing an organization’s data requirements for various business processes; produces the plan for building the Logical Data Model(s) from the conceptual model. (The physical data model is the actual implementation (database) where data will be stored.) Data modeling (aka database modeling) covers business requirements for databases and is an organic process, so this role also requires adapting a database to business requirements changes.
Academic Pathway:
Many jobs in data modeling require a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis on computer or information science or applied mathematics; some employers seek those with graduate or postgraduate courses in business or information systems management. Courses recommended by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) include digital logic and data representation; computer architecture and organization; memory architecture and directions in computing. Some jobs can be obtained through a combination of practical experience and college courses in computer science.
23. Project Manager
Average Annual Salary (UK): £44,000
For an IT project, this overlaps with Computer and Information Systems Manager. This is a broader role than for an Applications Development Project Manager and may not require as much of a technical background. Project Managers should have at least an understanding of — if not experience with — the computer systems or software being built / maintained. Responsible for defining, maintaining, and enforcing a project schedule; updating schedule when requirements change or project facets become overdue; keep projects on or under-budget. Other responsibilities and requirements: understand Agile development process (where necessary); run scrums; interact with multiple departments and many levels of co-workers, and convey to them the importance of their respective stakes while also keeping technical resources such as developers goal-oriented; update management on the status of projects, bottlenecks, requests for resources.
Academic Pathway:
There are different ways to become a project manager. Whichever route you take, you will need experience of organising and managing resources and costs.
You can study towards a foundation degree, degree or postgraduate award in business or project management. Courses that include work placements are particularly useful.
Alternatively, you can move into project management on the strength of your experience. For example, you might progress after starting out as a member of a project support team, or move up after managing smaller projects in another job.
To work as a project manager, you will normally need experience of applying project management principles and methods, such as PRINCE2. You may also need skills in particular software, for example Microsoft Project or Open Workbench. There are lots of other software packages available and the one you use will depend on the organisation you work for. A knowledge of development processes like ‘Agile’ will also be useful.
22. Web Developer
Average Annual Salary (UK): £25,000
This is a wide-ranging role that can include “front-end” (Web browser: JavaScript, HTML, CSS and related technologies) and “back-end” coding, or require specialization. Back-end coding could be using Java, Ruby, Python or Perl, etc., and might involve database queries and manipulation. A person focusing on back-end web development might also develop APIs (Application Programmer Interfaces) which layout a blueprint of commands for allowing integration of a software platform beyond its own code — such as for building the mobile version of a Web application, etc. Some jobs labeled “Web Developer” also have an expectation of front-end design, though such a role is usually denoted as Web Designer / Developer. Another role in this category is a Web Applications Developer, which involves integrating 3rd-party Web technologies.
Academic Pathway:
You would normally need a foundation degree, HND or degree in an IT-related subject. Relevant subjects include:
- web development or web design
- multimedia design
- digital media development
- web content management
- business information systems
- computer programming
You may be able to start in a junior position with alternative IT qualifications if you can demonstrate excellent skills in web development technologies. You will need to be familiar with at least one of the following areas:
- common operating systems and servers
- databases and web programming
- networking and security
- graphics and web design
You should also have an understanding of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards for website accessibility.
21. Software Product Manager
Average Annual Salary (UK): £44,000
Software Product Manager. Usually “owns” (the development and maintenance of) one or more software products / applications / platforms within an organization; works with marketing, UX / design, developers, project managers, etc., in a largely cross-departmental role. Other requirements and responsibilities: be an evangelist for the product — internally and externally where appropriate; research the market and understand what the user wants — either in terms of improvements or new features; be an influential personality and possibly have an entrepreneurial mindset; be outward-facing and understand both customer needs and strategies for acquiring customers; have broad knowledge of relevant from products from various disciplines, not necessarily deep knowledge of one discipline.
