Software Engineering Career Insight by LJMUCareers

Software Engineering CAREER INSIGHT

LJMU CAREERS TEAM 0151 231 2048/3719 ❚ careers@ljmu.ac.uk

www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Software Engineer

Introduction Virtually every organisation in every sector relies on computer technology and ICT to a varying degree, so graduates studying Information Technology-related courses will always be highly employable, both in the UK and overseas. The career options in this field are ever growing and widely diverse. In addition to the major IT organisations such as IBM, Oracle, HP, Google, Microsoft etc students are encouraged to explore ICT roles in organisations in non-IT sectors such as Retail, Engineering, Education, Health, Construction, Finance, and Science for example. The key when applying for a role in ICT is to think about how you can demonstrate your passion for technology. The Software Engineering course will give you a good foundation to information technology in general and it is possible to undertake a wide variety of roles within an organisation. Also many graduate roles are open to candidates from any degree background or you could gain required qualifications by undertaking relevant postgraduate study. Planning for your career and gaining work experience throughout your course will benefit you when you graduate. The graduate labour market has become increasingly competitive so it is crucial that you gain plenty of work experience during your time at university to demonstrate that you are motivated and have the right skills. Take advantage of work experience and networking opportunities and look at other ways to develop your skills and achievements by taking on volunteering and other extra-curricular activities. You should also consider setting up a LinkedIn profile and following relevant organisations and jobs boards through Twitter. Many employers use social media to post work experience opportunities so take advantage of using the sites to help you make links and find out more about what opportunities are out there. It is important that you understand what employers look for in candidates so that you can ensure you meet their entry requirements. Make the most of utilising available resources, attend career events or employer talks, and take every opportunity to network with professionals to find out as much as possible about the career areas you are interested in.

Typical job options Software Engineering graduates undertake a wide range of roles after completing their studies. Recent roles have included Information Systems Developer, Software Test Analyst, Learning Support Officer, Software Developer, Web Applications Programmer, Implementations Consultant, Software Engineer, and Project Manager. The two main careers websites (Prospects and TargetJobs) both have useful overviews of options available for Software Engineering graduates and within ICT in general. The National Careers Website also has a number of possible job roles for ICT students:

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Career options in IT - www.prospects.ac.uk/options_computer_science.htm IT Sector overview - http://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/it-and-technology

Possible ICT job roles:

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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Software Engineer

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IT Security Coordinator https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/ITSe curityCoordinator.aspx Systems Analyst https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/syst emsanalyst.aspx Web Designer https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/web designer.aspx Computer Games Tester https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/com putergamestester.aspx Animator https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/ani mator.aspx Computer Games Designer https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/pages/Com puterGamesDeveloper.aspx E-learning Developer https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/elearningdeveloper.aspx Network Engineer https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/net workengineer.aspx Software Developer https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/soft waredeveloper.aspx

Using your degree for a career in Education There is currently a big push from the government to encourage graduates with the appropriate skills and knowledge to become ICT teachers in both Primary and Secondary schools. ICT is currently classed as a ‘shortage’ subject meaning that there are generous bursaries available for those interested in undertaking teacher training through either the PGCE or School Direct route. The more established PGCE route is where you will be based at a University undertaking an academic course but will also undertake school placements as part of your course. The School Direct route is based within a school but there may also be opportunities to undertake a PGCE at a local University. Further information can be found www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching 

the

‘Get

into

Teaching’

website

Secondary school teacher http://www.prospects.ac.uk/secondary_school_teacher_job_description.htm

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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Software Engineer

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Further education lecturer http://www.prospects.ac.uk/further_education_lecturer_job_description.htm Higher education lecturer http://www.prospects.ac.uk/higher_education_lecturer_job_description.htm

Other options The Software Engineering course will help you to develop a wide range of technical and practical skills to a high level. While many enter these courses to pursue a career directly working with Information Technology, the range of skills makes you adaptable across a wider range of commercial and public sector organisations.

Possible employers There are a wide range of employers who recruit IT students both in related roles to their degree and in other ICT positions. Most large employers also offer Technology graduate schemes which involve graduates undertaking a selection of short placements before committing to a specific area of specialism. Some examples of possible employers of both software engineering and other IT graduates can be found below which highlights the variety of sectors that recruit IT students and graduates. It is important to start researching your options early and regularly use the main graduate vacancy websites to explore possible employment opportunities as there are too many organisations to mention in this guide!

