here.

IT
Graduate
careers
in IT
2016
• opportunities in Ireland, north and south
• sectors include IT, web development, project
management & software testing
• useful contacts
• graduate profiles
• the inside track on what employers want
Connect to explore our graduate opportunities
ericsson.com/careers
WELCOME
gradireland IT 2016
In this section
Your career in IT
Introducing your career in IT ................2
How to get hired in IT ..............................4
Areas of work
Areas of work ..............................................6
Programmer/software developer ..7
Systems analyst/business
analyst ......................................................8
Web developer ......................................8
Network engineer ................................9
Telecoms engineer ..............................9
Technical sales ....................................10
Technical support ..............................10
Software engineer ............................11
Project manager ................................11
Software tester/quality
assurance engineer...........................12
People at work
My career in IT ..........................................13
Professional development
Training and career development:
how an IT career may develop............15
Postgraduate study ................................16
Employers
Top employers in IT....................................17
A–Z of employers ......................................19
Employers
Bank of Ireland..........................................20
Deloitte ........................................................21
Ericsson Ireland ........................................22
First Derivatives Plc ................................23
PwC................................................................25
gradireland IT is published by the Association of Higher
Education Careers Services and GTI Media Ltd (Ireland).
We would like to thank all third level careers services in
Ireland and Northern Ireland and our publishing partners
the Association of Higher Education Careers Services for
their help with this publication.
Editor Ruairi Kavanagh
Design Maya Little, Rhys Jones
Commercial director Gavan O’Brien
Advertising Gavan O’Brien, Davey Farrell, Louise Keegan,
Mark O'Brien, the GTI Media sales team
Production Katie Burns, Jane Anderson
Series designer Maya Little
Publisher Mark Mitchell
Marketing and distribution Sinéad Foy
Events manager Aisling Carroll
Production director Jane Anderson
GTI Ireland, 14–16 Lord Edward Street,
Dublin D02 YC63, Ireland
Tel +353 (0)1 645 1500
Email gradireland@groupgti.com Web groupgti.com
Printer Headley Brothers, Ashford, Kent, UK
ISBN 1 84318 899 6
ISSN 2009-3748
© October 2015 Association of Higher Education Careers
Services and GTI Media Ltd (Ireland). All rights reserved. No
part of this publication may be reproduced by any means
including, but not limited to, photocopying or stored in a
retrieval system in any form without prior written consent
of the Association of Higher Education Careers Services.
This is subject to the single exception of photocopying by
the Association of Higher Education Careers Service
member institutions. All items so used should be fully
acknowledged. The views expressed in articles are those of
the author and their publication does not necessarily
imply that such views are shared by the Association of
Higher Education Careers Services and GTI. Whilst every
care has been taken in the compilation of this publication,
the author and publishers cannot
accept responsibility for any
inaccuracies, or for consequential
loss arising from such
inaccuracies, or for any other loss,
direct or consequential, arising in
connection with information in
this publication.
Workday ......................................................26
SIG..................................................................28
Titles in this series
•Arts, Humanities &
Social Sciences*
•IT
•Construction*
•Engineering
•Finance
•Hospitality &
Tourism*
•Journalism &
Media*
•Law
•Languages
•Property*
•Psychology*
•Retail*
•Science*
•Social Work*
•Teaching &
Education*
•Work Experience &
Time Out*
* Available as downloads only from
gradireland.com/publications
gradireland.com/it
IT 2016 | 1
YOUR CAREER IN IT
Introducing your career in IT
Data analytics and career opportunities
There is expected to be sustained and consistent
growth in the area of data analysis and ‘big data’ in
general over the next 5 years, as evidenced by the
Expert Group for Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) ‘Assessing
the demand for big data and analytics skills 2013-2020’
report, published in April of 2014. The report highlights
that 21,000 potential job vacancies could arise –
comprising 3,630 for deep analytical roles and 17,470
for big data savvy roles. There would also be a further
8,780 potential job openings for supporting technology
staff – as noted in the EGFSN report on ‘Addressing
Future Demand for High-Level ICT Skills’. Companies
envisage that they will continue to need to recruit both
experienced individuals and new graduates in these
areas in the future.
Who would it suit?
Given the range of opportunities in IT and telecoms,
you’d be forgiven for thinking the field could suit
almost anybody. However, IT professionals need to be
self-motivated problem solvers, capable of taking the
initiative and working well with and for others. From a
graduate’s perspective, the fact that the technology is
ever-changing means that the work will never get
boring. Furthermore, the ubiquitous nature of
information technology means that IT skills can take a
skilled professional almost anywhere in the world.
No IT degree?
IT and graduate careers
The Higher Education Authority’s Expert Group for
Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) has highlighted IT as an
area of significant skills demand, with an increasing
number of employment permits being issued each year
to alleviate the shortfall which employers are
experiencing when recruiting suitably skilled IT staff.
There has been a strategic focus on the development of
mathematics and science related skills as a result of the
Government’s ‘smart economy’ drive. The STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) area has
increased significantly in profile over recent years as a
result of this initiative, as have the demands of
employers. Graduates with computer science,
statistical and maths related skills are best placed to
avail of opportunities within the IT sector, which has a
growing influence across many other sectors due to the
fundamental role of technology within almost every
aspect of modern working life.
2|
IT 2016
Don’t worry. IT is not a closed shop. It encompasses all
businesses and, reflecting this diversity, it is also one of
the easiest fields to convert to from a non-ICT
background. Many colleges offer cross-departmental
postgraduate programmes designed to encourage
those with very different academic histories into the
sector. There is also a wide selection of one-year
conversion courses, such as the Higher Diploma in
Applied Computing Technology at University College
Cork, which allow non-IT graduates to acquire the
requisite theoretical knowledge and practical
experience to work in the field (see postgradireland.com
for more on conversion courses). There are also plenty
of opportunities in the IT industry for those without
specialist technical skills. HR, marketing, business
development, general management, technical writing
and sales positions are regularly advertised. These nonIT roles can be researched by looking at company
websites or approaching HR departments directly.
gradireland.com/it
YOUR CAREER IN IT
IT in the Republic of Ireland
Over the past 3-4 years, approximately 17,500 jobs
have been announced by technology companies and
the sector is responsible for 40% of Irish national
exports (€72 billion per annum). The Irish IT sector
consists of:
• 10 of the top 10 global technology companies
• 9 of the 10 global software companies
• 5 of the 5 top security software companies
• 3 of the top 3 enterprise software companies
• 3 of the top 5 games companies
• 4 of the top 5 IT services companies
• The top 10 'born on the internet' companies
The technology sector in Ireland directly employs
over 105,000 people, with 75% employed in
multinational companies and the remainder in the
indigenous digital technology sector.
As well as a strong multinational presence in
Ireland, there is a growing indigenous digital
technology sector. This sector alone employs over
30,000 people with total sales of over €2 billion per
annum, according to ICT Ireland. Opportunities now
exist for careers due to the greater collaboration
between the indigenous technology sector and the
burgeoning multinational technology companies. This
collaboration will allow synchronised development of
the multinational sector and the indigenous IT sector.
gradireland.com/it
IT in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is an increasingly popular destination
for major IT companies, and recent data shows that
approximately 28,000 people are employed within the
sector, which contributes more than £1.4 billion per
annum to the economy.
With more than 100 international investors
Northern Ireland is one of the leading foreign direct
investment regions in Europe for software development
centres and IT technical support centres.
There are over 900 companies operating in the IT
and Communications areas, including wireless,
financial services software, security and information
management.
There are 13 university ICT-related research centres
in Northern Ireland. The key technology areas under
research are telecommunications and wireless, security
technologies, engineering technologies and
semiconductors, and digital media.
IT 2016 | 3
YOUR CAREER IN IT
How to get hired in IT
While there are jobs available in IT, they require a specific set of skills, qualifications and
attributes. Find out what your CV needs to stand out to recruiters in this sector.
Y
ou might be aware of the
shortfall in skills that
recruiters in the IT sector are
currently experiencing, and if you
have a degree related to the sector
you may think that your CV may be
automatically of interest to the IT
companies which you want to work
for. But most IT recruiters have very
specific requirements that they are
looking for in their graduate recruits,
and IT skills shortfalls are amongst
the most common areas of concern
for recruiters, as reported in this
year’s gradireland Graduate Salary &
Graduate Recruitment Trends Survey.
At a minimum level, recruiters are
seeking someone with at least a 2:1
4|
IT 2016
degree, but they are generally looking
for a lot more. IT is an area where
specialism is key, and you will need to
match skills with enthusiasm,
dynamism and the other
‘employability’ attributes which
recruiters are seeking in today’s
workplace.
Primary degrees particularly in
demand are computer science,
maths, internet technologies,
software, IT related engineering
disciplines, electronics, computer
programming and computing with
business. Many recruiters may require
postgraduate study or further
qualifications from applicants,
depending on the role on offer.
Do your research
Like applying for any job, you need to
be sure that you are suitable for the
role that you’re applying for in IT. Do
you have the skills and qualifications
that the employer is looking for? If
not, can you demonstrate that you’re
working on acquiring them and can
you bridge that gap?