Academic Pathway:
Industry and academia established a standard for software product management education. According to this consensus, a software product manager is educated in the following areas:[3]
Core practices: product strategy and product planning
Participation in strategic management
Orchestration of development, of marketing, of sales and distribution, and of service and support
The International Software Product Management Association (ISPMA) maintains the public body of knowledge and syllabi for international certification.
20. Data Security Analyst
Average Annual Salary (UK): £33,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: determine security risks for an organization’s computer systems, databases and networks; monitor external activity; install and configure security-related software (firewalls, encryption); understand compliance issues related to security, especially for a publicly-traded organization; make recommendations to management for security policies and procedures; design and run penetration testing (simulation of attacks); keep abreast of new attack techniques and implement means of preventing these.
Academic Pathway:
You can get into IT security by completing qualifications at university, or by gaining skills on the job. If you take the university route, you’ll need to complete a degree or postgraduate award in a subject such as:
- network security
- computer science (with security options)
- forensic computing
- business information systems.
Courses like these would allow you to start on a company’s graduate training scheme.
Alternatively, if you are working in IT you could use your experience to move into cyber security work. For example, experience in areas like systems analysis, database management or network engineering can be useful.
Knowledge and experience of different security technologies and procedures, will also be needed, for instance:
- firewalls and anti-virus software
- security information and event management (SIEM)
- authentication (passwords, digital certificates and, more recently, biometrics)
- penetration testing and vulnerability scanning
- encryption techniques, like Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), Transport Layer
- Security (TLS) and Secure Socket Layer (SSL).
You should also be familiar with common security standards and regulations, including:
- information security standard ISO/IEC 27001
- the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts.
19. Application Developer
Average Annual Salary (UK): £31,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: focus might be on middleware applications; interact with business analysts to understand and incorporate customer and business requirements; understand the SDLC (System Development Life Cycle); follow design specs and programming standards for coding applications; develop and test application-specific software and modules; interact with quality assurance specialists. Possibly requires experience with multi-tier environments.
Academic Pathway:
Education
Application developers often have a bachelor’s degree in a relevant computer science major. Degrees of this type involve concentrations in areas such as data structuring, system design and programming. Learning computer languages is also important. Developers utilize these systems when building the application structure. Many bachelor’s degree programs in computer science combine these language classes as a part of the major, while others offer them as electives.
A few advanced positions require a master’s degree for a relevant computer science major. These jobs focus on specialists who have multiple years of experience. Master’s degree programs follow a more specific kind of application such as Internet program development.
Work Experience
Many companies and clients require some form of experience before employment. Students who wish to gain experience can take advantage of various internship opportunities. Some of the internships allow novice developers to gain real-world experience with programming languages and deadlines.
18. Technical Support
Average Annual Salary (UK): £25,000
The focus of a support tech’s work is interacting with non-IT users, whether internal to a company or external. One group of technicians may support internal users of 3rd-party software, while another group may support internal and external users of company software. Responsibilities include being familiar with the software, hardware or systems they support, including keeping up to date with both new and retired features; knowing where to find the answers to questions that come in to the help desk; possibly contribute to a repository of FAQs (frequently asked questions).
Academic Pathway:
If you have a good working knowledge of computer systems, you could be taken on by a company as a trainee technician and receive on the job training. If you are not already working in IT, you could study for qualifications to improve your career prospects. For example:
- ICT Systems Support – PC Maintenance Level 1
- Certificate or Diploma in ICT Systems Support Level 2
- Certificate in ICT Systems and Principles Level 2
- Diploma in ICT Professional Competence Level 2.
These courses are available full- or part-time through local colleges and private training centres. The courses contain optional units taken from CompTIA, Cisco and Microsoft certifications and cover PC installation and maintenance. See the Training and development section for more details about certifications.
You may be able to become a support technician through an apprenticeship scheme. You will need to check which schemes are available in your area.
17. User Experience Design Manager
Average Annual Salary (UK): £50,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: oversee the user experience for an application or portfolio of applications; interact with marketing/ business, technical and other departments to collect requirements and make recommendations; interact with product owner/ manager (sometimes UX owns the product); interact with technical managers, project manager, executive management; manage a team of UX Designers – hiring, management, resource planning, mentoring.
