Student Times Computer & IT

Page 1

Student TIMES

Computing & IT YOUR STUDY AND CAREER GUIDE TO COMPUTING & IT

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION PAGE 2 PURSUING A CAREER IN COMPUTING AND IT PAGE 4 JOBS WITH ICT USERS PAGE 4 & 6 COMPUTER HARDWARE ENGINEERING PAGE 5 JOBS WITH PRODUCT COMPANIES PAGE 7-8 MICROSOFT LAUNCH WORLD WIDE CUP PAGE 8

DEGREE COURSES IN COMPUTING AND IT PAGE 9 RECRUITMENT: SYSTEMS ANALYST PAGE 10 QUESTIONS ABOUT UNIVERSITY COMPUTING COURSES PAGE 11 USEFUL ADDRESSES PAGE 12 COMPETITION: WIN COPIES OF MICROSOFT OFFICE AND VISTA PAGE 12


2

INTRODUCTION

November 2007

COMPUTER & IT

StudentTIMES

One million people are estimated to work in IT in the UK Yes, that is one million people are estimated to work in IT in the UK. Not surprisingly, they are involved in a huge number of different activities. Some have a large technical element such as ethical hacking, programming, software testing and systems analysis. Others have a greater business emphasis, for example project management, quality assurance and client relationship management. Jobs in IT vary from developing interactive TV to teaching students about technical forensic science to risk management. Some roles are highly technical while others have a greater focus on business objectives, strategy, communication, people management or finance. Helen Boddy, assistant editor at BCS, explores the various options.... Types of IT work are numerous

SEVENTY-EIGHT different types of IT jobs have been defined in the governmentbacked Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA). These are divided into six categories: strategy and planning, development, business change, service provision, procurement and management support, and ancillary skills. To complicate career choices further, IT professionals are found in almost all industries due to the all-pervasive nature of computers. They are used for tasks as diverse as positioning cargo on ships, measuring patients’ heartbeats at hospitals, controlling lifts, and ordering stock in supermarkets. Some of these user organisations (so-called because they use IT to meet their business needs) look after their IT needs in-house while others employ specialist IT service providers to perform some or all IT functions. Almost any role could be outsourced in this way, for instance a market research company may develop their own specialist software to track results or they may commission a software development firm to do so.

Development roles are widely available Programming, also known as software development or software engineering, is a function required by most industries and many organisations. Programming includes very high-profile roles such as designing computer-generated characters for Hollywood films. Less glamorous (but also less competitive) jobs could be developing specialist trading software for investment banks or writing programs to control the running of a steel plant. Development work is not restricted to pro-

gramming; there are also opportunities to develop hardware, databases, networks, systems, and websites. There are fewer jobs developing hardware than software as organisations often buy computer equipment as standard and then adapt software to meet their needs. Examples of hardware development could be to make more robust computers to be used in schools or to design computers that could withstand forces when taken into space. Website designers, a well known role, continue to be in demand as companies start to really embrace the use of websites and the internet to conduct their business. With computers and e-commerce becoming increasingly sophisticated and part of daily life, the role of ergonomics is growing in status. There is an increasing number of people specialising in the ease of using IT, be that systems, software, databases or websites.

Roles that keep everything ticking

Checking it all works and installation

Away from the technical coalface

Once software or hardware has been developed, testers check that everything is working correctly before it is handed over to the installation team and the customer. An up-and-coming role in testing is that of ethical hacking, where IT professionals see if they can breach companies’ websites to check the level of their security. Installation can be a straight-forward task or an enormous one, depending of course on what is being installed. For example, integrating new hardware across a chain of supermarkets would be a very time-consuming and complex procedure.

Once hardware, programs, databases, systems, networks and so on are installed, a team usually takes on the role of supporting them. There are a large variety of roles in this area of service provision, supporting users, operations or infrastructure. Most large companies will have a helpdesk which staff can contact for help with computer problems and queries. Behind the scenes, other IT professionals are ensuring the organization’s network is functioning correctly. Others could be administering a database, which could, for example, list all the company’s contacts, or collate market data needed by staff. One person in a company does not necessarily concentrate on just one of the above tasks, particularly in smaller firms. An IT professional could, for example, both develop software and be responsible for supporting it. The above roles are ones where technology takes up the majority of the person’s time. In many of those roles you would still need to have an understanding of business requirements and be able to interact with customers, but your main focus would remain technical. There are, however, numerous other roles where the focus is in varying degrees less on using technical know-how and more on strategy, communication or finance. Project management is a good example of where some technical knowledge is combined with financial and communications skills. Project management is about working out timescales and resources needed for a project, for example installing all the IT necessary for a new oil rig, and then making sure the project keeps

to budget and meets the deadline. People working in strategy and planning roles are likely to have good technical knowledge but not be using it hands-on. For example, a continuity manager looks at how IT services would continue to run in case of an emergency such as a fire destroying a company’s computers. The same tends to be true for procurement and management support roles. Procurement managers need technical knowledge about what they are buying but also need to build relationships with suppliers and be financially savvy. Finally, there are roles where IT plays a large part in what you do but is not the most important of your skills - the ancillary skills. These are roles in marketing, sales, technical documentation, education or training. If you wished to go in these directions, technical knowledge could be very useful, but you may also have to train in another skill, such as teaching.

More about different roles To find out more about different IT roles, have a look at SFIA - http://scripts.bcs.org/sfiaplus/ sfia.htm. BCS has created a product called SFIAplus, which goes into more depth about what skills and training are necessary for each job at each level.

A decision now is not for life Furthermore as your career progresses, more choices will open up. Many IT professionals move into management, go down the project management route or into an ancillary activity such as sales or education. No need to worry about that yet, though. Just work out what you fancy now. Good luck! This article was written by Helen Boddy for the Inside Careers Guide.


StudentTIMES

COMPUTER & IT

3

November 2007

PROFILE: North East Wales Institute of Higher Education Getting Into IT!

Dr. John N. Davies is a computing admissions tutor at North East Wales Institute of Higher Education in Wrexham IT HAS been said that there are more than one million people working in IT in the UK, undertaking in excess of 70 different roles. So, for a young person hoping to work in the IT industry, the choice of routes can seem daunting. So many opportunities ... but so many questions too!

Should I get a job straight from school? Well, as the range of jobs available in the IT industry is so large, there certainly is a need for people with a wide range of skills. So it is possible to get a “low-end job” with relatively few qualifications and skills. Students who spend hours playing computer games, surfing, blogging, and facebooking, may think they have all the qualities and skills required to become an “IT expert.” Many companies are only too pleased to employ these students to undertake menial repetitive tasks, such as selling computers or other forms of customer relations, since they only have to pay a minimal wage. In these days when profits rule, companies are only able or willing to train employees in areas associated directly with the present job. This seems OK at the age of 18 since any money is better than none, but soon, when their friends have left university and are getting relatively highly-paid jobs, the future can seem very bleak. It is at this stage that people realise that they are only able or qualified to do

the job they are doing now and that there is little chance of promotion. They begin to look for “ways out.” There are then a number of options: • Undertake professional qualifications e.g. Microsoft, Cisco. • Undertake a part time degree / HND • Pack it all in and do a full-time university course Each of these options has its drawbacks; professional qualifications are expensive, part-time qualifications take a long time (typically 5 years for a degree), and packing it all in and doing a full-time University course has the challenge of survival for the next three years.

