Published: 14th November 2024.
Written by Stephen Charlton, Tim Brewin
Information technology (IT) is a rapidly expanding field at the forefront of innovation in Australia. The Australian Government reports that the nation’s tech sector is worth $167 billion and has grown by 80% in the past five years.
With such a large and vibrant sector comes a lot of career opportunities. Today we’re here to talk with Leaders IT Services General Manager Tim Brewin about choosing an IT course, how to get your first job in the field and tips for finding success as an IT professional.
How to choose an IT degree
Education is key to getting job-ready in IT. However, the industry is enormous so it’s not always easy to pick which course will put you on the right path. Tim explained that the traditional path to beginning a career in IT is completing a technical bachelor's degree, but it is not the only entry pathway. Higher education pathways for IT include pursuing a technical degree with a broad scope, a specialised technical degree or a degree in a creative field.
Study paths for a broad scope degree
A typical example of a technical IT degree is a Bachelor of Information Technology, which has a broad scope and prepares you for a range of technical roles in IT. Completing a Bachelor of Information Technology therefore has the advantage of keeping your options open at the outset. As you progress through the degree, you can build a more specialised study path through your choice of electives, projects and internship. You could also further develop a specialty by subsequently pursuing postgraduate study, such as a Master of Information Technology.
A Bachelor of Information Technology would also be a good choice for people who want to get practical hands-on experience with IT. This is because such degrees are typically focused on integrating technology in a business setting, for example managing IT systems, networks and applications. This contrasts with more specialised technical degrees, which often involve deep engagement with theoretical and engineering concepts, which prepare students for designing, building and improving the underlying technology that users engage with.
A Bachelor of Computer Science is another example of a broad scope technology degree that opens up opportunities for working in IT. Note that such a degree will typically engage more with theory than a Bachelor of Information Technology.
Study paths for specialist technical disciplines
Tim added that there are various options for specialised technical degrees related to IT, such as software development, cyber security, mathematics, artificial intelligence or data science.
Choosing such a specialised degree would be a natural choice for people who already know which area of IT they are passionate about. When it comes time to apply for jobs in that area, a specialised degree will help demonstrate that you have a long-running engagement with that discipline and relevant specialised knowledge. This can position you ahead of other candidates and potentially allow you to command a higher salary, depending on demand for the specialty.
Study paths for creative roles
Gaining hard skills in a technical role is not the only way to get into the IT industry. Tim noted that there are also more creative roles in IT, “There’s a whole other art to IT, which is user experience and customer experience, which is about how does one engage with technology, and how does one design technology to be engaged with, which is more of an artistic forum.”
Skills in this area can be gained by studying topics including but not limited to user experience (UX), user interface (UI) and customer experience (CX).
Vocational Education and Training
Although a bachelor’s degree is attractive to recruiters and can lead to a broader range of career options, meeting the strict entry requirements and managing the time commitment and costs can be difficult. Starting with a certificate-level qualification offers a practical entry pathway that prepares you to join the workforce while also giving you valuable skills and a qualification to build on.
Tim explains that a bachelor’s degree is not the only consideration for employers and that having a passion for the field will get you a long way. If your interest is gaming and computing, it’s about harnessing “that passion for technology to build a framework of understanding around programming and development.” Completing a VET qualification can demonstrate to recruiters that you are committed to building a career in this field.
The following VET courses are suitable for beginners who are interested in starting a career in IT:
VET qualifications are nationally recognised and strongly aligned with current industry needs, ensuring students learn relevant and up-to-date skills and knowledge.
VET pathways to further study
A VET qualification can offer an alternative pathway to entering higher education, such as a bachelor’s degree. This is because VET is an alternative way to meet university course entry requirements, instead of qualifying via year 11 and 12 coursework.
Students who complete relevant VET courses may be able to gain recognition of prior learning as they enter higher education, and gain academic credit as a result. Leveraging academic credit can allow students to graduate sooner and reduce their higher education fees. This is because VET fees are typically lower than the fees for higher level university courses, even over the same duration of study.
Short courses
Short courses are suitable for people who are new to IT and have an interest in further studyas well as graduates and working professionals who want to gain additional skills for their current role. After all, tech is a constantly evolving field, so short courses are an efficient way to learn about rapidly emerging technologies, such as new tools and programming languages.
Gaining practical experience
After completing your studies, you can further advance your practical experience by publishing your technical projects (for example, on GitHub) or getting involved with collaborative open-source projects and other types of volunteer work. Your portfolio of projects can be used to demonstrate your practical skills to recruiters and used as a basis for gaining freelance projects.
You can also gain hands-on professional experience with an entry-level job, some of which won’t require a degree. This experience, together with freelance projects, can then be used as a basis for further career advancement in IT.
Why networking is crucial
Networking can improve your job prospects in a big way. In fact, one widely cited survey found that 85% of critical jobs are filled through networking. It can help you land a job by making you aware of vacant positions you wouldn’t have otherwise heard about, as well as making you more visible to recruiters.
Doing a bachelor's degree is one way to expand your network while gaining skills. Tim added, “You need to throw yourself into the industry by understanding where to find the opportunity to network with people and converse with people of your own interests.”
Tim mentions a good place to start is The Australian Computer Society, “a very good entry point for people who chose not to go down the traditional line of going to university.”
Other Australian tech associations that can offer networking opportunities include the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), Tech Council of Australia (TCA), Australian Web Industry Association (AWIA) and Women in Technology (WIT).