Academic Pathway:
Minimum qualifications:
- 8 years of experience in UX Design,
- 3 years of experience managing or leading design teams.
- Portfolio of UX-focused work samples for web and mobile applications.
Preferred qualifications:
- Effectiveness in working across organizational boundaries to define, manage, and prioritize work.
- Excellent communication, presentation, interpersonal, and analytical skills; the ability to communicate complex interaction concepts clearly and persuasively across different audiences and varying levels of the organization.
- Collaborative and innovative with a great sense of humor.
16. General Technical Manager
Average Annual Salary (UK): £34,000
his is a general technical manager role and in some organizations, this title can incorporate other managerial duties including overseeing networks, managing network engineers, databases, database analysts and developers and more. Typical responsibilities / skills: manage help desk/ technical support teams for both internal and external users; budget for support staff equipment and software; be involved in corporate plans for hardware and software upgrades; define service call procedures and policies and monitor employee behavior on calls; ensure the updating of relevant documentation.
Academic Pathway:
Technical Expertise:
- Understand complex database concepts and effectively employ different database design techniques.
- Possess demonstrated work experience with more than one relational database management system.
- Understand OO concepts and consistently applies them in client engagements.
- Understand the benefits of the various programming languages.
- Possess significant knowledge of client/server and internet systems architectures.
- Understand browser / client specific compatibility issues.
- Communication
- Facilitate team and client meetings effectively.
- Hold regular status meetings with development team.
- Keep development team well informed of changes within the organization and general corporate news.
- Deliver engaging, informative, well-organized presentations.
- Resolve and/or escalates issues in a timely fashion.
- Understand how to communicate difficult/sensitive information tactfully.
15. IT Manager
Average Annual Salary (UK): £39,000
This role usually requires a technical background and leads a technical team, which could consist of developers, testers, analysts and more – whether or not the organization is technical. Typical responsibilities / skills: oversee the technical aspects of internal projects; maintain corporate IT procedures, with documentation; hire and lead a technical team to support the procedures; manage resources within a budget; keep up to date with new technologies, for recommending possible internal upgrades; interact with various departments, vendors and possibly consultants /contractors.
Academic Pathway:
You’ll generally need a degree and several years of relevant experience to get started in IT management. It’s better if your degree is in an IT-based subject or a business degree with some technical element (like maths or engineering).
Opportunities still exist if you don’t have a degree, but lots of experience; particularly if you can demonstrate more responsibility for the development and implementation of projects.
Some IT managers come from another background and have worked in another sector before moving into IT. If this is the case then you’ll need to show evidence of your project management skills, preferably in some way related to IT. And you’ll need to have taken some kind of IT course to get your technical knowledge up to scratch.
One qualification that employers are increasingly looking for is PRINCE2 (Projects in Controlled Environments). It’s not essential but it looks good on your CV and shows that you’re serious about your career. PRINCE2 is also a prerequisite for many public sector projects, so can help you win business too. Some employers will send you on this training course as part of your ongoing development.
14. Business Intelligence Analyst
Average Annual Salary (UK): £30,000
This is not always a purely technical role, though background could be and often is in computer science or a similar field. Usually, it’s a business-focused role that analyzes and reports on data used within the organization. Reports are a key part of such a role and are targeted for executives who will make business decisions upon the recommendations. This could be IT process improvement, software and hardware upgrades, networking, etc. Typical responsibilities / skills: collection and analysis of business data for process improvement, similar to “continuous improvement” philosophy; ability to express technical topics in a form non-technical decision makers can absorb; ability to structure business intelligence for internally-defined purposes.
Academic Pathway:
- Technical Skills: Business intelligence analysts use complex computer programs to mine data sources and look for trends.
- Analytical Skills: A major part of the job is to determine what data trends mean. Being able to analyze the data is crucial.
