Advice has been given to University of Gloucestershire computing students for them to get a head-start when it comes to job hunting. Should they wish to fill roles such as IT security jobs, they should start looking sooner rather than later.

Every job receives applications from 45 graduates according to national statistics, but that figure climbs to over 60 for IT vacancies.

Lee Clarke, a representative from a consulting firm which specialises in recruiting IT professionals, delivered a presentation to students at the university and said that much of the audience made the assumption that they would be leaving their course to walk straight into a £20,000 a year job.

There were few who paid sufficient attention to their module choices in order for them to impress upon employers. Mr Clarke said:

“What I am finding is a lot of graduates are not really geared up for how competitive the jobs market is. Universities are churning out a good number of computer science students, but not necessarily with the particular skills an employer needs.”

He added that it would be dangerous to see a job as being below them and that there were a rising number of jobs for websites, as high street stores have been shut down with a shift of emphasis to selling online. However, social media saw the biggest growth.

The university run a number of computing courses such as multimedia web design, interactive game design and information technology, with many students hoping to take on IT security jobs once they have completed their degree.

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