Should I go to university? In the past, it was possible to get a highly-paid job in the IT industry with few qualifications but this is now the exception rather than the rule. The majority of jobs in IT require a degree of technical complexity and, therefore, employers tend to believe that students with higher qualifications are more likely to succeed in their environment. Having made the decision to go to a university, the next choice, even before choosing which university, is choosing a course. This is not as odd a statement as it might sound since, for example, few IT teachers in schools and colleges have degrees in comput-

ing subjects. Often the IT teacher was trained in physics, mathematics or business studies due to computing graduates being able to command high salaries in industry. The number of computing jobs available to non-computing graduates should not be underestimated due to the diverse requirements of the computing industry. (e.g. many aspects of the computer gaming industry are best suited to Mathematicians). However, these days, computing graduates are less rare, so there is greater competition for the highly paid jobs. Scanning the UCAS website it becomes obvious that there is such a wide variety of IT/Computing courses available that this is more of a problem than selecting the university. What are the questions that need to be asked?

Consider: • How many modules are studied per year on the Course? • How many of the modules are non-IT? • How many modules are common to other courses? • What is the average size of lecture groups? • What is the average size of tutorials? • What is the student/computer ratio? • Can I run all the software used in the course on my computer? • How easy is it to access course notes external to the campus? • What is the exam/assignment ratio? • What percentage of graduates got jobs in the IT industry last year? The answers to many of these questions are

“plug & play” personal to the students - some people prefer large lecture groups over personalised attention, etc.

University Add-ons Most university degrees cover very similar material – analysis, programming, databases, networking, multimedia, and more - even though the degrees have many different titles. The difference behind the course titles can be seen by studying a small number of specialised modules. This can be an advantage for students who are uncertain about the area they wish to specialize in. Some universities provide the option to take extra modules that allow additional professional qualifications to be gained whilst studying for the degree. This gives an advantage when students are applying for jobs in their final year since it sets them apart from the majority of graduates. Unfortunately, from the students’ point of view, these qualifications are not easy to gain since they require additional effort in addition to their full-time programme. When you are considering whether to pursue IT as a career, be sure to look at all of the variables and think about what it is that you want to get out of your degree and your study preferences. The wide range of options at the various higher education institutions in the UK are a definite benefit, but can be somewhat overwhelming as well. A degree will put you ahead of the class because even though the technologies may change over time, the critical thinking and analytical skills you will gain through your studies will last a lifetime.

MIX AND MATCH YOUR COMPUTING DEGREE AT NEWI! At the North East Wales Institute of Higher Education in Wrexham, the first year of studies is common to all Computing courses, which puts off selection until the end of the first year when students already have experience & results, helping you to make a well informed choice!

Areas covered by our undergraduate programmes include: • Computing • Computer Networks • Information Technology • Multimedia & Internet Computing • Computing & IT All programmes can be undertaken either full or part time. Masters’ level courses are also available in Computer Networks Courses are supported by professional qualifications from CISCO, CCNA, and CCNP which can be obtained at the same time you are undertaking your degree.


4

CAREER IN COMPUTING

November 2007

COMPUTER & IT

StudentTIMES

Why pursue a career in Computing? There are three main reasons that you should consider a career in the Computing industry: • you will have excellent job prospects • salary levels can be really rewarding • it can be very enjoyable and provide great satisfaction Prospects in the Computer Industry

A WIDE variety of interesting and well-paid jobs are available to graduates in Computing. The demand for Computing expertise is growing (by 5% last year, according to Computer Weekly, one of the main Computing newspapers), and Computing graduates with a good degree are still much in demand. Many graduates with other types of degree retrain in Computing after their first degree in order to find employment. By doing Computing as your first degree, you get a head start on them.

Salaries in the Computer Industry A survey at the University of East Anglia found that new Computing graduates were on average better paid than any other type of graduate in their university. At present (2004), starting salaries for new graduates in Computing seem to range between £15,000 (for people who choose to work for small local companies) and £30,000 for specialist skills, with the average starting salary being somewhere in the middle of that range. Those salaries will increase as experience is gained, and £60,000 and a good company car is possible for high fliers with 5-10 years experience and marketable skills. I know several people who earn over £100,000 per year in the Computing industry. If you own your own business then the sky is the limit. Four out of the world’s ten richest people made their money from Computing - Bill Gates (worth $46 billion in 2003), Paul Allen ($22 billion), Larry Ellison ($18 billion) and Michael Dell ($13 billion).

Working in the Computer Industry The Computing industry has jobs both for those who like to work with people, and for those who prefer to hide away and write programs. My own experience of my first few years working in Computing was amazement that people would pay me for having so much fun. Whether you like solving problems, or finding out what people need and making sure that it happens, or building something new that no-one else has ever built before, then there are

jobs in the Computing industry that are appropriate for you.

What kinds of jobs are there in Computing? There are a wide variety of jobs in the Computing industry. All companies will now have computers in the workplace, but different kinds of companies will need different types of skills. A reasonable view is to split the types of jobs available according to the type of company that you choose to work for. The three main sources of jobs for Computing professionals are: • Companies that are users of ICT • Companies that make products incorporating computers • Companies that produce and supply software The list of jobs given for each type of company is not exhaustive, but should give you a reasonable idea of the breadth of choice that you might have if you chose to train for a career in Computing. Examples of real people doing the different kinds of jobs will eventually be given under Example Careers. Those pages will give an idea of how people got to where there are today, and how they feel about what they do. A degree in Computing is an excellent grounding for work outside the Computing industry, and so I also outline some of the other common job choices that are made by people with Computing degrees.

Jobs with ICT Users

Computers are vunerable to theft, so security specialists are important

All companies are users of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and will need computer systems to provide information to their employees and their customers (often via web sites). They may have demands for specialist types of software or hardware. They may employ people within the company to provide these things, or may buy them from the two other kinds of company. They will need people in the following kinds of roles.

Computing, graphical, commercial and presentation skills are needed to provide a successful web site. Typically, no one person will have all of these skills. The Computing graduate may be called upon to provide several of these skills as part of a larger team, or within a smaller company may be the only employee in this area, perhaps working with outside graphical experts.