- Communication Skills: Once the data is analyzed, business intelligence analysts must communicate their findings to the company or their managers.
- Problem-Solving: Business intelligence analysts need to look at the data trends and recommend solutions for creating more revenue and reducing loss.
- Time Management: Business intelligence analysts work on large projects and many data streams and many deadlines. Being able to juggle it all is crucial to the job.
13. Mobile Applications Developer
Average Annual Salary (UK): £29,000
This covers multiple related roles which require knowledge of at least one mobile operating system and development platform, such as Android or iOS, and the underlying programming languages. In some roles, Mobile Web development skills are a requirement. Typical responsibilities / skills: design, write and maintain mobile application code; port features for an app from another platform (such as desktop, Web, phone, tablet, wearable computing) to the mobile platform in question; integrate databases (internal) and REST APIs (internal and external); produce API components as necessary and document usage for other developers (internal and sometimes external); devise and run code tests in simulator or hardware; work with Quality Assurance staff for additional; testing log and fix defects.
Academic Pathway:
Android:
- Relevant experience in Android development
- Knowledge on Java Standard Edition and different Design patterns in Java
- Good understanding of Object Oriented Concept and knowledge on encapsulation and data hiding
- Experience in using Android support libraries, recycle view and co-ordinated view layout for UI components
- Experience in creating Activities/Services/inter-process communication in Android
- Knowledge on Async task and Loaders concept in Android
iOS Developer:
- Relevant experience Objective-C coding and development experience building
- Cocoa Touch applications for iPhone and iPad
- Good syntactic understanding of the Swift programming language. Desirable but not essential
- Expert in common Cocoa design patterns (MVC, Delegation etc.) including Object-Oriented design patterns – factory, Singleton etc.Solid grounding in UIKit including Storyboarding, AutoLayout, SizeClasses and Dynamic Text
- Building data centric Apps with advanced knowledge in networking with NSURLConnection/NSURLSession using common data interchange formats (JSON, XML) and local data storage using Core Data. Should have experience in native network API’s
- Solid practical experience of iOS Platform Security: Keychain, Certificate Pinning, Data Protection APIs and Encryption (don’t need to be expert but at least have a basic understanding)
- Unit testing experience using XCTest/OCUnit/SenTestKit frameworks
- Working in development teams using Continuous Integration with Xcode Server and/or Jenkins
- Knowledge of iTunes Connect, provisioning, Code-signing and IPA/Build creation, knowledge of Enterprise deployment is a bonus.
12. IT Auditor
Average Annual Salary (UK): £29,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: reviewing and recommending compliance processes, especially for a publicly-traded company; determine and assess risk pertaining to technology, both for a single location and other corporate offices; audit an organization’s computer systems and infrastructure for secureness; comply with company audit policies (e.g., if in a divisional office); draft a security breech prevention plan; define audit procedures; report audit findings.
Academic Pathway:
IT audit managers should possess at least a bachelor’s degree in a business, accounting, or an IT-related field. Employers favor applicants with a master’s degree in accounting or business administration and a certified public accountant (CPA) or certified information systems auditor (CISA) credential; according to November 2011 job postings on CareerBuilder.com, substantial work experience, generally about 5-10 years of auditing-related practice, is a common requirement for most IT audit manager positions.
11. Quality Analyst
Average Annual Salary (UK): £25,000
Software Quality Assurance (SQA) work is on of those unusual sets of roles where compensation varies widely. Companies that appreciate the value of proper testing and “code coverage” pay more for a good Software QA Analyst/ Engineer than they might for a Software Developer / Software Engineer, and thus often require a seasoned developer/ engineer. Other companies pay less much less and tend to employe QA testers — although both variations are sometimes referred to as a Software QA Engineer. In QA work, these are overlapping roles. The tester role is focused on running pre-defined test suites and verifying the results, reporting bugs or interacting with Software Developers/ Engineers. A QA Analyst / Engineer is more like to be the person designing test suites and improving code coverage to verify that everything that needs to be tested is being tested.