Necessary hard skills
You will need to have certain
technical skills in your locker if you’re
to be successful in your application.
The level of skill you will need is
dependent on the role of course.
Application developers, for example,
will be expected to have in depth
gradireland.com/it
YOUR CAREER IN IT
An internship in an IT related area can help
you bridge any gaps you may have, whether
they be in terms of hard or soft skills.
knowledge of at least one computer
language. Familiarity in test
automation, scripting and knowledge
of Structured Query Language (SQL) is
required for a quality assurance
analyst. A developer, at graduate level,
is generally expected to be able to
demonstrate their competency in one
or more of the following major
programming languages; C++, C# (C
sharp) and Java. Data analysis skills,
cyber-security and cloud application
skills are also in demand. If you have
graphic design or computer aided
design (CAD) skills it will be of
benefit, while every employer will
expect you to be able to know your
way around standard office
programmes.
Necessary soft skills
The culture of IT companies is very
collaborative so your ability to
manage workload and communicate
professionally is very important, often
just as much as your technical skills,
particularly for roles such as
consultancy. So recruiters will be
looking out for soft skills such as the
following, allied with evidence of
situations where you have displayed
them:
• Ability to deal with pressure
• Honesty and integrity
• Adept at communicating with, and
listening to, others
• Problem solving skills and problem
identification skills
• Project management ability
gradireland.com/it
Recruitment
Recruitment fairs often have jobs on
offer for the right candidates and
most of the large IT companies will
have a presence there. Quite often,
the company representatives who
attend are recent graduates. It should
also be noted that employers visit
campuses during the first stage of
their yearly recruitment campaigns.
In addition, there are a large number
of companies in these sectors who
actively recruit through college
careers service websites or
gradireland.com. You do not have to
limit yourself by only applying to
companies specialising in IT.
Practically all businesses use IT, and
many employ graduates in IT and
technology related roles. Companies
with profiles or job notices on
gradireland.com, that actively look for
staff in IT, are in sectors as diverse as
accountancy, retail, insurance,
manufacturing and law.
Applications and interviews
Due to the nature of the industry, the
use of application forms is the most
common method of applying to
graduate programmes in the IT
industry. However, you will also
require your CV as employers
frequently use it to ascertain the level
of experience you have in terms of
your various skills. If you’ve done a
computer science degree, or similar,
detail the content of the programme
you completed as not all are the
same. Also include information about
projects you initiated and completed
and the key technical skills you used.
Video and telephone interviews
are used to screen candidates by 25%
and 68% of employers respectively,
according to the gradireland
Graduate Salary and Graduate
Recruitment Trends Survey 2015. So
it’s vital that you’re comfortable with
these types on interviews, visit
gradireland.com/careers-advice/
interviews-and-tests for more tips.
Each company will have its own
distinct process so make sure you do
some research into what it will
involve. Remember, if you progress to
a face-to-face interview, the
interviewers will be looking to gauge
your soft skills, so remember to focus
on that also in your preparation.
Value of internships
Despite any technical skills or
qualifications you may have, it could
be industry experience that you are
lacking. An internship in an IT related
area can help you bridge any gaps you
may have, whether they be in terms
of hard or soft skills. Many companies
offer popular and well-structured
internship programmes with the
intention of preparing a future
channel of graduate talent. Your
careers service can help, but don’t be
afraid to do some networking with
any contacts within the industry and
take the initiative yourself.
IT 2016 | 5
AREAS OF WORK
Areas of work
IT plays a core role in almost every organisation and activity imaginable today.
In this section
Programmer/software developer ....7
Technical sales ......................................10
Systems analyst/business analyst ..8
Technical support ................................10
Web developer ........................................8
Software engineer ................................11
Network engineer ..................................9
Project manager ..................................11
Telecoms engineer ................................9
Software Tester/Quality Assurance
Engineer....................................................12
I
nformation technology plays a
fundamental role in almost every
organisation, business and
institution. Therefore qualified
professionals can find themselves
happily working in a wide range of
different circumstances; they can be
self-employed, working for private
industry, operating for the civil service,
or acting on behalf of an NGO or
charity. Furthermore, the catch-all
phrase ‘IT professional’ disguises a
huge range of very distinct specialities.
‘Working in IT’ encompasses
everything from the fundamental
design and programming of computer
systems; to the testing, maintenance
and support of those systems; to the
sales and marketing of those systems
to the general public; to the training
of other professionals. That’s quite a
range of employment possibilities.
Types of employment in IT fall into
three categories:
• Employees make up the majority of
workers in the industry. Working for
6|
IT 2016
a single employer in return for a set
salary is still the template imagined
by many graduates. However, it’s by
no means the only option for
professionals in today’s
marketplace.
• Contractors are provided by an
agency, work on location and are
paid by the hour. These specialists
usually offer skills not available in
the client organisation, either
because their particular skills are in
short supply, or because hiring
someone on a permanent contract
simply isn’t economically viable.
• Consultants also provide solutions
to their clients’ problems but their
earnings tend to be higher than
contractors. This is because they
typically operate without an
agency, run their own business,
and provide their own technology.
Although the flexibility of
consulting and contract work
might sound appealing, graduates
need to have a considerable
Innovative meeting “room” at Realex
Payments, a payments technology company
amount of experience before
moving into these areas.
Where can you work?
At the most obvious level, IT graduates
can find themselves working for the
companies that produce hardware
and software, but these only account
for some of the roles on offer.
Nowadays, virtually every organisation
and institution uses IT. These range
from financial services companies to
charity organisations, and it means
that graduates can, if they wish, seek
work within almost any sector. The job
descriptions on the following pages
cover the main areas of employment
in the software industry; however, it
needs to be stressed that job titles can
be interpreted very differently from
organisation to organisation. In
today’s more flexible career market,
specific roles do not necessarily imply
a clear-cut list of responsibilities. It’s
always important to thoroughly
research the role you’re applying for.
gradireland.com/it
AREAS OF WORK
Programmer/software developer
P
rogramming is at the very core
of IT. Many IT graduates start
out on their career path as
programmers, and programming is
the basis of a wide range of
processes, skills and activities. But
what does it actually involve? Well,
the work varies hugely, depending on
both the organisation and the
software being produced. But all
programmers essentially write
instructions that a computer can
interpret. This means establishing a
detailed specification and clarifying
exactly what a program needs to do,
then breaking the specification down
to its simplest elements and
translating this into an appropriate
programming language.
Different tasks require different
programming languages, but those
most in demand are Visual Basic,
Java, XML and C++. Most
programmers specialise in a few
different languages, and the ability to
learn and adapt quickly is a must.
There are two distinct areas of
expertise within programming:
applications programmers and
systems programmers (also known as
systems developers). Applications
programmers write programs that
process and manage incoming
information on the computer
(database systems), including
anything from payroll data to
gradireland.com/it
scientific calculations. Systems
programmers deal with the internal
operations of the computer: this
could involve designing diagnostic
programs to finding faults, or
controlling the way a computer runs
several applications simultaneously.
Programmers usually create
programs from specifications
designed by systems analysts or
borne out of direct consultation with
clients – the size and role of the
organisation will determine the
source. Programmers generally
specialise in commercial data work,
scientific applications of computing,
or programs for the home or
educational computer market.
Working hours are generally a
standard seven to eight hour day but
this can change depending on the
project, and flexibility is important.
Programmers can work anywhere
– IT and programming language skills
are universal and very exportable. The
UK and the USA are common
destinations; many American
companies are based in Ireland so
opportunities for transfer within the
same company do exist. If you’re
multilingual, there are also
opportunities all over Europe.
Today’s programmers don’t just
confine themselves to, well,
programming. With the exception of
large organisations, fewer ‘pure’
programming jobs now exist than in
the past. An analyst/programmer can
successfully analyse a small
organisation’s computing needs,
design an appropriate system and
write the applications program. In the
future, the job of the programmer
may need to evolve to include an
expanded range of responsibilities, as
we’re now reaching a stage where
computers can program themselves
from an analyst’s instructions! And
programmers, like workers in many
sectors, may have to accept that they
will not be able to get a permanent
job, as programming work is
increasingly contract and project
based.
So what do you need to become a
programmer? Patience, mathematical
aptitude and strong problem-solving
skills are a must. Being able to work
as part of a team is essential, as is
proficiency in more than one
computer language and a knowledge
of software engineering.
Opportunities for promotion are
good; a background in programming
is valued in most IT careers as it
provides a solid backbone of
knowledge. Programmers can
discover their strengths and then use
their skills to move into other areas;
for example, those with a flair for
teamwork and communication often
end up becoming project managers.
IT 2016 | 7
AREAS OF WORK
Systems analyst/business analyst
S
ystems analysts and business
analysts bridge the technical
divide between skilled and
specialised ICT professionals and the
less-technologically savvy clients who
need their skills. When a business or
organisation needs a system to
manage information or processes,
they often acquire the services of a
systems analyst. The analyst assesses
and analyses the customers’ needs,
creates an exact specification of what
sort of application might be required
and passes it on to a programmer,
after which the analyst will guide the
project from coding through testing
and onto final implementation. A
business analyst’s work is generally
similar to that of a systems analyst,
but the focus is on processes and
activities within the business
environment (business analysts will
often have a background in business
and IT, either through a combined
degree or an add-on IT qualification).
