Just one glance on our s1jobs website shows there are more job opportunities in IT out there than there are twerking trophies in Davey’s cabinet.
It’s equally true that there is a growing army of job seekers who are highly schooled and highly skilled in the application of engineering discipline to the creation of software.
So to help get you ahead of the IT crowd, we sent Davey himself along to meet one of the Scottish industry’s top bods, Mr Stephen Trotter, who shared a little of his insider knowledge about the sector of Software Engineering.
So, Stephen, can tell me a little about your company and your role?
Certainly, Davey, I am Senior Software Engineer at Phoenix Interactive Design in Dunfermline. My office is part of a global-wide business, which primarily produces software for ATMs.
So that’s where all the money is in IT! What does your day job involve?
In essence, our team is involved in authoring and customising software to meet global clients’ requirements, with our primary clients being international banks. This means, working closely with our clients, I design and write ATM application code, which we test on ATMs in our own laboratories.
How’s the IT jobs sector in Scotland doing?
Well, the fact that Phoenix Interactive Design opened our first Scottish office in 2013 is perhaps a good indication of an upturn in the sector, following some tough times during the recession.
Let’s get to the nitty gritty. What are the main challenges for wee folks like me getting into your big shoes?
I must admit, I have not seen many new entries into my own particular ATM specialism in recent years. The truth is in Scotland there are a large number of professionals operating in this sector who have many years of expertise.
So the biggest obstacle, I’d say, is always going to be relative inexperience going up against experience. That said, however, there are definite opportunities out there. And we should keep in mind, too, that at an entry level in IT, any experience is worthwhile and will have an impact on your job prospects.
There is, after all, a wide and varied range of software skills that are learned in other parts of the IT sector that will be easily transferrable to other software roles.
So if you can’t get into your preferred area immediately, don’t worry, all is not lost. Hone your existing skills and seek out chances to build your experience in other areas that can be brought to bear in the future.
And do you have any guru-styley top tips for those wishing to climb the ladder?
Well, in this business, simple logic and application will trump ‘guru speak’. So, I’d say just take some time out to evaluate what your career priorities actually are. Talk to your current boss, find out what opportunities exist, and determine whether your current IT skills actually match those roles further up the career ladder – and, if you come to the conclusion you do want to move up or on, you can do so in the confidence your skills will be in demand.
Finally, what was the best advice you were given in your own career?
If you don’t ask, you don’t get!
Are you a skilled Software Engineer, or looking to kick start your career in this exciting sector? Check out the latest jobs on s1jobs right now.