Academic Pathway:
- Bachelor’s Degree preferred
- Minimum two years of mortgage experience in loan servicing preferred
- Minimum one year of previous quality assurance experience highly preferred
10. Database Manager
Average Annual Salary (UK): £30,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: oversee how data assets are managed within a company, including data organization and access: internally-generated private and public data, as well as externally-created (user) private and public data; data modeling; database design; define and ensure data backup processes; monitor and analyze database performance; troubleshoot data integrity issues; manage a team of other database specialists, including Database Administrators.
Academic Pathway:
This is a high level position, and employers will expect you to have a relevant degree, such as computer science, statistics or demography. You’ll also need an advanced knowledge of programming in relevant languages and experience in a position of management or equivalent qualifications.
Much of the necessary experience can also be gained through a previous job in IT support, programming, web development or other IT roles. Alternatively, there are entry routes through graduate training programmes and apprenticeship schemes, allowing you to work your way up to database management.
9. User Experience Designer
Average Annual Salary (UK): £50,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: design software interface flow, user interactions, screen layout and organization, screen interaction (between screens), overall appearance (visual design), and optimizes the user experience — typically through iterative improvements and user feedback, to create engaging user experiences; create wireframes or more realistic prototypes — possibly with the help of front-end web developers or a web designer with the necessary development skills; recommend design patterns that are both tested (on other Web sites or apps or desktop software) as well as appropriate to the software at hand; define A/B Split Testing studies to determine which variation of an interface is more engaging. In some companies, UX teams own an application instead of a designated “content owner” and can thus request changes from software developers directly as needed.
Academic Pathway:
This multifaceted career draws from elements of psychology, visual design, communications and computer science. As a result, degrees in these areas can all be used as a stepping-stone toward becoming a user-experience designer. Many employers require a member of their design team to have a bachelor’s degree, and a graduate degree can increase the chances of employment. Depending on the team function an employer is trying to fill, a degree in a specific field may be preferred; a visual designer, for example, is usually required to have a degree in visual or graphic design.
The primary skill requirement is a familiarity and expertise with systems and coding languages. Depending on the specifics, these can include Java, Perl, HTML, CSS and XML/XSL. Knowledge of programs like Flash, Photoshop, Dreamweaver and others is also extremely important. It should also be emphasized that this career is a creative endeavor. Creativity, problem-solving, passion and attention to detail are important aspects of this profession.
8. Quality Assurance Manager
Average Annual Salary (UK): £35,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: oversee all IT-related quality assurance efforts within an organization — e.g., the entire application portfolio; manage a team of QA specialists (testers, QA analysts, leads, supervisors); interact with stakeholders; attend high-level project meetings for new/ updated computer systems; budget resources for inter-departmental efforts.
Academic Pathway:
A degree or HND in any subject is acceptable. However, employers may prefer qualifications in subjects such as business studies/management, materials science/technology, food science/technology, textile technology, polymer science/technology, process engineering, physics, mathematics or production engineering.
For some positions a postgraduate qualification or a technical background may be beneficial. Relevant work experience is highly desirable and may be gained via final year project work, work shadowing, sponsorship, vacation work or ‘year out’ placements.
Key skills for quality assurance managers:
- Confidence
- Excellent technical skills
- Organisational skills
- Planning skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Communication skills
- Problem solving skills
- Teamworking skills
- IT skills
- Communication skills.
7. Data Architect
Average Annual Salary (UK): £51,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: provide a data architecture for an organization’s data assets, including databases, data integration (combining data sources into one view), data access; define the formal data description, structures, models, flow diagrams, and overall metadata; enable stakeholders to manage their portion of the databases or data warehouse, under guidance and data access policies; have logical and physical data modeling skills, whether they’re used in actuality or to oversee a Data Modeler’s efforts; defines data warehouse policies including for Information Assurance.
Academic Pathway:
To become a data architect, you should start with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering or a related field. Coursework should include coverage of data management, programming, big data developments, systems analysis and technology architectures. For senior positions, a master’s degree is usually preferred.