Both professions need to be fluent
and comfortable with the technical
and non-technical aspects of the job,
cognisant of both the needs of
technically less competent end-users
and the expertise of the
programmers.
In recent years organisations have
tended to employ systems analysts on
a contract or consultancy basis, so
increasingly professionals in the field
are self-employed. Generally speaking,
however, systems analysts need a few
years’ experience under their belts
before setting up independently. Many
begin in more specialised roles, which
equip them with the necessary
technical background, before then
deciding to move towards the arguably
more sociable world of systems
analysis.
Indeed, systems analysis requires a
lot more of the so-called ‘soft’ skills.
Professionals in the field need to be
expert communicators, skilled at
evaluating their client’s needs and
often called upon to work with
employees whose very jobs are being
turned around (or replaced) by the
systems they’re charged with
designing. Success as an analyst is very
much dependent on an individual’s
ability to interpret the needs of their
clients, to communicate their
requirements to the programmers, and
to then see the whole project through
to completion. A good systems or
business analyst figures out what the
job is, and then gets it done.
Web developer
A
lthough no company is
without a website, much of
the mystery has been taken
out of web development in recent
years, and this is serving to weed out
some of the lower-skilled pretenders
who had been saturating the market.
However there are still web
development jobs out there for highly
skilled professionals and there are
new opportunities emerging every
day thanks to the explosion in mobile
telecommunications and mcommerce (e-commerce through
mobile telephony).
At its best, web development is a
skilled and interdisciplinary
profession involving the design,
maintenance and testing of websites
and which integrates IT, design and
8|
IT 2016
business skills. On the technical side,
candidates should be familiar with
HTML, ASP, SQL and Javascript, C++
and Visual Basic. But it’s important to
note that committed professionals
need to keep abreast of changing
technology and trends in the field.
The type of work can vary. Some
graduates might find themselves
working for software companies on
the development of web applications,
while others will find themselves
designing actual websites. Large
organisations typically employ their
own web developers, and so new
candidates can find themselves
working within a team for retail
businesses, web consultancies,
government organisations or
software companies. In these
environs, a new employee might be
involved in only a single aspect of the
work (such as programming in
Javascript or testing and
maintenance), but as they progress
through their career they would
increasingly be required to liaise with
clients and spearhead projects. At
this level web development can be
seen as a collaborative process with
the client, and so people skills as well
as design skills are crucial.
Typically, working hours are
standard, although flexibility will
often be required if deadlines loom.
As with many IT professions, travel
opportunities are excellent for the
skilled professional.
gradireland.com/it
AREAS OF WORK
Network engineer
S
imply put: network engineers
are responsible for computer
networks. All organisations and
businesses, from government
departments to national branches of
multinational businesses, need these
networks to communicate internally
and externally with suppliers, clients
and staff. Network engineers are the
people who install, maintain and
upgrade these networks.
In order to do this challenging job,
they need to thoroughly understand
the hardware and software required
for networks to function. Typical
activities include installing new
server hardware and software
infrastructures; allocating network
resources; providing technical
support and training; implementing
and monitoring network security;
diagnosing and fixing faults and
problems; as well as planning the
ongoing development of the whole
system.
In larger organisations network
engineers often start in a technicalsupport role and progress over time
to the position of network engineer.
They need to have a very strong
technical background, particularly a
good knowledge of LANS (local area
networks) and WANS (wide area
networks), but softer problemsolving, teamwork and negotiating
skills are also hugely important.
Often the nature of a network
engineer’s job will depend on the size
of the organisation for which they
work. In a large organisation, such as
an investment bank or semi-state
company, a network engineer could
be responsible for just one small
aspect of a very large system. In
smaller organisations they could have
responsibility for every aspect of the
network’s smooth functioning.
Whatever the size of the operation,
however, network engineers need to
be quick on their feet. The nature of
computer networks is ever-changing.
There’s been huge development in the
field in recent years, which means that
the systems of major businesses have
needed, and continue to need,
ongoing upgrades and continuous
development. This has provided ample
opportunity for thousands of
programmers and engineers to
showcase their skills. Progress in the
field is showing no sign of abating,
which means there may be many
exciting career development
possibilities on the horizon. Ultimately,
however, career success will be down
to the graduate’s ability to work under
pressure. Indeed, if and when systems
fail, and an organisation’s operations
grind to a halt, all eyes will be on the
network engineer.
Telecoms engineer
A
s the telecoms field continues
to expand, with more and
more gadgets and more and
more service providers on the market,
there will be greater opportunities for
trained engineers. Those with
degrees in science or engineering
often begin as entry-level
telecommunications engineers,
although others have been known to
start as installers or repair workers.
The work can vary hugely from
company to company. On the one
hand, trained professionals can find
themselves designing or building
systems and networks. On the other
hand, they may be charged with
servicing and maintaining an existing
network. One way or another, the role
gradireland.com/it
requires a huge level of technical
understanding. Candidates should
also have a commitment to life-long
learning, as it’s a field that is
continually evolving.
On top of this baseline of
knowledge, problem-solving skills are
also critical. While many know the
nuts and bolts of how a network
works, it takes a particularly
persistent and analytical problemsolver to get to the bottom of the
issues that can arise in the course of
its operation. Indeed, in many cases
telecoms engineers are expected to
foresee network problems before
they happen. Unsurprisingly then,
telecoms engineers also need to be
capable under pressure, as any
disruption of service will need to be
dealt with swiftly and efficiently and
at a minimum of cost.
As well as having a high level of
technical skill, telecoms engineers
need to be extremely organised as
they are often required to deliver high
quality projects and repairs to a
deadline and within a budget. Verbal
and written skills are also crucial, as
engineers will often find themselves
working as part of a larger team with
non-technically-savvy staff who may
need to be told how development of
the network might affect the end
user. Essentially, it’s all about
communication as telecoms
engineers are the ones who keep the
rest of us communicating.
IT 2016 | 9
AREAS OF WORK
Technical sales
M
any of the careers outlined
here are made possible
because someone
purchases the products they help to
create. Technical sales professionals,
more than anyone else, are aware of
this commercial reality, and as long as
software companies continue to win
new business there will be a demand
for good salespeople.
Technical salespeople tend to
concentrate on particular products,
services and client sectors, and spend
much of their time getting their
companies’ products in front of
prospective customers. They need not
only to source customers but also to
maintain contact with them, and to
become sensitive to their future
needs and requirements. As such, the
work is very much about
relationships and technical
salespeople need to have very
sophisticated communication skills
(these skills will manifest themselves
through tender documents, phone
calls, emails and face-to-face
meetings).
Technical sales professionals also
need to have a good understanding
of the technology which they’re
selling, as they need to be able to
inform customers about its
capabilities. Many are computer
graduates with an interest in sales or
marketing, or marketing graduates
with an add-on IT qualification.
Junior technical sales is the
starting point for new graduates,
with many moving up the career
ladder over time. Working hours are
usually regular, but the job typically
involves a lot of travel, which can
result in early starts and late finishes
(overseas travel is less likely, as
cultural awareness and language
skills are very important factors in
successful sales).
The role can become more
specialised and complex, focusing on
areas as diverse as customer support,
sales management or training. Over
time a technical sales professional
may rise to the position of sales
manager. In general, technical sales is
a very pressurised field with
candidates considered ‘only as good
as their last sale’ and constantly
trying to meet sales targets and
deadlines. Great salespeople,
however, tend to thrive under such
circumstances.
Technical support
T
echnical support people are the
medics of the IT world – they
diagnose computer problems
and then set about fixing them. They
can work for hardware
manufacturers, end-user companies
or service companies who provide
helpdesk and technical support
services. Companies with a large
number of computers (over 50) will
often hire their own technical
support staff. Although the role
requires an in-depth understanding
of most hardware, systems,
applications and programming
languages, professionals in the field
will be particularly competent in the
technology relevant to the
organisation they work for.
Technical support people are
expected to ensure that all systems
and applications are running
smoothly and seamlessly. Although
10 |
IT 2016
the work often overlaps with other
roles, they are the people at the
coalface who roll up their sleeves and
face computer problems head on.
Core activities include tracking the
source of technical faults, identifying
viruses and security weaknesses and
working with end users (these may
be clients or colleagues). In some
instances the work may be done
entirely at a helpdesk or call-centre,
with all communication done by
telephone or email.
Employment prospects in
technical support are broad. People
often start out at first- or secondlevel support. Opportunities for
promotion and career development
are greater with larger organisations,
but movement is an option. It’s an
exciting field. New network
technologies are constantly emerging
with huge implications for the world
of commerce. What’s more,
destructive trouble-making viruses
are being discovered on a daily basis.
Technical support specialists are
required to keep abreast of these new
technologies and threats.
