Calling All IT Professionals.......................

OUStudent

Helloooooooooo

OK after much deliberation I have decided to enter into a degree programme with the Open University, the only "flair" I have in life is anything to do with computing so this is a natural choice for my new found degree, here's the thing.............................

I am unsure with Open University degree to go for with the computing industry, also I have no clue what job I want to end up doing, I have only 1 goal from this and that is when graduated to get a job in the industry that will pay the the most money possible.

I know I know shallow however at the age of 32 and doing mundane boring crappy jobs all my life my main focus now is to earn as much as humanly possible to provide the best future for my family, you know the sort of thing being able to buy a house the odd holiday here and there, a car that works properly not much to ask really but so hard to achieve.

SO, shallow or not my only goal is bigggg salary, I need some guidance on the kind of IT job that brings these decent wages virtually from the beginning, I think say 35k+ as a starting point then on to infinity and beyond What jobs and more importantly degree should I be looking at to achieve this, I know the world of IT is quite "saturated" at the moment so am fully aware there will be fierce competition that does not bother me in the least, if I am going to do this I am going to do it right and achieve the best marks possible so hopefully my new found education will speak for itself.

Please no negative comments from people trapped in jobs they hate for rubbish money for the first time in a long time I feel really positive about the future, this hopefully is the beginning of a whole new life for me and my family and an exciting journey

Any insights appreciated thanks in advance.

dmg24

I think you need to be more realistic. The IT industry is saturated with experienced workers with professional qualifications who have been made redundant, so why would they give a well paid job to a newbie?

I know a few people in the IT industry. Two earn over £100,000 (one working overseas) and have professional qualifications, but neither have a degree. The other has an IT degree (not sure of the exact subject), and works in a call centre doing first line support.

OUStudent

dmg24 wrote: »

I think you need to be more realistic. The IT industry is saturated with experienced workers with professional qualifications who have been made redundant, so why would they give a well paid job to a newbie?

I know a few people in the IT industry. Two earn over £100,000 (one working overseas) and have professional qualifications, but neither have a degree. The other has an IT degree (not sure of the exact subject), and works in a call centre doing first line support.

Hello and thanks for replying

This is my exact reason for asking here, I realise I may be being a little naive but hey shoot for the stars I may just get somewhere near

I suppose if I could predict what will be the next "big thing" within the world of IT I would be onto a winner, sadly without the aid of a crystal ball Im a bit stumped

First Line Support in a call centre that is interesting I did not realise it was possible to earn these huge wages doing this kind of job, the overseas thing is always a possibility once graduated I am really easy and just want to position myself in a situation where I can provide the best financial future and security for my family.

Thanks for your input I appreciate your time

Anyone else??

dmg24

OUStudent wrote: »

Hello and thanks for replying

This is my exact reason for asking here, I realise I may be being a little naive but hey shoot for the stars I may just get somewhere near

I suppose if I could predict what will be the next "big thing" within the world of IT I would be onto a winner, sadly without the aid of a crystal ball Im a bit stumped

First Line Support in a call centre that is interesting I did not realise it was possible to earn these huge wages doing this kind of job, the overseas thing is always a possibility once graduated I am really easy and just want to position myself in a situation where I can provide the best financial future and security for my family.

Thanks for your input I appreciate your time

Anyone else??

Sorry, the call centre worker is not one of the high earners. However, he is gaining valuable experience, both in terms of IT and people management.

If you do want to start higher up the chain, you need to really stand out, and that is difficult with OU. Whilst studying, it is worth subscribing to any relevant journals (you may be able to access them online for free), and trying to get some work published. Also attending conferences etc can be a good way to get to know people. My higher earning friends both got their jobs through informal channels.

Desperado99

OUStudent wrote: »

SO, shallow or not my only goal is bigggg salary, I need some guidance on the kind of IT job that brings these decent wages virtually from the beginning, I think say 35k+ as a starting point then on to infinity and beyond What jobs and more importantly degree should I be looking at to achieve this, I know the world of IT is quite "saturated" at the moment so am fully aware there will be fierce competition that does not bother me in the least, if I am going to do this I am going to do it right and achieve the best marks possible so hopefully my new found education will speak for itself.

Aaah bless you!

OH has a computing degree, and has worked in IT for 15 years, he has only recently reached £35K.

Having said that, if you are willing to work anywhere in the UK, you will probably achieve more (but not necessarily as a starting point).

The best thing is to train in an area of computing that interests you, and qualifies you to actually do something at the end of it (my degree was completely pointless).

Having spoken to OH , he reckons that Management, Project Management and Systems/Business Analysis followed by development (programming) are good areas.

Good Luck with your degree

Hammyman

Linux and Unix server administration is the way to go. MS admins are ten a penny and paid accordingly.

inmypocketnottheirs

Hammyman wrote: »

Linux and Unix server administration is the way to go. MS admins are ten a penny and paid accordingly.

I have a pal who is HP/UX sys admin, earned £100,000 p.a til 5 years ago, £35,000 til 2 years ago and now can't find anything.

KiKi

Edited because I just realised that the point I was making has already been covered by the OP. I should read more carefully!

inmypocketnottheirs

In order to carve a lucrative career you need skills that are hard to acquire. Have a look at C/C+/C++ programming jobs. Just google or look on https://www.indeed.co.uk.

Owain_Moneysaver

Stay away from programming - it's too easily outsourced to India.

What is needed is people with solid computing and business credentials for Project Management and Analysis. That prepares you for working in consultancy eg with the big accountancy firms, or in management, which is where the money is. Those skills won't date, unlike programming which comes and goes in fashion.

The good news is that the OU has a good reputation for and makes it easy to combine business and computing units. And there is a difference between IT and computing science, and you need some good solid comp sci to underpin the business and IT sides.

As inmypocketnottheirs says, skills system administrators can earn good money, but it's very vulnerable to outsourcing (I don't know if that's why the work is unavailable, but it may be). It also involves starting at the bottom as system operators working long shifts, unsocial hours, being paid a pittance and often being on call as well.

First line helpdesk ops in call centres sometimes have very little IT skills, and use flowcharts and scripts to resolve basic faults. It's not usually well paid or satisfying work.

You might also look at some of the BCS accredited training for suggestions of what is likely to be in demand, for example there are new developments in 'green IT' certification.

jbreckmckye

A talented programmer might be able to enter the market at around the £32k range. You would be better studying mathematics first, though. Truly capable engineers who can devise elegant and efficient algorithms are always sought-after. Whilst boilerplate, generic 'How do I shot pointers?' (see here) might be outsourced to India, real programming - the business of thinking up beautiful solutions to mathematical problems - is something quite different.