Data analysts / programmer

Telecommunications/ network specialist

Traditionally (20 year ago - tradition is short in the Computing industry), these jobs were entry-level positions, often done by people who joined a company straight from school after A-levels. That is becoming much more rare. Either the job is simple enough it can be outsourced overseas, or it demands the kinds of skills that Computing graduates are trained to have. People in data analyst / programmer jobs today need to be able to implement computer-based systems for their company, to explain to users how the system they are programming will work, to understand how the system they are building fits with the needs of the company, and to be able to produce a system that can be maintained over many years.

Web developers Over the past ten years, almost every company has developed a web presence - including schools and universities! Amixture of

Almost every company requires a web developer

The need for this kind of skill will depend on the company. Most companies will have their computers linked to each other, with central file servers, so that files can be accessed from anywhere. They will also have links to computers outside the company, so that other companies and customers can access information. Many companies are moving to broadband, and upgrading their internal facilities to match. Network specialists have the knowledge to configure and maintain the quality of service on such networks of computers.

User training / technical support Within many modern companies, everyone will be a computer user. They will often have a computer on their desk, and will use it to access company information, or to write letters or read email, or to record what has been produced or sold. When they do not

know how to perform some task, or when the computer does not work as they expected, they turn to the computer professional. This type of job needs someone who understands the technicalities of what the computer is doing, but who is also able to explain to users what is happening and what they should do next.

Security specialist I observed earlier that computers are being linked both within companies and to the outside world. One consequence of that is that it makes computers vulnerable both to malicious threats such as computer viruses and worms, and also to criminal threats such as stealing information or money. Security specialists are able to assess the threats to a company and to put in place procedures and software that protects the company’s computer systems against such threats. Continues on page 6


StudentTIMES

COMPUTER & IT

Computer Hardware Engineer

5

November 2007

PROFILE: Accenture

COMPUTER HARDWARE engineers are involved with the mechanical, electronic and electrical components of computers and computer systems. They are responsible for designing and developing computers and the computerised parts of other appliances such as computer chips, circuit boards, modems and printers. This is a challenging and highly A CAREER at Accenture offers the chance to choose to join our Management Consulting technical role. do remarkable things every day. With over Group or Outsourcing function. The IT industry is a rapidly expanding indus158,000 people working in 49 countries, try sector throughout the world. Computer hardAccenture is one of the world’s leading Meet Rebecca Haines – Analyst, ware engineers can work in both the commercial management consulting, technology Systems Integration & and public sector, for computer manufacturers, services and outsourcing organisations. We Technology Consulting telecommunication companies and large organhelp our clients become high-performance Rebecca obtained a First Class BSc in Comisations such as finance and retail companies. businesses by delivering innovation and puter Science from the University of Exeter. Competition for graduate entry is high. our work invariably involves the application She joined Accenture in January 2007 as an Employers usually expect a degree level eduof information technology to business Analyst in Systems Integration & Technolcation in computer or electronic engineering, challenges. There are several areas that ogy Consulting. which may have been supported by relevant graduates can join Accenture: work experience and vocational skills. Applicants In the Systems Integration & Technology “I really enjoyed the first few weeks at to degree courses usually need at least two A Consulting Group , you could be part of a Accenture as I was training with 40 other new levels/three H grades, preferably in mathematics team delivering world class technical solutions joiners. It was interesting to find out that the and scientific subjects. It is sometimes possible covering everything from designing and people I trained with were all very like minded to start in basic computing or technical support delivering large-scale enterprise architecture and we all got on so well. We learnt a lot about and progress to become a computer hardware to creating and setting technology what to expect on a client engagement and engineer. infrastructures and strategies, or specialising how to handle several client situations. Training is on-the-job and includes in-house in a particular area such as JAVA programming. I would say the best thing about working training courses and qualifications through proThis option is particularly suited to graduates for Accenture is the opportunity to experience fessional bodies and private sector suppliers. with a technical, engineering or science diverse working environments from people Engineers are expected to undertake Continudegree, or some technical work experience. to places. On one project you might be near ing Professional Development (CPD) to keep up Or you could join the Analyst Consulting your home office and on the next you could to date with advances in IT. Group and learn core consulting skills be across the other side of the UK or Europe! There are excellent promotional opportuniacross a variety of projects for clients in all Having the opportunity to work on different ties with good financial rewards. Engineers may sectors. Here you will learn to apply skills in projects with different people means your job choose to specialise in a technical, hands-on management consulting, systems integration is never boring. role or move into management. They may also and technology to help organisations gain Recently, I worked as a Technical Designer become self-employed and act as consultants. commercial advantage. Finally, you could for a leading pharmaceutical client. I was There 10865 may- be a5opportunities typographical to worklandscape abroad. genericv1 - all 260x160.qxp 06/09/2007 09:55 Page 1

Graduate careers in consulting

working in a team of five people. My role was to produce detailed technical design documentation for a Core Medical Information Response System. I therefore, had a lot of responsibility from day one and this meant that I gained a lot of respect when I delivered my work. I had to analyse the former system’s code and document the code changes and technical design we needed for the proposed system. I had the opportunity to individually design a core component of the new system which was delivered to the client. This was really good, as I got to see that my work really counted towards the success of the project as a whole and that the work I produced was recognised by the client.”

Join Accenture for a career that keeps you motivated and moving forward. Work on vital assignments for top class clients and help them achieve high performance. Push yourself, while developing your skills and confidence. Work with the best people worldwide to solve problems and do what hasn't been done before. If this is your idea of a typical working day, Accenture is the place to work.

Graduate careers in consulting Our clients include many of the world's largest organisations and we'll prepare you to take a central role in developing innovative business and technology solutions that improve the way they operate. Professional development is a key part of the total rewards package we offer. You'll get continuous training both formal and on-the-job to enable you to do your job well. And you'll gain satisfaction from working on some of the largest, most challenging projects.

Visit accenture.com/ukgraduates

For people with the right intelligence and personal qualities, there's no career quite like consulting. If you're genuinely interested in business and technology, with typically a predicted or actual 2.1 and 320 UCAS points or equivalent, prepare for a future where high performance is all in a day's work. And you'll be rewarded well, with a salary of £31,000 plus an additional £10,000 bonus.

Visit our website for more information on graduate careers in consulting. Accenture is committed to being an equal opportunities employer.

© 2007 Accenture All rights reserved.

Getting satisfaction from a job well done. Just another day at the office for a high performer.


6

JOBS WITH ICT USERS

November 2007

Studying your way to success Could you start a successful business as part of your IT degree?