Opportunities to travel are good,
especially for those with specialist,
unusual or sought-after technical
skills. As nobody knows when a
computer problem might strike,
working hours can be long and
unsociable. Many organisations need
a technical support person to be on
call 24/7 and work is often on a shift
basis involving regular night work.
Candidates need the ability to
think clearly, to work well under
pressure, and to be patient
communicating with non-technical
end-users. Ultimately it’s a perfect
job for technically adept graduates
who like to solve problems
gradireland.com/it
AREAS OF WORK
Software engineer
S
oftware engineers are those
that make computer hardware
‘tick’. Essentially, they write and
code both computer operating
systems and the software that runs
within them. The job title actually
covers a multitude of roles, from
systems developer to software
architect. It’s highly specialised work
that requires a good technical
background, a thorough
understanding of software and
hardware, and a strong grasp of
mathematical reasoning and coding
languages.
Depending on the organisation,
typical activities include writing and
modifying programs; testing code;
diagnosing faults in software; and
designing programs to solve those
faults. All of these tasks typically
involve a detailed and meticulous
problem-solving process. As a result,
working hours can be long,
particularly when faults need to be
diagnosed and fixed by a deadline.
However, software engineering
isn’t always a solitary activity. It’s
usually a team effort, with individual
engineers often focused on a small
aspect of a more complicated whole,
with input required from both
colleagues and clients. This means
that as well as having a very high
level of technical competence and
problem-solving ability, software
engineers also need to be good
communicators.
Typically the first year of a
software engineering job could be
spent writing the code for a program
or formulating the objectives of a
program under supervision. An
average of three years’ experience is
normally required before an engineer
has a high enough level of technical
competence to prepare the detailed
specifications from which the actual
programs are written. Over time
many engineers get involved in this
writing and design process. After five
or ten years, they often move into
management.
Opportunities to travel are also
good, with many IT operations
located in Asia, where overheads are
cheaper. There is also a continuous
demand for seasoned professionals
throughout Europe and the US.
Wherever they choose to work,
however, a good software engineer
needs to be motivated, creative and
continuously willing to learn.
Project manager
P
roject managers lead teams of
IT professionals –
programmers, analysts and
designers – who work together to
produce a new piece or system of
software. They also consult with and
report to clients, and deal with
suppliers. Strictly speaking a project
manager doesn’t need to be strong
on technical skills: the emphasis is
very much on management,
organisational and people skills. Most
project managers, however, have
programming or engineering
backgrounds; this lends them more
credibility with technical team
members and equips them better
when dealing with clients.
It’s a job for people who can
handle a lot of responsibility. At the
core of the job is the organisation of
gradireland.com/it
both people and time resources, and
a project manager is responsible for
seeing the project through from
beginning to end. It’s not a position
for novices; IT graduates need to have
at least three or four years’
experience before becoming full-time
project managers. They often move
into consultancy after they have
amassed more experience.
Working hours are normal but
overtime is commonplace, and
project managers must be ready to
deal with whatever obstacles may
arise. Opportunities to travel are
good, particularly at consultancy level
where there is an increased
possibility that you will be employed
by an organisation overseas.
New opportunities for project
managers are emerging all the time.
The electronic and mobile commerce
revolution means exciting new
software technologies for project
managers. And the employer’s focus
on ‘softer’ people skills, such as
communication, interaction,
management and negotiation skills,
will become even more crucial.
Ideal candidates have a good level
of relevant technical knowledge and
excellent people skills. Specific
project management skills, such as
risk management, are also very
useful. Project managers need to
have a positive, confident attitude.
They need to be flexible and able to
communicate and motivate people
effectively. Initially, they may take on
projects part time and move into an
established position with time.
IT 2016 | 11
AREAS OF WORK
Software Tester/
Quality Assurance Engineer
T
echnology is continuously
evolving and so too have the
jobs within the sector. With the
arrival of mobile, cloud, social media
and big-data; technology is ubiquitous
in everything from our ATMs,
smartphones, TVs, fridges, game
consoles, in-car entertainment systems
to our doctors’ surgeries. All of these
devices are powered by increasingly
complex software, so reliability and
quality is paramount. The software not
only needs to function as designed, but
it needs to perform, to scale to millions
of users, be resilient 24x7, accessible to
users of varying abilities and
ultimately, it needs to be secure. The
‘gatekeeper’ of this quality control
process is the software tester or quality
assurance engineer.
Software testing as a career
remains somewhat of an enigma
amongst IT graduates in terms of the
opportunities it offers. A modern
software tester performs many roles
and requires a diverse range of skills.
While developers find creative ways
of building software, testers find
creative ways of breaking it so that
the defects can be resolved before
putting the software in front of end
users.
So what does the career of a
software tester involve? There are
many paths that a tester can take
within the IT industry. No longer is a
software tester confined to writing
and executing monotonous and
repetitive manual test cases to
ensure the software does what it is
supposed to do - these tests can now
be easily automated and executed
across a myriad of devices out of
12 |
IT 2016
hours, which frees up the tester to
focus on more value-added tasks.
Testers need to have analytical skills
to ensure requirements are clear and
unambiguous. It is important that
they are determined and systematic
in their search for defects, not just
proving that the system works but
also that it can withstand the
unpredictable actions of the end user.
Software testers utilise
troubleshooting skills when
investigating why a defect happens
and then locate the source of the
problem. They require the
organisational skills of a project
manager to plan testing activities and
to be able to work to tight deadlines.
Being a good communicator and team
player is vital as testers must work
with developers, business analysts,
project managers and end users. A
software tester is a negotiator, an
influencer and the provider of
information on the quality of the
software products and the risks. They
should also have the ability to work on
their own initiative.
Software testing now
encompasses skills more traditionally
associated with programming or
development. Automation or
performance testers use software
testing tools (open source or
enterprise) as well as scripting
languages to find faster, more
efficient ways of exposing
weaknesses in software. The
advantage of this type of work is that
it is often ‘green-field’, or starting
from scratch. It involves a level of
creativity and freedom not always
experienced in development roles
and provides the opportunity to be
innovative. Software testing offers a
proven career path to graduates,
starting as a test analyst and then
growing into test leads, test
managers, programme test manager
and ultimately head of testing/
quality.
Are you curious about how things
work? Do you like to break and fix
things? Do you like to meet new and
diverse people? Are you interested in
new technology across all business
sectors? Do you have excellent
attention to detail? Then consider a
career in the world of software
testing.
gradireland.com/it
MY CAREER IN IT
My career in IT
If you are unsure as to what area you want to
progress, choose a general role
Mustafa Magdeldin
Job Software Application Engineer
Employer Workday
Education BSc Computer Applications specialising in
Software Engineering, Dublin City University (2011)
Study and my career
I graduated in Computer
Applications, specialising in Software
Engineering. The degree enabled me
to establish the programming skills
and methodologies needed in the
real world. During the four years at
college I learned the importance of
teamwork while being involved in
projects, which had a big impact on
my current position at Workday. My
degree covered a wide variety of
subjects including networking,
databases, web development,
computer games and mobile
applications, with a main focus in
programming and learning the
necessary skills to create software
and innovate new ways of using it.
There was a strong emphasis on
teamwork and practical skills.
The first step in my career
I joined Workday as an intern in 2010.
It was a six-month internship
through Dublin City University’s
(DCU) INTRA programme, and it
helped me integrate my academic
study with closely related jobs. I
applied for the position of
Automation Engineer Intern. During
my six months at Workday I was
given the opportunity to work in
different areas of the business, I was
gradireland.com/it
very impressed with the internship
programme, especially the speed
with which they trained me in their
technologies. I was paired with a
senior member of the automation
team during my six months, during
which I was assigned tasks and able
to progress my skills, knowledge and
experience. I enjoyed the
responsibility of the high priority
tasks I was assigned, especially the
trust management instilled in me,
and how they allowed me to
demonstrate my initiative and
express my own opinions.
Challenges, development and
leadership
I was offered the position of
Automation Engineer when I
completed my degree from DCU and
returned to Workday as a full-time
employee in 2011. The opportunities
which the company have given me
over the years have helped me to
transition into a Software Application
Engineer, and decide whether to
specialise in Payroll, HCM or the
Financials side of the application.
Overall my experience here has been
invaluable: Workday has boosted my
confidence too, building my
motivation and helping me to take
my career plan for a test drive. Over
the last few years I took an active role
in training and mentoring the
company’s new hires. I was involved
in growing the team within the
Dublin office and contributed to
many projects across different teams.
Advice for graduates
Always take time to think of which
area in IT you would like to specialise.
There is so much graduate
competition you have to make
yourself stand out from the rest. If you
are unsure as to what area you want
to progress, choose a general role and
over time you may progress into a field
you’re interested in. Opportunities at
Workday have helped me progress my
career into something I enjoy, so I
believe this is a very important aspect
that must be taken into consideration
when applying for positions.
There is so much graduate
competition you have to make
yourself stand out from the rest.
IT 2016 | 13
MY CAREER IN IT
Get involved and show interest in the
latest developments in technology
Oisín Dorgan
Job Associate Programmer
Employer Glanbia
Education University College Cork, BSc (Hons)
Computer Science
Why IT?
