To answer Question 1: I did a degree in Business Management in the Institute of Technology Tallaght. This course didn’t include specializing in any area but covered all areas you would expect in a Business management course: Economics, Accounting, IT, Management, Communications, Statistics, Law, Marketing. Working for 8 years in the ICT industry has led to continued learning on Technology, Public speaking & Communications, and many other areas.

Regards,

Adam

1. What job opportunities are available to me after completing a HDip in IT?

Hi Alan – it is very hard to be specific regarding the types of opportunities available to you following on from your course as I don’t know what your primary degree is.

However, you should look at the job websites and company websites which often specify the range of technologies that are required for roles within their companies.

Also don’t forget that apart from academic qualifications, companies are looking for well rounded individuals with good team work and communications skills. I would advise you to look at current vacancies and see if any of the skills they are looking at match the areas you studied – this will give you a good idea of the roles out there.

Also, keep in mind that technology companies are always looking for people with an interest and foundation in technology and will provide training in different technologies and skills and will constantly train their staff in new and emerging areas! You may enter your career as a IT guru and end up as a project manager/ business analyst etc!

2. Would ethical hacking be difficult to get employed in?

I can’t answer that question directly as I don’t work in this area but I would say that the area of cybersecurity and fraud detection is constantly growing and you should look at the various courses available that cover these.

http://www.careersportal.ie should have more information on these courses.

3. Would you have to have a good idea of how technology works for a course in digital forensics?

It helps, but if you are of an inquisitive mind and like to problem solve you may enjoy a course like this. It is best to talk to the course coordinator so you have a better idea of the requirements and the type of person who succeeds on this course.

4. Do you think tech sector will get overcrowded?

No. The sector continues to expand and has a very bright future. Employment through indigenous and multinational technology firms now tops 84,000, and since January 2011 over 80 jobs a week have been announced in the sector – this is on foot of 6% employment growth in 2009 and 4% in 2010.

With a growing multinational technology presence in Ireland and a vibrant and innovative indigenous software sector, the future prospects for Ireland’s technology sector are bright.

Technology and technologists and engineers are vital to all sectors of the economy, and a career in ICT is a passport to a job in every sector and business in Ireland.

The technical interviews and phone screen would focus primarily on your algorithm and problem solving skills. When it comes to solving these questions, you’ll be asked to write out the solution on a whiteboard in any language of your choosing. The assumption here is that if you’re hired, you’ll be able to transfer these skills/knowledge into whatever language you’ll be working with.

There are great prospects for the future in Microsoft for career development. Many graduates have gone onto other roles in the European Operations Center, European Development Center and the Sales and Marketing Subsidiary or even to other Microsoft sites such as Redmond.

Company benefits include 25 days holidays, competitive salaries and also my personal favourite – job flexibility. Employees in Microsoft often work with flexi-time and have the opportunity to work from home.

what prospects do you see for yourself in the future? like promotion?

is there much chance of producing your own computer games? what is the benefits of working here, is there a chance of a company car or other company benefits?