Technology graduate jobs: What skills do I need?

If you’re looking to start your graduate career in the technology sector, you’re in good company; it’s the second most popular sector for graduates in our database.

With graduate roles ranging from software development to web design, project management and data analysis, tech jobs & graduate schemes can be suited to a range of people, with very different skill sets, qualifications and interests.

To help you decide whether a career in technology is right for you, we’ve unpacked all the skills & qualifications you’ll need to succeed in tech; as well as a look at the different technology careers.

To start with, let’s look at the differences between tech graduate jobs and graduate schemes in tech:

Technology Graduate Jobs vs Tech Graduate Schemes

Whether you’re better suited to a technology graduate job or a tech graduate scheme will depend largely on whether you have a set career in mind (i.e. Software Developer, Analyst or Project Manager), or if you are more inclined to get your foot in the door at an organisation and try your hat at a few different roles.

Graduate jobs exist at any organisation, ranging from tech startups to much bigger businesses.

If you’ve been hired into a graduate job, you will be expected to perform that particular role; although it is worth noting that at graduate level, there is often plenty of scope to move into different roles within the business.

Tech graduate schemes will often work on a rotational basis, usually at large multinational corporations.

As a graduate you will often get to move around teams, so it’s a good idea if you’re unsure exactly what aspect of tech you want to work in.

Some tech graduate schemes will include a 3-month stint in each of IT support, consultancy, support and account management, for example.

Find out why graduate jobs can sometimes be better than graduate schemes.

Types of Graduate Technology Careers

Within the technology industry and in different tech companies, there will be a huge range of graduate technology jobs; some which require specific technical skills, and some which are more flexible when it comes to degree course and skill set.

Some of the most common types of technology jobs include:

Technical Jobs

Graduate Software Developer
Graduate Software Engineer
Junior Front-End Developer
Native Developer
IT Analyst

Client-facing Tech Jobs

Account Executive / Account Manager
Client Services Executive
Technical Consultant
Project Manager
Technical Account Manager

Marketing Tech Jobs (MarTech)

Digital Analyst
Digital Marketing Consultant
Technical Content Writer
Marketing Account Manager
SEO Lead / PPC Manager

Administrative Tech Jobs

Tech Office Manager
Technical Administrator
Technical Operations Manager / Operations Coordinator
Team Coordinator
Communications Coordinator

Tech Support Jobs

IT Support Engineer / Helpdesk Engineer
Customer Support Consultant
Technical Support Officer

Tech startup jobs

Qualifications Needed for IT Jobs

If you’re wondering how to get a tech job, a good place to start would be to focus on the qualifications needed for IT jobs.

BSc degree

For many graduate technology jobs, particularly those that require specific technical skills, employers will state that they require a relevant degree, such as Computer Science or Computer Systems.

More often than not, though, for technical roles, employers are open to a wider range of BSc degrees, providing you can show you have the skills they require.

For example, if you studied a Physics degree but have learned to code online, and have a Github to demonstrate your skills, you will likely be considered for these opportunities.

MSc degree

Some graduate technology jobs require more than a BSc degree, and also look for a Master’s in a STEM, scientific/IT-based subject.

A MEng (Master of Engineering) degree for example, is a common requirement for some technology roles.

Any university degree

For many graduate tech jobs, especially those which don’t call for a very specific skill set (i.e. the ability to programme in Python), employers are open to meeting candidates with all different types of degree.

They will be more interested in learning about the skills you can bring to the table, your interview technique, and the ways in which you can demonstrate your skills.

Technical Skills Needed for IT Jobs

For graduate jobs such as a Developer or a Software Engineer, you will need a certain technical skill set.

This will vary widely depending on whether the role is a graduate entry-level job, or more senior; as well as the type of company, the expectations for the role, and the training & development that the company offers. Common technical skills examples, which are required for IT jobs…

Technical skills list

Algorithms
Applications
Coding
Configuration
Cyber Security
Data Modelling
Debugging
Design
Development
Infrastructure
IT Analysis
IT Support
Maintenance
Networking
Operating Systems
Programming languages
Statistical Analysis
Software
Systems Analysis
Troubleshooting
QA Testing

Soft Skills Needed For Graduate Technology Jobs

As well as techy “hard skills” necessary for particular technology jobs, there are a number of other IT jobs requirements and skills necessary if you want to work in the tech sector.

Given the fast-paced, ever-evolving nature of technology, these “soft skills” will be valuable in every graduate technology job.

Planning/organisation

Whatever role you’re working in, good organisational skills are vital.

Given that you’re likely to be working on a range of different tasks, the ability to organise your work and prioritise your time will be of real value to any graduate tech employer.

Motivation

To work in the technology industry, motivation and drive will be key.

It’s especially important to be able to self-motivate when you might be working autonomously on projects, rather than relying on a Manager or Team Lead to keep you focused.

Interpersonal skills

Many people mistakenly think that jobs in tech involve solely hiding behind a computer screen and don’t require communication skills.

This is not true, however, you will need to communicate with other people in the business; who will often be a mix of technical and non-technical users.

In order to excel in any graduate tech role, communication, interpersonal and teamworking skills are important.

Attention to detail

Whether you’re working as a Graduate Software Developer or a Client Services Executive, attention to detail is vital when working to tight deadlines.

Tech companies, especially tech startups, tend to be extremely fast paced, so employers require precision, pace and accuracy across every team in their business.

How to get an IT job with no experience?

If your degree was a sandwich course and you completed a placement year during University, or if you had a part-time IT job or summer temp work within IT, then you’ll have a head start in the job hunt!

But what happens if you’ve graduated from University with no experience in the industry? Here’s how to get an IT job with no experience…

Tailor your CV to each job and company you are applying for and make sure you spend the time highlighting how the qualifications you have and the skills you’ve learnt will be useful in the new role.
It’s important to be open-minded. It’s easy to become too fussy when looking for IT jobs, and although it’s good to have an idea of what career path you want to go down; try to stay flexible too. Of course, you want to find your dream job, but you must also stay realistic, particularly until you get some more experience under your belt.
Prepare for interviews! It’s essential to make sure you’re fully prepared beforehand, with hundreds of graduates applying for each job, you need to make sure you stand out. Lucky for you, we’ve got a whole guide to answering the most common interview questions, with example answers to help you structure your own.
Add extra value to your CV and boost your employability by volunteering. Not only can this help to expand your network and increase your confidence, but it might also enable you to have a clearer idea about what you want to do. If you can choose something relevant to the technology industry, then that’s even better! Why not volunteer teaching IT to the elderly? Or volunteer at a school, teaching computer skills to students.
Alongside your basic IT qualifications, have you considered broadening your skills with online learning? Whilst looking for IT jobs, it would be a good idea spending a couple of hours a day upskilling, take a look at these online courses you can do for free.

We can’t stress enough the value and importance of technical skills today. Within the technology industry, there’s a wide range of graduate jobs on offer; meaning that there is scope for everyone to break into a career in tech.

Think your skillset matches the above? Check out our entry level computer science jobs and cyber security graduate jobs!