My parents, in particular my Dad, was
always tech savvy and as a result I
had a computer from an early age
and exposure to the latest
technology. As I grew older, I saw the
huge opportunities to make my
passion a career, so it was a natural
progression. After speaking to current
Glanbia graduates at a career fair, I
learned about Glanbia’s progressive
attitude towards new technologies
and decided they would be a great fit
for me.
Starting with Glanbia
The selection process involved for
Glanbia started with an aptitude test
and three subsequent interviews. The
first two interviews were broad and
were used to find out more about me
and the third interview, with my
current team lead, was more technical.
My Computer Science degree ingrained
technical competence and problem
solving skills in me, which ensured I did
a good aptitude test. Performing well
at this stage was important in securing
further interviews. The presentation
skills I learned during group projects
and my final year project helped me
to speak confidently and assertively
during interviews, which helped show
the interviewers I was the right fit for
14 |
IT 2016
the job. Along with this, the UCC
Careers Service offered support and
mock interviews so that I could be
fully prepared.
Challenges
One of the biggest challenges of the
Glanbia Graduate Programme is the
transition from college work to real
world work. While there are learning
supports in both college and Glanbia,
I had to quickly adapt my way of
thinking to settle into this new
environment and tackle these new
problems that I faced. I learned that
the critical thinking and problem
solving skills I picked up in during my
Computer Science degree were vital.
Current role and advice
I work within the Business Services
area, providing IT services to other
areas. My current role involves
programming with SAP’s programming
language ABAP. The tasks I carry out
every day range from creating and
altering sales and distribution forms,
invoices and documents for use in
the business, to programming web
interfaces for marketing and ingredient
formulation employees. The role is
varied and interesting, and it’s always
nice to see your end product being
used in the business.
The best advice I could give to
graduates seeking a similar path in IT
would be to get involved and show
interest in the latest developments in
technology. Having true passion and
knowledge for IT will shine through
to any company hiring in these
positions. Gaining IT experience
outside of college work is an
important differentiator between
candidates, so I would encourage any
students and graduates to take up an
IT related hobby that interests them.
This could be simple like coding your
own website or, like in my own case,
tinkering with and repairing
smartphones!
How do you hope to see your career
developing over the next few years
with Glanbia?
Over the next few years, I hope to
build my technical competence and
learn more about how a business is
run. This is key to becoming a good
programmer in SAP. I would hope to
diversify into new roles to gain such
business knowledge and I have seen
how accommodating Glanbia is in
achieving this. Since I’ve started with
the company, I have seen graduates
progress within the business to
leadership positions and this is where
I see myself in the future.
gradireland.com/it
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Training and career development:
how an IT career may develop
I
T now plays an integral part in
almost every business and
organisation and there are any
number of ways a career in the
industry might evolve. Nowadays, you
don’t necessarily need to be a
computer science graduate to carve
out a successful career. Recruiters
employ graduates from the entire
spectrum of degree disciplines who
can demonstrate a serious interest in
technology, with many recruiters
preferring to hire graduates with
previous work experience (not always
within the IT sector).
On the other hand, there are also
more traditional ways into the field. A
computer science graduate might
start out as a programmer, software
developer, systems analyst or web
developer. With a few years’
experience, however, these roles can
develop in a number of different
directions. Some might find
themselves moving into contracting
or consultancy (the flexibility of these
roles certainly suits some people);
others might use their people skills
and organisational ability to move
into a training role; while still more
pursue increasing specialisation and
expertise (ideally becoming totally
indispensible in the process!).
awareness of the field (ideally this
desire to learn will be motivated by a
genuine interest in the job). By
keeping abreast of, and becoming
expert in, new technologies,
professionals can find their careers
developing in ways they never
predicted when they first dipped their
toe in the IT waters. The variety isn’t
just in the nature of the technology.
The sheer range of potential
workplaces, from huge international
corporations to small flexible NGOs,
means that skilled professionals have
a certain amount of mobility and a
good chance of finding an
environment where they feel happy
and comfortable.
Career diversity
In general, there’s a rich diversity of
career paths open to graduates in the
high-tech industry. The technology is
ever-changing, which means that so
too are the job prospects. Constant
on-the-job learning is, of course,
crucial, as is a wider general
gradireland.com/it
IT 2016 | 15
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Postgraduate study
IT recruiters are crying out for qualified graduates, so a good postgraduate
qualification could kick-start your career
How postgraduate study or
professional qualifications can
help
It is estimated that 55 per cent of
high-level IT jobs are filled by inward
migration – meaning that staff are
recruited from overseas to fill these
positions in Ireland. This is because,
according to most colleges and
employers, not enough Irish students
are graduating with computer
science and maths degrees, and
there are a lower number of PhD
students here than many other
western economies. This puts highly
qualified graduates in a very good
position.
57 per cent of employers say that
they are struggling to hire IT staff
and IT companies make up the third
largest group of graduate recruiters
(18.4 percent). Remember IT is one of
the easiest fields to convert to. Oneyear courses are the normal route in,
such as the Higher Diploma in
Applied Science (Applied Computing
Technology) offered by University
College Cork, the Higher Diploma in
Information Technology at the
Maynooth University, or the Graduate
Diploma in Information Technology at
Dublin City University.
Pure conversion courses, such as
DCU’s Diploma in Information
Technology, are designed specifically
to fast-track graduates from other
disciplines into an IT career.
For unemployed people in receipt
of social welfare payments, many
postgraduate courses in ICT are
currently offered free of charge as
part of the government’s Springboard
initiative. Participants also get to keep
their social welfare payments.
Preference for acceptance to a course
is given to the long term unemployed,
though all people receiving
Jobseeker’s Allowance or Jobseeker’s
Benefit are eligible.
Multidisciplinary postgraduate
programmes, such as University
College Cork’s MSc in Bioinformatics,
have also become very popular,
reflecting the convergence of
formerly distinct fields such as
pharmaceuticals and ICT in recent
years.
Professional bodies, such as BCS,
The Chartered Institute for IT in the
UK and Northern Ireland, also offer
industry-accredited courses such as
the Professional Graduate Diploma in
IT.
Professional bodies and trade
associations
• ICT Ireland www.ictireland.ie
• BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT
www.bcs.org
• Institution of Engineering and
Technology www.theiet.org
• Irish Software Association
www.software.ie
• Irish Computer Society www.ics.ie
• Momentum (trade association for
ICT industry in Northern Ireland)
www.momentumni.org
• Science Foundation Ireland
www.sfi.ie.
Further study and courses
Check out postgradireland.com for a
searchable database of computing
and IT courses in Ireland and
Northern Ireland.
Visit Springboardcourses.ie for
information about that initiative.
16 |
IT 2016
gradireland.com/it
EMPLOYERS
Top employers in IT
Every year, we carry out a survey of students to decide the most popular
graduate employers in the country. The trendence Graduate Barometer is
the largest annual career survey in Ireland and the votes decide the
winners of the gradireland Graduate Recruitment Awards and the
composition of Ireland’s 100 leading graduate employers.
Here are the winners and shortlist for IT.
1
Google
Google is one of the world’s largest and best known search engines. It opened
its doors in the centre of Dublin in 2003. Since then, it’s grown rapidly to
become one of the city’s most notable employers.
2
Apple
Design and manufacture of consumer electronics and related software
products. Apple’s European Operations Headquarters is in Cork, hosting several
divisions including telesales, technical support and manufacturing.
3
Microsoft
First opened its doors in Ireland in 1985 and now has three separate divisions:
European Development, European Operations and Sales & Marketing.
4
Facebook
Facebook’s European operations have been headquartered in Dublin since
October 2008. The Irish operation includes sales and advertising, user
operations, risk management and international support devices.
5
IBM
One of Ireland’s leading providers of advanced information technology,
products, services and business consulting.
6 BioWare
Bioware is a hugely successful Canadian games developer focusing on high
quality PC, console and online role playing games.
7
Blizzard
Amwerican game development company, which trades under Activision
Blizzard. It has operations in the US and throughout Europe, including Ireland.
8
Accenture Technology
Solutions
Accenture Technology Solutions (ATS) is Accenture’s global network of IT
specialists and experts that deliver IT solutions to Accenture’s clients across a
wide range of industries.
9 SAP
The world’s largest provider of business software. They employ over 1,200
people in Galway and Dublin.
10 HP
An American IT company that develops and provides a wide variety of
hardware components as well as software and related services to
consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and large
enterprises. It has a large operation in Ireland.
Make yourself heard
Vote for your favourite employer at www.trendence-gradbarometer.ie
between September and early January.
gradireland.com/it
IT 2016 | 17
What are graduate
employers nott telling you?
