Could the IT Industry be right for you?

Well the view from my desk is a little gloomy now that the pumpkins have been removed but the outlook for our industry is certainly better.

Already 1.5 million people are employed in the IT industry, a figure which translates as every one in 20 people employed in the UK.

But while the sector may be expanding, IT employers are not hiring just anyone - they are looking for a high standards in employees.

A recent report by e-skills UK, Technology Insights 2011, predicted that the IT & Telecoms industry will grow by £50 billion over the next five to seven years.  This is a growth of over two per cent per year, which is nearly five times faster than the UK average.

Mr Nott said that the UK is an important part of the IT industry, a point the e-skills report emphases, revealing that £81 billion of the UK's annual economy comes from the IT and Telecoms industry.

He also pointed out that last year saw an increase in demand for professionals.

And he added this demand will continue to rise.

So what can be done about this shortage? Langley James, and IT recruitment agency, believes that the answer lies with taking on more trainees in the sector.

"I would say companies need to look at bringing trainees in rather than expecting everybody to hit the ground running, " James Toovey, founder and director of Langley James, said.  "That is one of the biggest problems with this industry and that is why there is continually a skills shortage - everybody wants somebody that has a couple of years experience using the latest technology."

He added that "new blood" - people coming into the industry with knowledge of social networking like Twitter and Facebook - would stand in good stead as they can display a knowledge of up-to-date technology.