Jobs: Technology

Opportunities to further your career within the Technology industry

The large amount of job opportunities and the limited number of talent creates a skill shortage for most technological sectors, which is only difficult to bridge.

Technology experts are no longer only employed by technical organisations. With the increasing importance of technology in our everyday working lives, all industries need experts in this field and usually have their own in-house departments. Besides technical companies, the manufacturing, financial and public sector also offer multiple job opportunities.

Salary information and career progression

The Technology industry encompasses many disciplines, so average salaries can vary significantly. However, the data below gives you a good ballpark figure based upon the level of experience:

Recent Changes

Since there have been some drastic changes in the Technology industry over the last couple of years, it is not surprising that the employment market has also been constantly changing. One of these changes concerns the number of specialisms in Technology. While a couple of years ago technical specialist areas were more or less straightforward, these days the amount of specialisms has become unaccountable. Some of the most popular areas include cloud computing, data science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and agile practices. 

Future Prospects

The working conditions for technical professionals are expected to stay as attractive as they currently are. This means that they will continue to have great onsite facilities, work with the latest technologies and in some cases have flexible working policies. Due to the fact that constant innovation is central to this industry, technical jobs will likely offer plenty of opportunities for learning new skills and professional development. 

Salt’s advice for getting a job in the Technology industry

• Employers' Requirements

  If your job is business-focused, the employers will want to see that you are able to apply your technical knowledge for commercial processes. If you have a very specific technical job, e.g. software engineering or programming, it is crucial to show employers your knowledge of programming languages, of networks and your development skills. Despite the differences, there are some key competencies which are expected from all Technology professionals, including communication, analytical ability and problem-solving.

• CV Requirements

  Some core elements that all CVs should contain are technical knowledge and soft skills. CVs should be focussed on outcomes and achievements rather than purely responsibilities. Technology professionals should show that they keep themselves up to date with the latest technologies and principles in their field.

• Interview Preparation

  There are two main objectives of the interview. Firstly, is to determine how you would fit into the team and how you align with the company values. Secondly, is to find out if your knowledge and experience correspond to the requirements of a particular job. Depending on the role, different test formats can be used. One of the formats is verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning, which test general ability. Another is testing specific skills such as coding and syntax. An increasingly popular format is being presented with a real-world problem and being asked to find a solution using technology and then talk through your reasoning.

  The best way to prepare for a technical interview is to refresh your knowledge about the fundamentals in a specific technical field. Most interviews will include behavioural and situational questions, which will require you to provide examples from your past experiences to evidence the answer. To prepare for this, firstly, research behavioural and competency questions. Then look at the position description to see what behaviours and competencies it requires. Lastly, think back to some of your past achievements and experiences that illustrate these, so they are easier to recall in the interview.

• Educational Requirements

  Most companies require their future employees to have a bachelor’s degree in IT, ideally in fields like computer science or information systems, combined with relevant work experience. Some employers expect their employees to also have a postgraduate degree in their specialised sector such as data science. Certain roles have industry qualifications and accreditations as a requirement e.g. scrum master, agile coach, and information security specialist.