Find out the truth
behind the brands with
The only place to find credible verified graduate
employee reviews and company ratings
Get the Inside Buzz at
gradireland.com/gradireland-inside-buzz
EMPLOYERS
A-Z of employers
and course providers
QR code takes you
directly to organisation
profile on
gradireland.com
Essential contact
information
Employers
Bank of Ireland....................................20
Deloitte..................................................21
Ericsson Ireland ........................22, IFC
First Derivatives Plc................23, OBC
PwC ........................................................25
Workday ................................................26
SIG............................................................28
OBC = outside back cover
IFC = inside front cover
Use the profiles to
research advertisers
Don’t forget the advertisements that
you find throughout gradireland IT –
these give additional vital clues as to
how an organisation views itself.
And for further
help with searching
for jobs, go to:
gradireland.com/IT
– Bank of Ireland www.boigraduate.com
– Deloitte www.deloitte.com/ie/graduate
ifc Ericsson Ireland www.ericsson.com\careers
obc First Derivatives Plc www.firstderivatives.com/careers
– PwC www.pwc.ie/graduate
•
• •
•
• • •
• • • •
– Workday www.workday.com
– SIG www.sig.com
gradireland.com/it
•
• • •
• • • •
• • • •
• • • •
•
•
taxation
treasury
other
accountancy
actuarial
asset management
audit
banking
corporate finance
financial services
fund administration
fund management
insurance
investment banking
IT
professional services
regulation and compliance
retail banking
retail, sales and customer service
risk management
organisation name
display advertisement
Factfinder
TYPE OF WORK
•
•
• • •
• • •
• • • •
IT 2016 | 19
EMPLOYERS
Bank of Ireland
Do you want to be at the centre of the action? Are you an ambitious and
enthusiastic graduate hoping to launch an exciting and challenging career in the
bank of the future? Then Bank of Ireland is the right fit for you!
Get to our web
entry and view
all our latest
opportunities
and content
Put yourself at the centre of the action by securing a place on Bank of Ireland’s
Graduate Programme and you’ll be in the thick of the action right away –
working as part of a tightly-knit team, on projects that make a real difference.
You’ll gain valuable experience in a number of different areas, providing you
with the tools to shape your career in the company voted Ireland’s number 1
Graduate Employer in Banking/Financial Services 2015.
Getting the best from you brings out the best in us
As part of this two year programme, you will learn more about the overall Bank
of Ireland Group and will be afforded the opportunity to spend time within one
of the main business areas that we support to gain an invaluable insight and
understanding of key business drivers and priorities. You will also partner with
our 3rd party providers such as Accenture, Dell and IBM to deliver on IT solutions
for the Group.
The IT Graduate Programme will provide you with first hand practical experience
in supporting all our businesses through Process Automation (Design and
Implementation) and Infrastructure Design (Architects & Strategists) working
across a broad suite of systems, emerging technologies and programmes. We
offer opportunities to students who have achieved, or are expected to achieve, a
minimum 2:1 Honours Degree or Masters from all disciplines.
Think you’ve got what it takes?
Then apply online today at www.boigraduate.com!
Graduate profile
Sean Brophy, Management Science & Information Systems
Studies, Trinity College Dublin
“The Bank of Ireland Graduate Programme is very
good because you don’t feel like a graduate, you feel
like an important part of your team. Over the course of the two year programme,
you gain valuable experience across three different areas within your business.”
Contact
Graduate Programme Manager
Group Leadership & Talent,
Burlington Plaza 2, Burlington Road,
Dublin 4
Tel +353 (0)76 624 4642
Email graduaterecruitment@boi.com
Web www.boigraduate.com
Jobs
Type of work
• IT & data analytics • accounting
• finance • corporate & treasury
• business & consumer banking
• human resources • actuarial
• marketing • audit & compliance
• operations & payments • credit &
market risk • Bank of Ireland UK
Benefits
• discounted healthcare scheme
• pension scheme with company
contributions • FREE banking
• preferential rates for loans and
financial products • holidays and
insurance funds • 23 days annual
leave • award winning LearningZone
training • sports & social clubs
• opportunity to volunteer and
collect for charities
Locations
• Republic of Ireland • Northern
Ireland • Great Britain
Apply
Online at www.boigraduate.com
Closing date 31/10/2015
Make the team
not the tea
20 |
IT 2016
gradireland.com/it
EMPLOYERS
Deloitte
You. Powered by Deloitte.
You have a vision. You have expectations and goals. You want your voice to be
heard.
At Deloitte, our objective is to empower you with the freedom and flexibility to
become the best version of you. Your career goals are supported with high
performance talent development and management programmes, which allow
you to direct and accelerate your career path. We take an inclusive approach to
growing our organisation where everybody has a part to play. We value our
people; they work with us, not for us.
Here at Deloitte we set out every day to do what matters most – for our clients,
our people, and society. We are passionately committed to developing graduates
in all aspects of life. We do our best to ensure that your career in Deloitte is the
right fit for you.
This is your opportunity to become part of the worldwide leader in professional
services and consulting, a global network of 200,000 people in 150 locations,
and almost 2000 in Ireland.
Get to our web
entry and view
all our latest
opportunities
and content
Contact
Graduate Recruitment Team
Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin D02AY28
Tel + 353 (0)1 417 8578
Email gradrecruitmentie@deloitte.ie
Web www.deloitte.com/ie/graduate
Social media
Twitter: @DeloitteLifeIrl,
Facebook: Your Future at Deloitte
(Ireland)
You. Powered by Deloitte.
The #1 place to launch and develop your career
• Deloitte won Best Innovation on Campus for the Deloitte Difference University
Challenge at the gradireland Awards, 2015
• Deloitte won AHECS Engagement award for demonstrating an outstanding
example of constructive partnership with the careers services across Ireland at
the gradireland Awards, 2015
• Deloitte named Accountancy Firm of the Year at the InBusiness Editor’s Choice
Awards, 2014
• Deloitte Tax department named a Tier 1 tax practice in the International Tax
Review’s annual Tax Planning Survey, 2015
• Gartner ranks Deloitte #1 for Consulting Services worldwide, based on market
share, in 2014, for the fifth consecutive year. Source: Gartner, Market Share
Analysis: Consulting Services, Worldwide, 2014
• Deloitte named a worldwide leader in Business Consulting Services. Source:
IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Business Consulting Services, 2015
• Deloitte named Vanguard IT Consulting Provider by Kennedy. Source: Global IT
Consulting Marketplace Report 2011–2014
Graduate opportunities
Choose the path that’s right for you:
• Professional Services: Audit, Internal Audit, Tax, Corporate Finance
• Consulting: Strategy and Operations, Human Capital Management, Finance
Transformation
• Technology: Technology Consulting, Analytics, Cyber Security and Forensics,
Technology Assurance
Applications are encouraged from diverse disciplines for all of our career paths,
including Accounting, Business, Science, Computer Science, Engineering, Maths,
Arts, Law, amongst others.
Jobs
Type of work
• Professional Services: Audit,
Internal Audit, Tax, Corporate Finance
• Engineering • Technology
Consulting, Analytics, Cyber Security
and Forensics, Technology Risk • Law
• Consulting, Technology • Business,
Accounting
Salary Competitive
Number of vacancies Over 200
annually
Degrees sought
• Applications are encouraged from
all disciplines
Work experience
Work experience Yes
Duration Summer: up to 3 months.
Placements: up to 12 months.
Locations
• Republic of Ireland
Apply
• online
Closing date Discover more:
www.deloitte.com/ie/graduate
Undergraduate opportunities
• Summer Internship Programme
• Co-operative Work Placement Programme
• Deloitte Development Days
The Deloitte Difference University Challenge
Would you like to travel to Texas and experience our leadership centre, Deloitte
University? If so, learn more about how you can develop your career and
experience what we believe is uniquely Deloitte through the Deloitte Difference
University Challenge! #DeloitteDifference
Discover more: www.deloitte.com/ie/graduate
gradireland.com/it
IT 2016 | 21
EMPLOYERS
Ericsson Ireland
That phone call you just made, your Facebook update, that Tweet you just read,
the TV show you just watched…….. probably made possible by Ericsson......!
Did you know?
• More than 40% of the world’s mobile traffic passes through Ericsson networks
• We are the fifth largest software development company in the world
• We won “Most Innovative Technology Provider”, “Most Innovative Product in
Support Systems”, “Most Innovation in Cloud and Virtualisation”, “Best
Telematics Service Provider”, “Mobile Innovation Award” and “Mobility Tech
Zone Product of the Year” 2014
• Ericsson Ireland was shortlisted for an ISA Software Industry Award in the
category “Multinational Corporation Initiative of the Year”, we were recognised
within gradireland’s Top 100 Graduate Employers 2015 and Universum
Ireland’s Most Attractive Employers – Engineering/IT student 2015 as well as
being awarded “Best Midlands Corporate & Social Responsibility Award 2015”
by the Midlands Gateway Chamber.
When we started out as a communications company, the telegraph was
considered state-of-the-art technology. We are now leading the digital
revolution and building one of the industry’s strongest patent portfolios.
Ericsson is the driving force behind the Networked Society connecting
EVERYONE and EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE in real time. ur services, software
and infrastructure – especially in mobility, broadband and the cloud – are
enabling the telecom industry and other sectors to do better business, increase
efficiency, improve user experience and capture new opportunities.