StudentTIMES

Jobs with ICT Users - continued

After graduating Mark moved his promising company into the Kingston Innovation Centre [www.kingstoninnovation. org], which offers support to entrepreneurial graduates, and turned it into an operating business. The system was demonstrated at a recent national restaurant show and received an enthusiastic reception. Mark has also set up The UK Webshop, a consultancy offering technology advice to the catering and hospitality industry. This has helped cover his expenses and costs while growing The Booking People. These are exciting times for Mark. In June 2007 he was selected by the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE) to be one of their Entrepreneurship Fellows. He will spend a year on the programme, including a six month internship in Kansas City, USA. His problem is, he’s too busy being successful to take it up right now! “If you’ve got an idea, don’t be afraid of giving it a go” he advises. “There’s so much help out there if you’re prepared to ask for it. Get your groundwork done when you have a safe, supportive environment at Uni so you’re ready to go live when the time is right. Tutors make great Mentors for bouncing ideas off and they have the experience to point you in the right direction.”

www.kingston.ac.uk/cism

Amazon.co.uk will have perhaps a million customers in its database

Database administrator Much of the information within a company will be held in databases. For some companies that might be as simple as an Access database, and little administration of such a database would be needed beyond occasionally backing it up in case the system crashes. However, take the extreme example of amazon.co.uk. They will have a database containing the details of perhaps a million customers in the UK, and another database containing details of the hundreds of thousands of products that they sell. Because of the number of sales that they make at one time, they cannot run those databases on one computer - they will have a cluster of server computers containing copies of the databases, interfacing to a cluster of web server computers sending web pages to

people’s desktops. Every time a customer purchases a book or DVD, a change needs to be made to a database, and all of the database server computers need to be consistent in the information that they hold. The database and web server machines must be available 24 hours per day, seven days a week, or amazon.co.uk will lose money through not being able to sell goods. The database administrator is responsible for the availability of the database service and for it providing the correct information.

Information Systems manager Within many user companies, this used to be called the data processing manager. It is traditionally portrayed as the top of the tree for a computing career, and within many user companies, it is. The information services manager is responsible for all of the ICT provision within the company (or at a lower level, within one site of the company). This will include considering all of the individual areas of computing (such as security, networking, databases, user training, provision of new systems), along with making sure that the computing provision meets the business needs of the company, and planning how much ICT provision will cost the company. In many companies, this position is so important that the information services manager reports directly to the board of the company.

Faculty

“There’s never been a better time to be a young entrepreneur”. So says Mark Parry – and he should know. Mark graduated with a first class degree in Information Systems in 2006 from Kingston University and already has two winning business ideas up and running. “I have always been full of ideas, but when I went to university I found this fantastic support network, just waiting to help me put my ideas into practice.” Mark had chosen a course that would give him the skills he needed and knew that Kingston had a good reputation for computing and business, but the level of practical, individual help was a surprise. “All I had to do was ask!” Part-way through his course, Mark came up with an idea for using technology to improve the way restaurants handle table reservations. With the encouragement of his tutors he worked on the concept and, as part of his final year project, Mark developed “The Booking People”. This online reservations system can be integrated into any restaurant website and means that customers can make their own, confirmed reservations in real time, anytime. Restaurant owners can see instantly how busy they are going to be and plan accordingly.

COMPUTER & IT

of Computing Information Systems and Mathematics

For a competitive advantage in the current job market, choose from an impressive and diverse suite of courses available ranging from our classic Computer Science, Software Engineering and Information Systems degrees to more refined specialisms such as Multimedia, Internet Computing, Cyber Security and Games Technology. Or, if you can’t decide on just one, you can combine a joint honours field in computing with a science or business topic. Best of all, you can even pick a level and pace of study that’s just right for you, and you’ll get the flexibility to move between different levels of qualification. From the new MComp integrated Masters Degree to Higher National Diplomas and work-based Foundation Degrees, you can actually create the perfect programme – just for you. To get started have a look at our website, and you’ll see what we mean. For any informal enquiries, please contact us at cism@kingston.ac.uk or 020 8547 8234.

www.kingston.ac.uk/cism


StudentTIMES

COMPUTER & IT

November 2007

JOBS WITH PRODUCT COMPANIES

7

Jobs with Product Companies A surprising number of companies make products that are computers (e.g. Dell, Apple) or that contain computers (e.g. Ford Motor Company, Vodafone, Sony). These companies will also be users of ICT, of course, but they have a need for more technical kinds of Computing expertise. Some of the needed expertise is concerned with hardware, and some with the complex software that interfaces to it. Almost all of the job areas outlined for ICT users and for software suppliers also exist within companies that manufacture products containing computers, but there are also some specific skills in this area.

Embedded systems analysts / designer

tems. There are tools and techniques for such work that aren’t used for simpler systems.

types of software need people to decide what the software should do, to design how it will do it, to implement it, to test whether it works properly, and to keep it up to date as changes in the software package are needed. Computing jobs exist in all of these areas of software development. Often, you will work with a team of software developers that cover the different roles outlined here.

The modern motorcar can contain up to 100 computers. These are embedded systems - rather than Jobs with having keyboards and Software Modern motorcars screens, they have memCompanies contain 100 computers ory and CPU on a chip Most companies do in a box. They perform not write all of their Operating system level design tasks such as monitoring the wheels to detect own software. For some of their needs, they and programming when they are slipping, or controlling the tim- buy packages (e.g. Microsoft Office) and con- There is a more technical level of programing and amount of diesel fuel being used. In figure them to their own requirements. For ming that involves knowing about how things such systems, having the correct information other needs, often the more complex ones, work in the depths of the computer’s operatand performing actions at exactly the correct they pay other companies to build or adapt ing system. For example, a software developtime are important issues, and so this is an software to their requirements. ment team building software which enables important specialised area of computing. These kinds of companies range from a computer to print to a new type of printer multi-national companies such as Microsoft would need to understand how the comDevelopment of new products that produce shrink-wrapped software for a puter deals with printing queues, and how A team developing a product containing soft- mass market, through companies that make the printer deals with characters that are sent ware will need all of the skills that we men- software for legal practices or hairdressers, to to it, and then would write software to make tioned for purely software products. In addi- specialist companies that build one-off soft- what is shown in a document print correctly tion, it will need people who understand how ware for NASA’s latest space probe. on that type of printer. Such work can be very the hardware linked to the software works challenging, but is also very rewarding for (whether it is a child’s toy or a motorcar brak- Development of those who enjoy complex ing system). There can be extra challenges new software technical puzzles. in getting the interface correct between the packages Bespoke development. hardware and the software, and in proving Software is produced Some software is too spethat it is correct. for many purposes cialist to be developed - office productivity as a package sold shrinkSafety-critical systems design software, games, softwrapped to everyone who Some of the software embedded in a motor- ware to support hobwants it. For example, an car or a plane or nuclear power plant has the bies such as making air traffic control system potential to injure people if it goes wrong. The genealogies, internet (software to help people New software is constantly level of care taken in designing such systems browsers, educationtrack and land planes), or developed being Media 16/10/07 4:29 pm Page 1 software to run the rides must be greater than for less dangerous sys- al32604-160x128-Sugar software. All these