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CGI - www.careers.cgi-group.co.uk Selex ES - www.selex-es.com/careers/uk-careers - Defence and Security Atos - http://uk.atos.net/en-uk/home/careers.html IRM - www.irmplc.com/ - Cyber and Information Security Consultancy Raytheon UK - www.raytheon.co.uk/careers/ - Defence and Security Fujitsu Services - www.fujitsu.com/uk/about/local/jobs/ Capgemini - http://www.uk.capgemini.com/ Capita - www.capita.co.uk/careers/capita-graduates.aspx Hewlett Packard - www8.hp.com/uk/en/campaign/graduate/ Morrisons - www.morrisonsgraduates.com/ National Grid - http://careers.nationalgrid.com/ Network Rail - http://www.networkrail.co.uk/careers/schemes/students-andgraduates/graduate/ Marks and Spencer - http://careers.marksandspencer.com/graduate-careers IBM - http://www-05.ibm.com/employment/uk/graduate-programmes/ Unilever - www.unilever.co.uk/careers-jobs/graduates/ Sky - www.workforsky.com/starting-out/graduate-opportunities FDM Group - www.fdmgroup.com/uk/careers/fdm-graduate-programme/ Price Waterhouse Coopers - www.pwc.co.uk/careers/ Thales - www.thalesgroup.com/en/homepage/careers

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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Software Engineer

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KPMG - www.kpmgcareers.co.uk/ TUI - www.tuitraveljobs.co.uk/ RBS - http://www.rbsbankyoubuild.com

Useful links and websites         

LJMU My Jobs and Placements - http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk/ Prospects – Careers information and graduate jobs – www.prospects.ac.uk TargetJobs - Careers information and graduate jobs – www.targetjobs.co.uk Gradcracker (Engineering and Technology focus) – www.gradcracker.com Year in Industry - http://www.etrust.org.uk/the-year-in-industry The Chartered Institute for IT - http://www.bcs.org/ Machtech (Recruitment Agency for Engineering, IT and Construction) www.machtech.com/graduates Computer Weekly (provider of news, analysis, and opinion for the UK IT community) - www.computerweekly.com/ For job vacancies o www.itjobswatch.co.uk/ o http://www.computing.co.uk/jobs

Follow relevant companies/websites through Twitter: @LJMUCareers

@AByrneLJMU

@bcs

@gradcracker

You could also consider setting up a LinkedIn profile and follow relevant organisations through Twitter to keep up to date with opportunities and developments in the creative industries. Many employers use social media to post work experience opportunities so take advantage of using the sites to help you make links and find out more about what opportunities are out there.

Sources of work experience The Department of Computer Science has dedicated team to administer sandwich placements (also known as yearlong industrial placements) for students. The team are based in 214 James Parsons Building in Byrom Street. They will email vacancies direct to students and also place them on a specific web page within the CMP mini-site. Download our mini-guide on “Making yourself employable whilst at University” from www.ljmu.ac.uk/careers/123871.htm for an overview of the different types of work experience available and some general suggestions about finding work experience opportunities. LJMU has been managing a summer internship programme for Level 5 students in recent years, so keep an eye on your LJMU inbox for details of any opportunities and check our vacancy website: http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk/. As part of the degree programme you will have the opportunity to complete a work placement. Gaining work experience is really important for your future career so you should definitely consider this option. Many of the large recruiters have summer and year-long placement opportunities available to those on degree programmes, which are usually advertised through websites such as Prospects, Targetjobs, Milkround and Gradcracker, as well as on the organisations’ own websites. The Year in Industry scheme also supports students in undertaking technology-related placements. Many placement schemes are open

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Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Software Engineer

to students from any degree discipline. Check your eligibility before making an application, e.g. some summer placements are specifically aimed at second-year students. Applications for summer internships or year-long placements with large employers are very competitive, so involvement in extracurricular activities, voluntary work or previous work experience can give you the edge over other candidates. It’s never too early to start getting involved in clubs and societies or to gain work experience, so explore relevant options early on in your studies. Many societies/clubs through LiverpoolSU have a finance officer/treasurer, which would give you some initial experience in areas like budget management. Contacting relevant organisations directly via email or through LinkedIn or speaking with people at networking events may lead to work experience. Even when applying to secure work experience for the first time in this industry, show the employer what you have to offer. Briefly outline the relevancy of your course. Address the job’s person specification and look at the skills outlined above and evidence these in your CV, drawing on examples from your course and other work experience or extra-curricular activities to demonstrate these skills. Make sure you research the organisation beforehand and find out the best person to get in touch with. It is important that you demonstrate that you are interested in the organisation and have spent some time finding out what they do. Useful websites to research a range of voluntary opportunities include www.do-it.org.uk/ and https://www.liverpoolguild.org/main-menu/volunteer. Many charities and not-for-profit organisations require volunteers for trustee or treasurer positions. You could also contact LJMU Volunteering Manager Chris Prescott on 0151 904 6356 or c.j.prescott@ljmu.ac.uk to enquire about current opportunities. It is also worth researching relevant organisations/charities and contacting them directly to find out about voluntary roles on offer.