The key aspect of your employment application will be experience. Top employers expect job candidates to have spent at least five years dealing with application architecture, network management and performance management, if not more.
6. Data Warehouse Manager
Average Annual Salary (UK): £35,000
Typical responsibilities/ skills: collect and analyze business data from external and internal sources; interact with stakeholders to understand and incorporate business requirements; database modeling, business intelligence skills, data mining, data analysis, reporting; oversee data warehouse integrity; oversee benchmarking of performance; manage a team of Data Warehouse Developer / Analysts.
Academic Pathway:
- Excellent analytical abilities
- Project management experience
- Background in database theory and practice combined with hands-on experience in data warehousing technology
- Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, in computer science
- Five or more years of experience in a data warehousing environment
- Three or more years managing technical personnel
- Proficiency in data warehousing tools and database systems (for example: Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, IBM DB2)
5. Network Architect
Average Annual Salary (UK): £51,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: design internal and intra-office networks, including physical layout: LAN, WAN, Internet, VoIP, etc.; monitor network usage and performance, devise network tests and evaluate them; incorporate any new business requirements so as to upgrade overal network architecture; do any necessary cabling, routers, and install and configure hardware and software; follow or recommend a budget for projects; choose or recommend the appropriate network components; sometimes report to a CTO (Chief Technology Officer).
Academic Pathway:
Ideally have a recognised industry qualification as well as experience in
Cisco / network / design / implement / switches / routers / firewalls / security / F5 / Juniper / HLD / LLD / Pre-sales
4. Software Engineer
Average Annual Salary (UK): £34,000
A software engineer is a person who applies the principles of software engineering to the design, development, maintenance, testing, and evaluation of the software and systems that make computers or anything containing software work.
Academic Pathway:
Most employers require software engineers to have at least a bachelor’s degree in software, math or science, as well as broad experience with computers systems and applications. Larger companies, or organizations with unique or proprietary development platforms typically provide training for new employees.
3. Information Systems Security Manager
Average Annual Salary (UK): £52,000
An Information Systems Security Manager oversees the security of company and customer data and computer systems in general. Typical responsibilities / skills: oversee all IT security needs for an organization; determine security requirements; document security policies; implement security solutions; manage a team of information security specialists.
Academic Pathway:
A bachelor’s degree in computer science, programming, or a related field is the minimum requirement for this position, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The complexity and importance of the job means that employers may prefer to recruit managers with higher qualifications, such as a master of business administration in information systems. Managers can also obtain certification through an organization such as the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, which offers the Certified Information Systems Security Professional qualification.
2. Application Development Manager
Average Annual Salary (UK): £51,000
Typical responsibilities / skills: oversees an organization’s internally-created software applications and platforms; gather application requirements; interface with VP Tech, marketing, project managers, managers of other teams; manage software analysts and/or developers for an organization’s application portfolio; monitor timelines and resources; schedule projects where necessary.
Academic Pathway:
B.S in Computer Science or related field
1. Applications Architect
Average Annual Salary (UK): £53,000
Typical responsibilities/ skills: broad knowledge of software used within an organization; project management experience; senior-level software development experience; broadly oversee the entire software development (application portfolio) effort for an organization; define application architecture; interact with the various role-specific architects, project manager, customer representatives; interact with developers while enforcing architecture.
Academic Pathway:
Computer Science or other relevant technical degree (2:1 or higher)
If you would like to know more about other IT jobs or the ones we have currently highlight, please get in touch we love talking about all things tech!
Call us on 0330 2233 047 or email hello@graffitirecruitment.co.uk
Sources:
Computersciencezone.org
Payscale.com
Glassdoor.com
Google.co.uk
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Cwjobs.co.uk
Computersciencemajor.org
Study.com
Targetjobs.co.uk
Bayview.silkroad.com
Accenture.com
Work.chron.com
Jobs.bhf.org.uk
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Kp.taleo.net
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