PROFILE: Logica CMG Business & Technology Graduates – UK wide

Straight talking LogicaCMG is a major international force in IT and business services. It employs around 40,000 people across 41 countries. LogicaCMG’s focus is on enabling its customers to build and maintain leadership positions using LogicaCMG’s deep industry knowledge and its track record for successful delivery. The company provides business consulting, systems integration and IT and business process outsourcing across diverse markets including telecoms and media, financial services, energy and utilities, industry, distribution and transport and the public sector. LogicaCMG recruits a significant number of graduates in the UK each year. We have always recognised that graduates are essential to our success. The ability to provide fresh ways of thinking and challenge traditional ideas is vital to our future progress. We are interested in graduates with a strong background in information technology – including software development skills – combined with excellent communication skills, both

written and oral, and an appreciation of the importance of customer service within a business environment. We recruit from from a range of disciplines including computer science and other numerate / logical courses, business information systems, and other joint honours degrees with a strong focus on business and IT. Practical experience of computer programming may be useful for some roles. We are especially interested in candidates who have relevant work experience who can demonstrate a good understanding of the impact of IT solutions in a business environment, and who show genuine enthusiasm for providing a high level of customer service. The nature of the work on the graduate scheme is continuing to evolve so please check our website for up to date information on current graduate opportunities.

Straight talking from LogicaCMG. www.logicacmg.com/ ukgraduates

Let’s get straight to the point. You want the most exciting clients. You want the most advanced projects. You want access to all parts of the business. And you want responsibility right from the start. LogicaCMG can offer you all this and more. We’re a major international force in IT services – our software supports a third of the world’s satellites, and we’re behind one in every four wireless multimedia messaging centres worldwide. There are 40,000 of us in 41 countries across the globe, offering business consulting, systems integration and IT and business process outsourcing in a diverse range of sectors. Naturally, you need to have a genuine interest in technology – and for most areas of our work, you’ll need to support this with a good numerate or science-based degree. However, our graduate roles are continually evolving, so there are some areas of our business you can join with a non-technical degree. Either way, our structured yet flexible training programme and our emphasis on real-world project work will prepare you for a varied and challenging career ahead. Find out where you’ll fit in at www.logicacmg.com/ukgraduates Straight talking from LogicaCMG

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8

JOBS WITH PRODUCT COMPANIES

November 2007

COMPUTER & IT

StudentTIMES

Jobs with Product Companies - continued At Disneyland, would be developed specially for each customer. Software companies in the bespoke business need to have people capable of understanding the customer’s requirements, of stating them in a way that an agreement to develop the software can be made, of working with the customer during the development, as well as all the other skills needed in software development.

Human factors How do you design your software so that it is easy to use, and make sure that your design decisions are correct? Human factors experts are skilled at designing interfaces appropriate for a particular task, and at evaluating those interfaces with a group of representative users of the software in order to make sure that the design decisions are correct.

Sales / marketing Software can range in price from £4.99 for a budget game to many million of pounds for

a purpose-built air traffic control system. At the lower price levels, little support is expected, but for more expensive and more complex software, sales and marketing needs people who understand the technical details of the software, at least in outline, as well as the business context in which the software will be used. Computing graduates are frequently encouraged to move into such jobs if they show an aptitude and an enthusiasm for working with customers.

Customer support / technical support This term covers a variety of jobs, from being on the end of a phone advising customers on problems with the software supplied by your employer through to working on site at a customer company, adapting the software to meet the customer’s changing needs.

Consultancy To some extent, consultancy is a posh way of saying technical support. It suggests a higher level of technical expertise than customer support. If a company wants you to change a computer package to produce a report in a slightly different format, that is technical support. If it wants you to recommend what its strategy should be for developing a high profile new web site, that is consultancy. The importance of the consultant’s role is often reflected in high salaries. This means that being a consultant is not really a job you can start in as a new graduate in Computing. As you develop expertise that is highly valued, it may become an option as your career progresses.

Quality assurance Quality assurance staff are responsible for ensuring that the quality of the software produced by the company is appropriate - that it is safe, secure, reliable, maintainable and usable.

Project management Large software projects can have 50 or 100 people working on them. The best people to

run such projects are ones that understand how software developers work, and the processes for making sure that the software is built properly. This means that one career path for Computing staff is into project management - managing other people building software. This tends to happen gradually, perhaps beginning by leading a small team of 2 or 3 other, less experienced project people, then increasing the size of the team supervised and the project tackled as experience and training are gained.

Running a company A surprising number of our graduates end up starting a company at some point in their lives. Sometimes, this is just a convenient way of working as a consultant to other companies, but sometimes it is because they have seen a niche in the market for some specific software product or some skill that they have. In the latter case, the company may employ a number of other people, and they may then spend their time as Managing Director rather than as a programmer. It is not a career path for everyone, but for those who are attracted to it, a degree in Computing provides good opportunities.

Microsoft Launch World Wide Imagine Cup Global competition calls upon UK students to represent their country and “Imagine a world where technology enables a sustainable environment” A total prize fund of $200,000, and for the prizes and the chance to represent their counUK leg of the competition the chance to win try. This year’s theme is “Imagine a world where an Xbox 360TM Elite every month and other technology enables a sustainable environment”. prizes you can’t buy The competition has nine diverse categories Reading, November 12th 2007 - Microsoft has including photography, short film, gaming and announced the launch of its 6th annual world- software development and a total prize fund of wide Imagine CupUniversi…udent competition times.pdf which gets 19/11/07 stu- $200,000. Students can register for the competiNapier 12:31:36 dents from across the globe competing for huge tion and read about the individual categories at

There’s no place like 146.176.222.172 Computing & Information Systems courses C

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There’s no denying it – Computing and IS make the world go round. In every business, industry and sector, it’s the people who look after the IT infrastructure that keep businesses growing and succeeding. Forget technogeeks called Colin languishing in the basement, this is about big business and life changing technology.

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So if it feels like everyone’s got advice for you right now, here’s some you can rely on. Our graduates are confident graduates – more than equipped to make names for themselves in the world of work, right from day one. We’re rated excellent for teaching and work with industry has been recognised too – winning national awards three years running. So it’s a lively, stimulating and creative place to study. Based in the heart of Edinburgh, we offer 11 degree courses in Computing and IS – get in touch now to discuss your options. Call 08452 60 60 40 or e-mail computing.enquiries@napier.ac.uk quoting ref: STUD Alternatively visit www.soc.napier.ac.uk

www.imaginecup.co.uk Each UK registered student will also enter a prize draw to win an Xbox 360 Elite each month up to the end of February. Last year more then 100,000 students from over 100 countries participated in what some have likened to an Olympic competition. The 9 competition categories include a mix of team and individual challenges. Each will have a UK winner announced in May 2008, which will receive a special country prize depending on the competition category, as well as being entered into the global competition. Category prizes include work placements, video and photography equipment, powerful PCs and the opportunity to have work on public display. The Imagine Cup now incorporates nine categories, appealing to students with both technological and artistic affinities. These consist of Software Design, Embedded Development, Game Development, Project Hoshimi: Programming Battle, IT Challenge, Algorithm, Photography, Short Film and Interface Design. Microsoft believes that the potential of young people, when teamed with the power of technology, can have a valuable impact on global issues. To this end, the competition calls upon young technologists, programmers and artists to apply their skills and imagination to developing real life solutions to problems which affect the lives of millions of people around the world. The competition is open to all college or university students in part-time or full-time education. To put your imagination to the test, take the online quiz and register at www.imaginecup.co.uk <http://www.imaginecup.co.uk/> . Full terms and conditions can be found at http://imaginecup. com/Competition/Rules-Regulations.aspx