Sound like something you could sink your teeth into? Then Ericsson is interested
in talking to you!
In our graduate programme we have opportunities in the areas of Software
Development, R&D, Network Engineering, Technical Training and Consultancy.
With our graduate programme, you get to hit the ground running. e realise
you’ve spent long enough in the classroom, so on your first day you will join a
team within Ericsson and could be delivering projects within days! on’t worry
though you will have a mentor on site to talk you through it all. e currently
employ more than 1,400 people across our Software Campus in Athlone and our
Services Campus in Dublin.
Sound interesting……..read on!
• Our Software Campus boasts the biggest Java development site in Ireland with
leading edge AGILE software development methods. So much so that we
completely renovated our site to increase mobility and encourage team work
• Our Services Campus delivers specialised ICT consulting in areas such as Cloud,
Systems Integration and Transformation enabling our customers to move
towards the Networked Society. It is also home to Ericsson’s MediaRoom; the
world’s most innovative and deployed IPTV platform, delivering the future of
TV
• Ready for work but don’t feel you’re quite finished with studies? We offer an
extensive scholar programme to support you in your continuous learning
• Ericsson is a well-established company, with fantastic growth opportunities.
Our career paths are well carved out; hard work and initiative is recognised and
very quickly rewarded
•Want to travel? Ericsson operates in more than 180 countries, and there is
significant opportunity for travel
• Use of multiple programming languages – primarily Java but also a wide use of
Javascript, Python, Django, NodeJS, BASH,UNIX, PERL and more.
How to get in on this action? Just visit www.ericsson.com/careers and search
for Graduate Opportunities.
22 |
IT 2016
Get to our web
entry and view
all our latest
opportunities
and content
Contact
Graduate Recruitment,
LM Ericsson Limited, Beech Hill,
Clonskeagh, Dublin D04 V5N2
Web www.ericsson.com\careers
Jobs
Type of work
• Consultancy
• Internet and e-commerce
• Project management
• Software development
• Systems/business analysis
• Technical support
• Telecommunications
Benefits
Attractive benefits package
Work experience
Work experience yes
Duration minimum three months,
maximum negotiable
Locations
• Republic of Ireland • Great Britain
• Rest of world
Apply
• online
Closing date ongoing
gradireland.com/it
EMPLOYERS
First Derivatives Plc
First Derivatives is a leading provider of products and consulting services to the
capital markets industry.
Opportunities
FD opportunities are unique as we have positions based all over the world. Once
our new starts receive our first class training, they may be sent to a client site in
London, New York, Canada, South Africa or Australia to name a few. Alternatively,
we have amazing career opportunities based here in Ireland. We are seeking
high calibre graduates from a range of backgrounds. FD need quick thinkers,
excellent problem solvers with mathematical minds. The type of graduates that
FD hire are those who stand out in their class who are academically strong and
have the personal skills to match.
Graduate profile
Benefits
• Up to 3 months training in our Ireland HQ
• Free Accommodation throughout training period
• Highly acclaimed Capital Markets Training Programme from market experts
• Intensive workshops in highly sought after kdb+ programming skills
• After initial training period our junior consultants are placed on Tier 1 client
projects in financial hubs.
• City central accommodation provided for free – close to city/workplace
• Competitive salary package
• Utility bills/broadband costs paid for in your accommodation also and a free
cleaning service
• Generous flights and expenses package on client site – allowance per day for
food!site - allowance per day for food!
Name Catherina Hackett, University of Limerick,
BSc Financial Mathematics – Data Science Stream
“The experience I gained throughout my two years at FD HQ in
the COE team has been invaluable. I’ve also had the chance to
spend four weeks on site with the client in Toronto. The theme
'work hard, play hard' is very much incorporated into the FD life!
I have recently joined a new Tier 1 Investment bank based in London so I look
forward to the new opportunities this job and location will bring.”
Name Jamie O’Mahony, University College Cork, BE Energy
Engineering – Trading Technology Stream
“Having joined FD in August 2013 I was swiftly transferred to
London to work in a presales capacity across the Delta product
suite. This role suited me perfectly as it combined a challenging
technical aspect involving kdb+ with a client-facing feature. Following this in
April of this year I was delighted to receive the opportunity to work for Kx
Systems in New York as a Software Engineer. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time
thus far with FD, the mix of travel combined with a vibrant social
aspect has been great!”
Name Enda O’Brien, Queen's University Belfast – MSc Software
Development – Software Engineering Stream
“I joined FD over a year ago and haven’t looked back. Upon
completing the initial CMTPs, it was no time until I was boarding
a plane heading off to NYC to embark on my first FD project on
client site. Just 6 months later I was then given the opportunity to join a team in
London. FD has given me the opportunity to travel to some of the most exciting
cities while gaining valuable experience within the ‘FinTech’ world and I look
forward to a bright future with FD.”
gradireland.com/it
Go to our profile
online to see all
our latest
opportunities
Contact
Liz O’Hanlon
www.firstderivatives.com/careers
Tel +44(0)28 3025 2242
Web
www.firstderivatives.com/careers
Jobs
Type of work
• business management
• consultancy • financial services
• internet and e-commerce • network
engineering • project management
• software development
• systems/business analysis
• technical support
• telecommunications
Salary package worth c50k sterling
Benefits
• bonus (discretionary) • overtime
• pension scheme with company
contributions • private healthcare
• days’ holiday: yes • free
accommodation and expenses • free
flight allowance home
Number of vacancies 200
Degrees sought
• business • computing & IT
• electronics • engineering • finance
• computer science • software
development
Work experience
Work experience Yes, (HQ-based)
Duration 1 year
Locations
Global (or worldwide) and options for
home also. Worldwide travel is
available.
Apply
• online
IT 2016 | 23
CVs
jobs
graduate schemes
careers fairs
careers fairs
internships
careers advice
employee reviews
MORE
than a
g
kin
ban
fai
r
s
s
Job
2.1
QS
insight
k
wor
tip
s
leading
ting
Marke
board
Register for job, event and careers advice
alerts at gradireland.com/registration
EMPLOYERS
PwC
Our Risk Assurance Solutions (RAS) and Consulting practices provide a variety of
IT related services and expertise to our clients. Join us to work on high-profile
projects in computer forensics, data analytics, cybercrime, electronic discovery
and information management.
Get to our web
entry and view
all our latest
opportunities
and content
The opportunity of a lifetime
Your career is just that. Yours. You choose it. You live it. You make it happen.
Opportunities are at the heart of a career with us. Opportunities to grow as an
individual, to build lasting relationships and make an impact. We look for
intelligent, enterprising, passionate people who will work with our clients to
achieve success.
Start looking forward to enviable exposure, experiences and opportunities that
will develop your leadership skills and shape your career for a long time to come.
Collaborate on diverse projects with some of the world’s best-known brand
names. Take on big business issues and complex commercial challenges. Boost
the performance of all sorts of organisations. Work with and learn from experts
while participating in best-in-class courses and workshops. We're committed to
helping you master the skills that will set you apart from the crowd.
By choosing a career with us, you’ll become part of over 2,000 people in Ireland
across our offices in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Kilkenny, Waterford and
Wexford. You’ll also join a global network covering 157 countries and employing
over 195,000 people worldwide.
The opportunity to plan to choose your path
When you choose one of our four business areas, you’ll learn and contribute
more than you ever thought possible. We have graduate opportunities available
in Assurance, Risk Assurance Solutions (RAS), Tax and Advisory Consulting.
The opportunity to stand out
We choose the best people from a wide range of backgrounds and degree
disciplines. As well as academic excellence (we expect a minimum 2.1 degree)
we’re looking for graduates who can build and maintain relationships, put
themselves in others shoes and have a positive impact on the Firm, their clients
and each other. We’re looking for talented graduates with the skill, drive and
enthusiasm to succeed.
Apply
We accept online applications only. For further details, visit our graduate website
www.pwc.ie/graduate
Contact
Graduate Recruitment Team
Tel +353 (0)1 792 8550
Email ireland.graduate@ie.pwc.com
Web www.pwc.ie/graduate
Social media
twitter.com/pwcirl_careers
facebook.com/pwcirelandcareers
youtube.com/pwcireland
linkedin.com/company/pwc-ireland
Jobs
Type of work
• Business management •
Consultancy • Financial services •
Human resources • Internet and ecommerce • Network engineering •
Project management • Software
development • Systems/business
analysis • Technical support
Salary Competitive
Benefits
22 days’ annual leave, paid overtime,
enhanced study leave, sponsorship of
professional qualifications,
graduation day leave, on-site gym and
fitness studio, Flexible Friday - 3pm
finish on bank holidays and summer
Fridays, firm discount programme and
many more.
Number of vacancies 250
Degrees sought
We accept applications from all
degree disciplines.
Work experience
Work experience Yes
Duration Up to 12 months
Locations
• Republic of Ireland • Northern
Ireland • Great Britain • Rest of world
Apply
Closing date Consulting applications –
5pm Friday 16 October 2015.
