Working in the IT industry

General Skills
There are a number of general skills that employers are looking for not just specifically for IT but for many other industries. Examples of these skills are:

• Interpersonal Skills: Interpersonal or communication skills are highly valued by many employers as it is likely that your job will involve working with other people.
• Planning: Even in your first job you will be expected to to deal with several issues and the best way to handle this is to plan before you carry out any tasks so that you keep to the deadlines.
• Organisational: This is a key skill in order to be successful within your job because you will have to be able to carry out work tasks efficiently. This is were organisation is important because you will have the correct equipment, information and tools to be able to carry out a task.
• Time Management: This skill ties in with planning and organisational skills because it involves making the most of your time and using it effectively and efficiently. For example making sure you have the right equipment for your job to avoid wasting time.
• Team Working: This is a very important skill to have because in your first job you won't be working on your own especially if your working in the IT industry. Team work is about communicating with your staff and understanding the role within your team. Also dealing with problems in a positive manner and co-operating with the rest of your team is key to a successful business.
• Numerical: Depending what job you have you will be expected to have good numerical skills especially working within IT. However most jobs require basic numerical skills including the ability to carry out day to day mathmatical calculations. Some IT careers such as programming will require a higher level of mathmatecial ability.
• Creativity: This is an excellent skill to have espicially within the IT industry because if you were a IT technition and you were fixing a computer, If you are creative and think outside the box with problem solving you will be more succesful. Creativity is a good skill becuase it makes you stand out more and can mean having more unique jobs within IT with a good salary.
• Problem Solving: This skill is used alot especially working within IT because there is alot of IT systems that suffer from problems from one sort or another. Thus means problem solvig skill's are vital and usually come with experience of previous problems but its also the way you approach problems and the action you take to solve it.

Industry Specific Skills
Working Within an Industry you will be expected to have specific skills involved within the job that you are within. Examples of these Skills are:

• Techinical Knowledge: This is an important skill to have espicially within IT. Technical knowledge is the ability of general knowledge and having the specific skills needed in the area of work. Techinical knowledge is also the ability to learn fast and pick up other skills quickly.
• Working Procedures: This skill is specific to the working enviroment you are in which are set by the company or the employer. These are the working practices that are set like for example the legislation that applies, copyright and data protection laws. You also need to be aware of your responsibilities within breaking the law and keeping to safe practice.
• Health and Safety Knowledge: This is an important skill to have because it keeps you safe and others around you safe. Your employer will expect you to know the health and safety work act 1974 and a general understanding of the health and safety procedures that have been put into practice for that certain company.