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential. ©Microsoft Corporation 2007. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Xbox 360 and the Microsoft logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. For more information please contact Jasmin Athwal Inferno PR 020 8434 5500 MSDeveloper@infernopr.com For information on Microsoft Ltd, please contact: The Microsoft Press Centre Tel: 0870 20 77377, lines are open 9.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday Fax: 0870 20 77329 Email: ukprteam@microsoft.com www.microsoft.com/uk/press


StudentTIMES

COMPUTER & IT

DEGREE COURSES

November 2007

9

Degree Courses in Computing and IT There are many different names for degree courses in Computing and IT, and this section is intended to give you an idea of what you might expect from a degree with a particular title. However, there is considerable overlap between degree schemes with different titles, and there are questions you will want to ask in order to decide whether a particular degree scheme is for you. Computing / Computer Science

This used to be the name of the degree that you did in a Computer Science department 20 years ago. With greater specialisation in the subject, it now tends to be the degree that you do if you study Computing and don’t specialize in something. That’s not a bad thing - it means you should come out of the course with a broad coverage of the subject, and perhaps been able to choose topics that interest you, rather than ones that fit into a particular brand of degree. There is also a difference in emphasis between departments on whether their Computing degrees are fairly mathematical or whether they take a more vocational emphasis. Many Computing departments originally emerged from Mathematics departments, and some of them still have quite a strong mathematical bias. Others have taken a more vocational emphasis, and tend to only include the mathematics needed for someone following a career in the Computing industry.

Software Engineering This title reflects a degree with a stronger empha-

sis on preparing you to work on challenging problems in the Computer industry. Such degrees will tend to have an industrial year included as part of the degree, because the experience of working in the industry is an important part of understanding the education you are being given. Graduates will tend to work for software suppliers or companies making products that incorporate computers, as those areas need people who can build software with a strong engineering approach.

Internet Computing / Internet Engineering / E-commerce Internet degrees usually have an emphasis on the kind of technologies and skills needed to develop internet-based systems. I would expect them to have a strong emphasis on web technologies, on databases (to provide the behind-the-scenes support to the web technologies), and on telematics. There is a second strand of e-commerce degree, usually from business schools, concentrating more on the business and financial implications of e-commerce. You should be able to tell the difference between the two by the content

much greater emphasis on “business” and less on “computing”. You should look at the modules listed for each particular course, and try to decide whether the mix of the two is correct for you. Graduates from such degrees will tend to work directly for user companies.

Other Flavoured degrees

of the degree (lots of business and accounting modules or an emphasis on the design and implementation of systems). Graduates from these degrees are needed by both software suppliers and ICT user companies.

Information Technology / Business Information Technology / Business Computing / Information Systems I would expect these degrees to have less emphasis on programming than Computing degrees or software engineering degrees, (although you will still need to be able to do some programming) and rather more on building software out of components (e.g. databases and interface building systems). They should have a greater emphasis on analysing business processes in order to make sure the software that is produced fits the exact C958A:Layout 1 of 9/11/07 12:56 Page business need. Some the degrees may have a

If you already know the area of Computing that you are interested in, then it is possible to choose a degree that emphasizes your interests. To some extent, good degrees are organised in this fashion anyway. In the case of the Computing degree in my own department, you can choose a number of optional modules in the area that interests you (graphics, artificial intelligence, internet and distributed systems) and combine them with a large final year project in that area. This means that by the time you complete your degree, you already have a good deal of specialist expertise in an area that interests you. It helps you to get the job you want after you finish. Some of these sets of choices are packaged into degrees with titles that reflect what has been studied - Computing with Multimedia, Computer Science with AI, Computing with Internet (also Internet Computing - see above). Another strategy is to mix a Computing major with a non-computing subject, for example Computing with French, or Computing with Business. Typically, Computing would take two-thirds of 1 your time, with the minor taking the other third.

PROFILE: Middlesex University

Destination UK: Middlesex CHINTAN HANDA faced the ultimate competition to study Computing Science at Middlesex University – through a gruelling contest televised to millions of viewers in India. Chintan, 17, entered the first-ever Airtel Scholar Hunt: Destination UK in 2007 where Middlesex was one of five universities (along with Sheffield, Cardiff, Leeds and Warwick) that awarded an undergraduate scholarship worth £30,000 to one lucky winner. The five-stage competition ended with a test where finalists had to assemble a PC using wireless networks – against the clock and in the heat of the TV studios. So how is Chintan adjusting to his new life in London? “I have been in England since September and am really enjoying the BSc Information Technology and Networking. We have got straight into the subject. I am enjoying inter-

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN

THE COMPUTER BECOMES THE CRIME SCENE?

FORENSIC COMPUTING IS ABOUT GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF COMPUTER CRIME. IT IS ABOUT RECOGNISING WHEN USING A COMPUTER BECOMES A CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, SUCH AS INTERNET CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, IDENTITY THEFT AND CREDIT CARD FRAUD. MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY RUNS LONDON’S FIRST BSc HONOURS FORENSIC COMPUTING AT OUR INNOVATIVE SCHOOL OF COMPUTING SCIENCE IN HENDON, NORTH-WEST LONDON.

active design where there is lots to experiment with. At the moment we are researching basic aviation. “The best part is meeting people from different cultures and countries, this is very exciting. I have made very good friends with someone from my class who is from Cyprus. “I hope to get a first class honours and then go on to a Master’s!” Find out more about Chintan’s course at www.mdx.ac.uk/digitalfutures

READ MORE AT

WWW.MDX.AC.UK/FORENSICCOMPUTING OR SEE ALL OF OUR COMPUTING COURSES AT

WWW.MDX.AC.UK/DIGITALFUTURES CALL OUR ENQUIRIES LINE ON

020 8411 5898 MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY IN LONDON THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL


10

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

November 2007

COMPUTER & IT

StudentTIMES

Questions about university Computing courses

There are hundreds of different Computing degrees at many universities. How do you find the one that is right for you?

related topics, then is it possible to change between courses once you have started? What is the range of courses between which you can change?

Here are some questions that you might ask when looking at the prospectuses of different universities, or even better, in person when you visit them.

