All of the advice you will find on this presentation has been created with the IT market in mind. We have spoken to IT managers and recruiters about some of the recruitment struggles that young IT professionals face in today’s market. Some of the topics include: How to make the most of networking opportunities within the IT industry What IT certifications can make you more marketable How you can manage your own brand What’s really going on in the IT internship/graduate recruitment market

1. Want to ‘be your best’?
5 steps to kick start your
career
www.itjobsforgraduates.com

2. Welcome to IT Jobs for Graduates talk on ‘Be your best’
Who are we?
• IT Jobs for Graduates are an IT specific job board advertising IT graduate and internship jobs ‐
www.itjobsforgraduates.com
Why are we here?
• To help students overcome the challenges of securing their first job in IT.
• We know the market is extra tough this year, so we want to help students to market themselves through
the recession.
What this presentation will cover
• An overview of the current market
• What are recruiters looking for & what should you consider
• Networking tips
• Additional Certification
• Your Application
• Nailing The Interview
• Getting Experience

3. Understanding the IT graduate job market…
Key market facts
• 61% of UK’s leading employers are still planning to recruit IT graduates in 2009
• Top companies in the UK planned to recruit 720 graduates for IT position but this has been reduced to
530
• The average salary for IT graduates in £26,000 which is 4% up on 2008

4. Recruiter Expectations & Considerations For Your Career
What are they looking for?
Graduates from Top 100 Technology Universities
• Sussex University ranks 38 for Computer Science degrees in The UK. So employers want you!
Women
• Less than one quarter of The UK IT workforce are women.
Other Degree Qualified Students
• Employers are looking for students with other degrees including those who have studied Maths, Psychics
& Economics
What you need to consider?
Your first job is the stepping stone for your career. Thus it is important to make the right decision about the
field of IT you want to work in.
Skills for the future include;
• Web
• Infrastructure & Security
• Security
• Mobile

5. Step 1‐ Learn how to network‐ Online Networking
• Social /Professional Networking
DO select the right social network for purpose ‐ Sites including LinkedIn and Xing offer a great platform to connect
with IT professionals.
DO use them to stay in touch with business contacts
DO involve yourself in conversation ‐ there are a number of professional groups including The IT Job Board on
Linked in which are great placed to network
DON’T blur professional with personal
DON’T Make your profile public if there are things you do not want employers to see
• Blogging
DO contribute in the online IT community by keeping your own blog or contributing to others
DON’T be destructive

6. Step 2‐ Learn how to network‐ Offline Networking
Building contacts
DO let friends and acquaintances know that you are actively job hunting
DON’T use and abuse ‐ networking is a two way thing
DO use temporary work placements as an opportunity to to establish connections with colleagues or even
managers
DON’T start bombarding everyone with requests for help ‐ decide who is in the best position to help you
excel
DO attend university and grad fairs as this can help you forge new contacts while at university
DON’T forget first impressions count ‐ this is your first contact with potential recruiters so make sure you act
with professionalism

7. Step 3 Step 2‐ Gain Additional Certifications
75% of IT recruiters stated in a recent survey that candidates with additional certifications stand a
better chance at securing a role.
What to look for…
IT Jobs for Graduates surveyed 125 IT professionals to find out which certifications were seen as the
most valuable in the IT industry.
In the hardware category;
• Microsoft (e.g. MCSE, MCSA, MCT) ‐ 42%
• Cisco (e.g. CCNA, CCNP) ‐ 29%
• CompTIA (e.g. A+, Network+, CTT+) ‐ 5%
For the software category;
Prince2 Certification ‐ 25%
ITIL Certification ‐ 22% IT Security (CISSP) &
MS Office Specialist Certification ‐ 10%
Visit: beyourbest.itjobsforgraduates.com for more information

8. Step 3 ‐ Your application
Making an impression through your CV...
• Use ‘key buzz words’ in your CV that HR professionals put in the adverts you are looking at
• Focus on your key skills, deliverables and methodologies used to undertake certain projects
• Have more then one CV and tailor it to the individual job
Strong cover letters…
There are a number of elements that go into creating a winning cover letter…
• Include one!
• Personalisation
• Highlight strengths and accomplishments
• Tell recruiters why you’re different
• Make it direct and too the point but interesting at the same time

9. Step 4‐ Nailing the interview
You have good interviews and bad ones! Make sure every interview you go to is a good one…
1) Make the right first impression
2) Always prepare and know your stuff
3) Test Yourself
4) Hide those nerves
5) Highlight your strengths

10. Step 5 ‐ Get experience
• Work experience will instantly bump you up the rankings as it is one of the key things employers are
looking for. There are many sites available that offer small one off projects that you can bid for. Some of
these include;
eLance.com
iFreelance.com
PeoplePerHour.com and a host of others.
• Another way to gain valuable experience is through volunteering for charity organisations within their IT
function. This is a great way to build experience in a business environment.

11. Questions?
Visit beyourbest.itjobsforgraduates.com