Placements in Information Technology (IT), including gaming

1.2 million People work in information technology in the UK – around half work in IT companies and the others work in related industries such as manufacturing, finance, public sector and communications.

There are a many areas for graduates to work in, such as computer programming, computer consultancy, and gaming, data processing, telecommunications and web portals. In the private sector, international companies like Cisco, Accenture, IBM, Microsoft, Logica and Infosys are the main graduate recruiters.

Undertaking a placement enables you to apply your theoretical knowledge to the workplace, helps to develop your professional experience and skills. Furthermore it greatly increases the likelihood of getting a graduate/managerial level job.

Southampton Solent University (SSU) placement providers

SSU students have found placements at a range of large and small employers, including some of those listed below. Make a speculative application to any of these listed companies, asking about the possibility of having a placement with them. Tailor your CV and covering email/letter to the organisation and positively describe the skills, experience and knowledge you would bring to such a position. Remember to research the company and likely tasks and duties through their websites and the links.

Siemens Network Rail Unilever Miars BAE SYSTEMS E.CON UK ASHGAMING Nomura Focusrite Person Centred Software MWR InfoSecurity Gradweb Roland Berger Strategy Consultants Prospectsoft

Local previous placement providers for SSU students

SSU has built relationships with a range of regional and local organisations in Southampton. Investigate and approach these companies who have all employed SSU students in an IT related placement in the past. Send an email to one of the following companies explaining why you would like to undergo a placement and what you can offer to their company.

Micro Nav Ltd DSTL CleverTouch Marketing Ltd Enterprise Rent A Car Peer 1 Hosting Matrix IT Solutions

Hays EmergeIT Ordnance Survey Old Mutual National Oceanography Centre Transactor Dstl Southampton City Council

National placement providers

There are many national companies who promote placements within IT, including these placement roles and organisations in the list below:

HP – IT Assistant Micro Nav Ltd – Software Engineering ICT Solutions - Network Engineer Intel - Information Systems Development IBM - Software Design Developer Transport for London – Quantity Surveying GSK – IT Industrial Cummins - Product Validation Engineering

Placement websites

There are also a range of great sites to help you search for IT and gaming placements such as:

Graduate Job South Gradcracker RateMyPlacement TargetJob/IT CareerBox (myCourse login required) - CareerBox is an online recourse to boost employability

and improve your future placement/job search.

What IT graduates do

Obtaining a placement during your degree will give you a deeper knowledge and understanding of the industry and increase your chances of achieving a graduate job. See below for some companies that employed SSU IT graduates. Use these for some ideas of places to contact.

Transactor Global Solutions – Software Developer Anite Plc Group – IT Support Engineer University of Portsmouth – IT Adviser Ordnance Survey – Software Engineer London School of Business – Desktop Support Technician R.O.EYE Ltd – Web Manager O’Neil’s – Business and IT Analyst Harrap Computer Systems – ICT Support Officer Next Generation IT – IT Engineer

MDI networks Ltd – Network Engineer Alliance Systems - IT Network Technician