All other applications – 5pm
Wednesday 21 October 2015.
gradireland.com/it
IT 2016 | 25
EMPLOYERS
Workday
Get to our web
entry and view
all our latest
opportunities and
content
Contact
Generation Workday team
graduates@workday.com
Web www.workday.com/college
Social media twitter.com/Workday
www.facebook.com/workday
Jobs
Type of work
• Application development
• Software development • Security
engineer • Test automation
• Support analyst • UI Engineer
Benefits
• Gym subsidy • Cycle to Work
Scheme • Life assurance • Pension
scheme with company contributions
• Private healthcare • Share options
• Holiday days: 27 • Charitable
donation match programme • Fun
Degrees sought
We accept applications from all
degree disciplines
Work experience
Summer internships
All year, long-term internships
Locations
• Republic of Ireland
Apply
• Online application and CV
www.workday.com/college
About Workday
Workday is a leading provider of enterprise cloud applications for finance and
human resources. Founded in 2005, Workday delivers financial management,
human capital management, and analytics applications designed for the world's
largest companies, educational institutions, and government agencies.
Hundreds of organisations, ranging from medium-sized businesses to Fortune
50 enterprises, have selected Workday.
Finance and HR technology built for the cloud
Our enterprise applications are simple, intuitive and built for the cloud
computing and mobile revolutions. Workday also delivers a user experience and
infrastructure that is unparalleled among business applications.
People are the core of our business—without them we would have nothing. And
we are looking for inspiring individuals to push the boundaries of design,
security, and development even further.
Our brilliant Development, Engineering and Product Management teams drive
the design and creation of our applications. They foster collaboration, welcome
original ideas, explore new tools, take chances and always strive for excellence.
Workday is positively disrupting the enterprise software industry through the
hard work and pioneering spirit of our amazing employees. By joining the
company, you will work alongside legends in the industry, the brightest new
grads—and everything in between. You will work with new technologies, solve
original problems and partner with companies all over the world.
Workday Ireland: one of the country’s best workplaces
Workday’s European headquarters are in Dublin. The office serves as a major
centre for product and technology development, customer support, services,
data centre operations and sales.
In 2015, Workday was listed as one of Ireland’s Best Workplaces.
It’s fun to work in a company where people believe in what they’re doing. At
Workday, we’re committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the
business of enterprise applications. We work hard, and we’re serious about what
we do. But we like to have a good time too. In fact, we run our company with
that principle in mind every day: one of our core values is fun.
The Dublin team has grown five-fold in three years and is expected to double in
size in the next 18 months. Recruitment for new positions on our teams is now
underway, and all the main technical teams are ready to welcome interns and
new graduates.
Generation Workday: programmes dedicated to interns and new graduates
The next generation of talent will further fuel Workday’s success. This is why we
actively seek the best and the brightest students and graduates to join
Generation Workday, a programme uniquely designed to nurture, develop and
challenge our future leaders. If you are passionate, fun and live for breakthrough
ideas, you should join our team.
A Workday welcome
We are a people focused company and thrive on diversity. We welcome
applications from graduates with diverse backgrounds to join our growing
teams.
26 |
IT 2016
gradireland.com/it
EMPLOYERS
I joined Workday as a summer intern in the Enterprise
Service Bus (ESB) team where I became familiar with
middleware, learnt programming languages such as Scala
and receive valuable exposure to Agile technology. I
subsequently focused on Scala and Akka as part of my
university final year project.
Name John
Position Associate Software
Development Engineer
University University of Limerick
Date of joining Summer Internship in
2012, then Full-Time Employee since
September 2013
I returned to Workday as an Associate Software
Development Engineer in 2013. I have since had the
opportunity to work on several projects among different
teams and to spend time at Workday’s headquarters at
Pleasanton in the U.S. Even as a new graduate I am trusted
with priority features and high impact assignments.
Continuous learning is key to being a good developer, and
Workday gives me the opportunity to choose the relevant
training I need to extend my knowledge. I selected Workday
because I believe the company sets the technical bar high.
Moreover, the people in the company are experts in their
field, but still devote time to sharing their knowledge and
skills with new team members.
Graduate profiles
gradireland.com/it
IT 2016 | 27
EMPLOYERS
SIG
SIG
Founded in 1987, SIG has grown from an options trading firm on the
Philadelphia Stock Exchange to one of the world’s largest privately held financial
institutions. Today, with offices around the world, we trade almost every major
financial product. We are recognised for our disciplined and quantitative trading
approach and our leading-edge trading systems. Our European headquarters
was established here in Dublin 15 years ago, and we now have over 350
employees working in Trading, Technology, Research, Operations, Compliance
and Risk, Legal, Finance and HR.
If you have a background in mathematics, physics, actuarial, engineering,
computer science or finance, as well as exceptional analytical and probability
skills and an interest in financial markets, we’d love to hear from you.
Get to our web
entry and view
all our latest
opportunities
and content
Contact
Chris Copp
www.sig.com/careers
Tel +353 (0)1 802 8000
Email chris.copp@sig.com
Web www.sig.com
Submit your CV and cover letter via www.sig.com/careers
Graduate profile
Jobs
Name Matthew O’Neill
Position Technology Associate
Employer Susquehanna International Group, Dublin
Education BSc Computer Science, Dublin Institute of
Technology (2015)
I first joined SIG as an Intern in 2014. From the very
first day of my internship I was given a development task to perform. Not once
in the course of my seven months at SIG did I feel bored or superfluous; there
was always something for me to work on. During my internship, I developed my
problem solving and software development skills at a much faster rate than in
college. I also gained some knowledge of finance and trading which at the time
was a relatively new subject to me.
Everyone I met was very friendly and willing to help when needed. My mentor
proved invaluable for any assistance I required and provided advice on how to
approach problems and find solutions. My time at SIG prepared me well for my
final year at college, especially the final year project.
Type of work
• financial services • software
development
Benefits
• bonus (discretionary) • life
assurance • pension scheme with
company contributions • private
healthcare • days’ holiday: 27 • fully
subsidised canteen
Number of vacancies 10
Degrees sought
• computing/IT • engineering
Work experience
Work experience Yes
Duration 3–12 months
Locations
• Republic of Ireland
Apply
• CV & letter • online
I have since rejoined SIG on the Technology Associate (TA) Programme and I am
looking forward to the mix of challenges and opportunities that SIG offers its
employees. I am particularly looking forward to developing my skills further and
acquiring a broader knowledge of the financial industry. Overall, I feel SIG is a
great place to work, whether you are a graduate, or an experienced professional.
28 |
IT 2016
gradireland.com/it
7/October/2015
graduate careers fair
4/November/2015
27/January/2016
10/February/2016
further study fair
STEM
16/February/2016
17/february/2016
8/june/2016
<Zk^^klZm?=
7DNHWKHSOXQJHDQGHQWHUDZRUOGZKHUHWKHHPSKDVLVLVRQ
SUREOHPVROYLQJXVLQJDFRPELQDWLRQRIDQDO\WLFVLPDJLQDWLRQDQG
EXVLQHVVXQGHUVWDQGLQJ-RLQRXU*UDGXDWH2SWLRQV3URJUDPPH
:HDUHFDOOLQJDOODOXPQLDQGUHFHQWJUDGXDWHV)'DUHUHFUXLWLQJ
:HKDYHORWVRIH[FLWLQJRSSRUWXQLWLHVFXUUHQWO\DYDLODEOHZLWKD
JXDUDQWHHWKDWRXUMXQLRUFRQVXOWDQWVZLOOEHSODFHGRQFOLHQW
SURMHFWVZLWKLQWKHÀUVWWKUHHPRQWKVRIMRLQLQJRXURUJDQLVDWLRQ
'R\RXIDQF\DQHZUROHZRUNLQJLQWKHKXVWOHDQGEXVWOHRID
7LHU%DQNLQWRSÀQDQFLDOFLWLHV")'FDQSURPLVHWKHVHSRVLWLRQV
ZLWKWUDYHODFFRPPRGDWLRQDQGH[SHQVHVFRVWVFRYHUHG
)'GRQҋWKLUHDQ\DYHUDJHJUDGXDWHZHVHHNVWXGHQWVZLWKDGLIIHUHQFH
$UH\RXDQDPELWLRXVLQWHOOLJHQWDQGPRWLYDWHGLQGLYLGXDOSDVVLRQDWH
DERXW)LQDQFH,7DQGNHHQWRNLFNVWDUWDQH[FLWLQJFDUHHULQWRWKH
&DSLWDO0DUNHWVLQGXVWU\")LUVW'HULYDWLYHV3OFLVWKHSODFHIRU\RX
,IH[FHOOHQWUHPXQHUDWLRQLQFOXGLQJDFFRPPRGDWLRQÁLJKWVDQGH[SHQVHV
UDSLGFDUHHUSURJUHVVLRQDQGDQLPSUHVVLYHEHQHÀWVSURJUDPPHVRXQGV
OLNHWKHSDFNDJH\RXZDQWGRQҋWZDVWHWLPH$SSO\QRZ
ppp'Ûklm]^kboZmbo^l'\hf(\Zk^^kl