How much hardware teaching is there? There’s no right answer to this question. It depends how interested you are in the hardware side of Computing rather than the software side. Computing degrees can differ quite a lot in how much hardware teaching there is.

Many of the questions do not have one correct answer - you need to think what kind of a career you want and what kind of things interest you, and then select a course that fits your needs. Where do course graduates typically get jobs? If you want to work for a software supplier, and all the graduates work for ICT users (or vice versa), then is probably not the right degree for you. This is a question you can actually ask a university if you are visiting them. If the staff aren’t able to answer the question, then that is a bad sign...

as soon as you finish (by including state of the art tools and practical work), but give you the theoretical underpinnings to adapt to change in a rapidlychanging Computing industry.

Do the staff have industrial experience? If you intend to work in the Computing industry after graduation, then at least some of the people teaching you should have experience of that industry. I’d look for at least a third of the staff with at least three years experience of industry, and some with senior experience (running project teams or companies). That is enough of a percentage that the Department will be able to run the practical part of the degree properly, and will understand professional issues thoroughly.

What is the mix of theoretical/practical work? A good degree will have a mixture of theoretical courses, along with practical work that uses state of the art tools.

Is this degree an education or just training? A university education in Computing is a difficult balance. On the one hand, we could just teach you guru-level use of Access and Java, and you might be unemployable in 5 years as the popular skills change. On the other hand, we could teach you the Lambda calculus, Church’s thesis and complexity theory, and you would be unemployable as soon as you complete the course (or at least need further training). The ideal course will fit you for useful work

How much Maths is there? There is no right answer to this question. Some Computing degrees can have quite a lot of Mathematics, and even ask for Maths A-level. If you like Maths and want to do more of it, then go for those courses (or even a joint degree in Maths and Computing). My own opinion is that

Computing degrees can differ quite a lot in how much hardware teaching there is.

Does the course include any team working? Much work in the Computing industry is done in teams. This means that realistic team working during the degree course, where you can point out how you fitted in the team and how well you fitted in, may well help you get a better job afterwards. How easy is it to change courses if I choose wrongly? Some degree schemes have more flexibility than others. For example, if you are not sure how much programming you want to do, or whether you want to specialize in internet-

the Maths needed by the average Computer practitioner is only one or two modules, so if you are not a Maths enthusiast, choose your course appropriately. Is there opportunity for industrial experience? In my university department, more students graduate from degrees having done an industrial year than originally applied for a degree that included an industrial year (they change degree registration at the end of the first year), and on average their degree is a grade higher than people who did not do an industrial year.

There are two reasons why they do better. The first is just that they learn good work habits in industry, and keep them during their final year. The second is more important. They gain experience in industry that helps them to understand better what they are being taught in university - it makes the information relevant. The year’s experience also makes getting a job at the end of the course even easier. Does the course include professional issues? If you are intending to work in the Computer industry, then one of the things that is needed is an understanding of the legal, professional, social and ethical issues involved in such work. Is the course accredited (by BCS, IEE)? Especially at the more challenging levels, Computing is becoming a profession, and like other professionals (lawyers, doctors etc.), there is a growing need for both recognized qualifications and professional experience to show that you are qualified. The British Computer Society (BCS) and the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE) are two institutions that accredit Computing and IT degree courses in the UK. Each organisation visits UK universities to assess their courses, and say that their students have an education fitting for someone who wants to be a member of the society and/or a Chartered Engineer. Another advantage to you of accreditation is that it answers positively some of the other questions listed. They will have investigated whether the accredited degree is appropriate in the following areas for future Computing professionals: • Does the course have sufficient coverage of Computing topics? • Does the course have sufficient coverage of professional issues? • Is it an appropriate mix of theoretical and practical work? • Are the students reasonably happy with the education they are receiving? If a Computing course is not accredited by one of these organisations, I would be asking why not.


StudentTIMES

COMPUTER & IT

RECRUITMENT: SYSTEM ANALYST

November 2007

11

Recruitment: Systems analyst Laura Duffey works for Shell International’s oil products businesses. She plans IT strategies that will meet their needs, both now and in the future. Can you describe your role? My main role is to work out our computer software plans for the next ten years. We need to ensure that we choose software that can support the company’s future business processes. What is your weekly routine? My work is extremely varied. In a typical week, I analyse our stock of applications. This is a database of all the applications in use within our business. I also look for opportunities to make cost reductions, by cutting back on the number of applications we use for instance, or by introducing new technology. Another part of my job involves preparing reports on how we perform against the measurements and targets we have set. What hours do you work? Working in a global organisation requires some flexibility. If I have meetings with colleagues in Asia, I may begin work earlier on a particular morning, while having a conference call with

you will have to work with many different people from the top of the organisation to the people actually developing and using your systems.

colleagues from the USA sometimes requires working later into the evening. What is your working environment like? I am usually based in our central London office, but occasionally work from home too. My role requires some travel, mainly to our other key offices in the Netherlands, the USA and Malaysia. Who do you work with? I work in a small team spread across Australia, the USA, the UK and the Netherlands, so keeping in touch with colleagues and virtual team-working (communicating via computer technology rather than in person) is very important. What skills do you need for your job? A broad IT background helps in this role. I had previous experience in systems engineering, service development, IT consultancy and project management before moving into a more business-focused role. Strong interpersonal skills are also essential as

Why did you choose this type of work? I have a broad IT background within the company and a love of working in the fastpaced environment with lots of different people, so I felt this area would suit me well. What training have you had? I graduated from university with a Degree in Medical Biochemistry. While at university, I took part in the Shell Technology Enterprise Programme, which places undergraduates in businesses for an eight-week project. My project involved developing a waste exchange scheme and I won a national award for my work. During the project, I developed IT skills and realised I would be interested in a career in IT. Since joining Shell, I have taken various technical, business and skills development training courses, and have also gained several professional qualifications.

Laura’s route • Degree in Medical Biochemistry. • Shell Technology Enterprise Programme. • Training courses and professional qualifications while working for Shell.

Laura’s tip Don’t feel overly pressurised to specialise in one area. I experienced many different aspects of IT and have found my broad background very beneficial.

Related jobs Business adviser, Business analyst, Management consultant, Network manager, Project manager

Salary information £££ Newly qualified analysts may earn around £25,000 a year. Experienced analysts may earn from £35,000 to £45,000. The highest salaries may be up to £50,000 a year, or more.

Getting in • Almost all business or systems analysts have a degree or an IT or business-related subject. Many have postgraduate qualifications. • It is sometimes possible to start in basic computing work and progress to become a systems analyst. Alternatively, some people work in another area of the business and use their broad experience to move into systems analysis. • Employers are increasingly looking for people with qualifications from software manufacturers.