Recruitment schedule Recruitment cycles and deadlines will vary depending on the type of work you are applying for. Again, research is key to ensure that you do not miss relevant opportunities. Generally, the selection process takes longer in larger organisations, as they tend to receive a higher number of applications and use several different stages to reduce the number of potential candidates. As a result, application deadlines can be as early as October/November in your final year of study for a start date in August or September of the following year. If you are considering postgraduate study, find out if there are any specific closing dates for applications. Many graduate training schemes with large companies will accept applications from students of any degree background. If you are interested in these roles, you will need to be aware of the recruitment cycle. Many employers begin the graduate recruitment process during the autumn term for finalyear students. Some placements are advertised then as well. Most closing dates are in November and December, but some are earlier so it is important to start researching companies that you want to apply to early on. The application process for graduate training schemes usually involves completing an online application form, which may require you to answer ‘competency based questions’. This may be followed by psychometric tests, a telephone interview and an assessment centre. You may also need to submit your CV. Most of the large recruiters have a section on the student/graduate pages of their website that outlines the different steps of their selection process, so check these to find out what is required. For more information about graduate schemes, download the ‘Graduate Schemes’ guide from https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers/123871.htm. The Careers Team runs a “Graduate Schemes Uncovered” workshop and webinar on a regular basis – please check our events pages on https://careers.ljmu.ac.uk for details.

www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers

Career Insight: BSc (Hons) Software Engineer

Many of these opportunities are advertised in the Prospects Directory and the Targetjobs Directory (available from Careers Zones or on the Prospects and Targetjobs website), on websites like www.milkround.com or www.ratemyplacement.co.uk/, as well as on the organisations’ own websites. You may also find work through small and medium-sized enterprises/businesses (SMEs). These types of companies don’t usually have structured training schemes but will recruit ‘as required’. Some SMEs may use their own application form but most applications will be by CV and covering letter. These positions will be advertised on company websites, relevant recruitment websites, the Job Centre, and national and local newspapers. The ‘creative’ or ‘speculative’ approach to job hunting, outlined above, is also important when looking for graduate roles. Making contacts and approaching organisations speculatively to look for work is a common route into employment. For more information about the speculative approach to job hunting, download a copy of our guide to ‘The Hidden Jobs Market’ from https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers/123871.htm. You can get advice about the recruitment process by booking a one-to-one appointment with a careers or employability adviser at your nearest Careers Zone or you can attend relevant workshops or webinars run by the Careers Team.

Key events and networking     

Liverpool Careers Fair: usually held in the autumn and spring of each year, see fairs website http://www.liverpoolfairs.org.uk/ for additional events Manchester Careers Fairs: open to students and graduates from any university; check http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/events/ for details Careers and Employability events at LJMU: Keep an eye on our events pages at https://careers.ljmu.ac.uk for details of upcoming employability workshops, networking sessions and employer talks. LiverpoolSU Clubs and Societies: http://ljmu.unioncloud.org/groups#club-society LinkedIn: You could also consider setting up a LinkedIn account (http://www.linkedin.com/) to network online with professionals and organisations in your chosen industry

Other information Centre for Entrepreneurship - support for LJMU students and graduates interested in starting up their own business https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/startup/.

Careers Zones Campus-based Careers Zones provide easy access to careers support in convenient locations at Byrom Street, Aldham Robarts Library and at IM Marsh, staffed by the Careers Team. Support available includes CV and application form reviews, Careers Adviser appointments, drop-in quick queries, practice interviews and access to careers resources and information. The Zones also host regular employer visits during term time where you can meet and network with employers and discuss job and placement opportunities. For the latest updates and details of locations and opening times, try our Twitter and Facebook pages.

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