VI. Would you like to apply for one of these jobs? Why?

VII. Study the personal profile of Charles Graham. Which is the most suitable job for him?

CHARLES GRAHAM

- 28 years old. Married.

- Education: 3 A-levels.

- In-depth knowledge of Apple Macintosh equipment.

- Course in graphic design and page-layout applications from Highland Art School.

- Proficient in Adobe PageMaker and SuperPaint.

- Diploma in word processing. Wide experience in MS Word and WordPerfect.

- Present job: Computer operator for PromoPrint, a company specializing in publishing catalogues and promotional material.

VIII. Classify these jobs under the heading that best describes their function:

- software engineer; - trainer; - hardware engineer; - help desk technician;

- network analyst; - network administrator; - database administrator; - systems analyst.

ANALYZE: a) … b) …

DESIGN/DEVELOP: c) … d) …

MANAGE: e) … f) …

SUPPORT: g) … h) …

IX. Work in groups of three: a, b and c. Read your text and complete the table. You may not find information for each section of your table. Then share information orally.

	A	B	C
1. job title 2. nature of work 3. formal qualifications 4. personal qualities 5. technical skills 6. how to get started 7. how to make progress

A: How to become a programming expert?

The primary requirements for being a good programmer are nothing more than a good memory, an attention to detail, a logical mind and the ability to work through a problem in a methodical manner breaking tasks down into smaller, more manageable pieces.

However, it’s not enough just to turn up for a job interview with a logical mind as your sole qualification. An employer will want to see some sort of formal qualification and a proven track record. But if you can show someone an impressive piece of software with your name on it, it will count for a lot more than a string of academic qualifications.

So what specific skills are employers looking for? The Windows market is booming and there’s a demand for good C, C++, Delphi, Java and Visual Basic developers. Avoid older languages such as FORTRAN and COBOL unless you want to work as a contract programmer.

For someone starting out, my best advice would be to subscribe to the programming magazines such as Microsoft Systems Journal. Get one or two of the low-cost “student” editions of C++, Visual Basic and Delphi. Get a decent book on Windows programming. If you decide programming is really for you, spend more money on a training course.

B: How to become a Computer Consultant?

The first key point to realise is that you can’t know everything. However you mustn’t become an expert in too narrow a field. The second key point is that you must be interested in your subject. The third key is to differentiate between contract work and consultancy. Good contractors move from job to job every few months. A consultant is different. A consultant often works on very small timescales – a few days here, a week there, but often for a core collection of companies that keep coming back again and again.

There’s a lot of work out there for people who know Visual Basic, C++, and so on. And there are lots of people who know it too, so you have to be better than them. Qualifications are important. Microsoft has a raft of exams you can take, as does Novell, and in my experience these are very useful pieces of paper. University degrees are useless. They merely prove you can think, and will hopefully get you into a job where you can learn something useful. Exams like Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer are well worth doing. The same goes for NetWare Certification. However, this won’t guarantee an understanding of the product, its positioning in the market, how it relates to other products and so on. That’s where the all-important experience comes in.

Here’s the road map. After leaving university you get a technical role in a company and spend your evenings and weekends learning the tools of your trade – and getting your current employer to pay for your exams. You don’t stay in one company for more than two years. After a couple of hops like that, you may be in a good position to move into a junior consultancy position in one of the larger consultancy companies. By the age of 30, you’ve run big projects, rolled out major solutions and are well known. Maybe then it’s time to make the leap and run your own life.

C: How to become an IT Manager?

IT Managers manage projects, technology and people. Any large organization will have at least one IT manager responsible for ensuring that everyone who actually needs a PC has one and that it works properly. This means taking responsibility for the maintenance of servers and the installation of new software, and for staffing a help-desk and a support group.

Medium to large companies are also likely to have an IT systems manager. They are responsible for developing and implementing computer software that supports the operations of the business. They’re responsible for multiple development projects and oversee the implementation and support of the systems. Companies will have two or three major systems that are probably bought off the shelf and then tailored by an in-house development team.

Apart from basic hardware and software expertise, an IT manager will typically have over five years’ experience in the industry. Most are between 30 and 45. Since IT managers have to take responsibility for budgets and for staff, employers look for both of these factors in any potential recruit.

Nearly all IT managers have at least a first degree if not a second one as well. Interestingly, many of them don’t have degrees in computing science. In any case, the best qualification for becoming a manager is experience. If your personality is such that you’re unlikely to be asked to take responsibility for a small team or project, then you can forget being an IT manager. You need to be bright, communicative and be able to earn the trust of your teams. Most of this can’t be taught, so if you don’t have these skills then divert your career elsewhere.