School of Science and Technology

Would you like to earn while you learn? Then our new course, BSc (Hons) Computing (In-Company) could be the course for you. Reasons to choose this course: • This course is unique within the UK • You study for a three-year degree incorporating two years work experience • Your course fees in Years Two and Three will be covered by your employer • You can expect a salary while on your work experience of between £10,000 and £20,000 during Years Two and Three. You will also be studying in our £8 million purposed-designed computing and technology building, at Nottingham Trent University’s Clifton campus.

www.ntu.ac.uk

We also offer the following computing and technology courses: • Computer Science • Games Technology • Software Engineering • Information and Communications Technology • Mathematics • Digital Media Technology • Computer Systems • Information Systems

Tour our facilities and meet staff for first-hand advice on courses and career opportunities at one of our open days. To book your place please telephone (0115) 848 8300 or visit www.ntu.ac.uk/ciopen School of Science and Technology Computing and Informatics Building Clifton Lane, Nottingham, NG11 8NS.


12

USEFUL CONTACTS

November 2007

COMPUTER & IT

StudentTIMES

Useful addresses General IT British Computer Society (BCS) 1 Sanford Street Swindon Wiltshire SN1 1HJ p01793 417417 or p0845 300 4417 i www.bcs.org.uk e-skills UK 1 Castle Lane London SW1E 6DR p020 7963 8920 i www.e-skills.com Institute for the Management of Information Systems (IMIS) 5 Kingfisher House New Mill Road Orpington BR5 3QG p0700 002 3456 i www.imis.org.uk The Institution of Analysts and Programmers Charles House 36 Culmington Road London W13 9NH p020 8567 2118 i www.iap.org.uk

The National Computing Centre Limited (NCC) Oxford House Oxford Road Manchester M1 7ED p0161 228 6333 i www.ncc.co.uk

Management (ISMM) Harrier Court Lower Woodside Luton LU1 4DQ p01582 840001 i www.ismm.co.uk

Aerial and satellite installation

Help Desk Institute (HDI) 21 High Street Green Street Green Orpington Kent BR6 6BG p01689 889 100 i www.hdi-europe.com Institute of IT Training Westwood House Westwood Business Park Coventry CV4 8HS p0845 006 8858 i www.iitt.org.uk

Confederation of Aerial Industries Limited (CAI) Fulton House Fulton Road Wembley Middlesex HA9 0TF p020 8902 8998 i www.cai.org.uk

Computer service/repairs The Engineering Careers Information Service (ECIS) 14 Upton Road Watford WD18 0JT p0800 282167 i www.enginuity.org.uk or i www.semta.org.uk

IT sales The Institute of Sales & Marketing

IT training and support

Multimedia British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) Briarlea House Southend Road South Green Billericay CM11 2PR p01277 658107

i www.bima.co.uk Skillset Prospect House 80-110 New Oxford Street London WC1A 1HB p0808 030 0900 (England, Wales, N. Ireland); p0808 100 8094 (Scotland) i www.skillset.org Usability and Accessibility Working Group (UA-WG) C/O The British Marketing and Web Design Association PO Box 3227 London NW9 9LX i www.ua-wg.com

Technical writing Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators (ISTC) PO Box 522 Peterborough PE2 5WX p01733 390141 i www.istc.org.uk

PROFILE: Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh

COMPETITION: Win Copies of Microsoft Office and Vista

THE COMPUTER Science department at Heriot-Watt is alive with research, discussion and debate centred around a number of thriving research groups.

AHEAD OF the launch of the Imagine Cup 2008, we’ve teamed up with Microsoft and have five copies of Microsoft Office and Vista up for grabs, plus there’s an Xbox 360 Elite to be won every month until the end of February!

Undergraduate Courses Our BSc Computer Science degree offers a thorough grounding in the application of computing principles and technologies to the design and engineering of robust software systems. While the theory is comprehensive, the programme is based very much on practical application. For applicants wishing to study for an advanced honours degree, the MEng Software Engineering builds on this course and then in the final two years, students take masters level subjects and a company placement. Our BSc Information Systems degree focuses on the practical hands-on skills required to make effective use of computer hardware and software in an organisational context. The course covers a blend of management, sociotechnical systems and computer science.

Postgraduate Courses MSc Bioinformatics: Introduces science graduates to the application of information technology to computational issues in the life sciences. MSc Creative Software Systems: Software systems - especially real-time interactive graphics - have become an essential basis for creative work in computer games, edutainment applications, virtual and augmented reality, and animation. This course equips students with the theory, skills and techniques required to design and realise advanced software systems. MSc Distributed and Multimedia Information Systems: Provides students with the skills to design advanced information systems. MSc Information Technology (Business):

Understanding business critical IT systems requires mastery of both business dynamics and IT technology. This course covers both and includes topics in management, marketing, entrepreneurship and e-commerce. MSc Information Technology (E-Learning): The course helps students acquire the specialist design skills to produce e-learning systems. MSc Information Technology (Software Systems): As mobile technology, intelligent agents, e-commerce and multimedia become ubiquitous, there is a growing demand for skilled people able to design and engineer systems with these technologies. This course helps students acquire the appropriate skills. MSc Intelligent Systems/MSc Artificial Intelligence: Data mining, speech processing and machine vision are just three of the many applications that we take for granted and that are based on intelligent systems software. Students will develop the skills necessary to make a valuable contribution to the rapidly evolving and widespread field of software development. MSc Intelligent Web Technology: As software becomes more network powered and smarter, more skilled professionals are needed who can engineer these capabilities into software applications. This course enables graduates with IT skills to design, realise and manage advanced software applications. MSc Mobile and Handheld Applications: Advances in handset technology are driving a huge level of interest -this course provides a solid grounding in the technology, future developments and practical application of mobile devices in business and public services. MSc Software Engineering: Equips students to engineer software at an advanced level to professional standards with an emphasis on developing dependable systems.

Microsoft has announced the launch of its 6th annual worldwide Imagine Cup competition which gets students from across the globe competing for huge prizes and the chance to represent their country in the world finals in Paris next July. The competition has nine diverse categories including photography, short film, gaming and software development. Prizes for the UK leg of the competition include video and photography equipment, as well as money-can’t-buy opportunities such as a two week work placement at Microsoft Game Studios. This year’s competition has a green theme - “Imagine a world where technology enables a sustainable environment”. Participants will feedback on their ideas from industry experts, who will pass on the kind of entrepreneurial tips that you’ll need to beat the other entries from around the world. The top teams will also get to showcase their skills and talk jobs to top UK employers. Every student who registers at www. imaginecup.co.uk will enter a prize draw to win an Xbox 360 Elite each month until the end of February. Students can also find out more about the Imagine Cup through FaceBot, a Facebook application available at http://apps. facebook.com/imagine-cup/ which gives

users the chance to win Microsoft Points to spend in the Xbox Live Marketplace. For the chance to win a copy of Microsoft Office 2007 Ultimate, worth £549, or Microsoft Vista 2007 Ultimate, worth £369.99, simply answer the following simple question: Q. In which country are the global finals of the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2008 being held?


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