IT consultant

IT consultants are great communicators and have excellent organisational skills as well as a sound knowledge and understanding of IT systems

Your role as an IT consultant is to work in partnership with clients, advising them how to use information technology in order to meet their business objectives or overcome problems. You'll work to improve the structure and efficiency of IT systems in various organisations.

You'll provide strategic guidance to clients about technology and IT infrastructures and will enable major business processes through enhancements to IT. You may be called upon to provide guidance and technical expertise during other processes as well, such as selection and procurement and user training and feedback.

Responsibilities

As an IT consultant you'll need to:

• work with prospective and existing clients to determine technical and business requirements and define the scope and budget of a project
• clarify a client's system specifications, understand their work practices and the nature of their business, and manage their expectations
• plan timescales and the resources needed
• visit client sites and liaise with staff at all levels of the business
• define network, hardware and software requirements
• analyse IT requirements within companies, and give independent and objective advice on the use of IT
• develop agreed solutions and implement new systems
• present solutions in written reports and by oral presentations
• help clients with change-management activities
• purchase systems where appropriate
• design, test, install and monitor new systems
• prepare documentation and present progress reports to clients, highlighting issues that may impact on delivery
• organise training for users and other consultants
• be involved in sales and support and, where appropriate, maintain contact with client organisations to identify opportunities for additional consulting services
• identify potential new clients, and build and maintain contacts
• keep up to date with current trends and new technologies.

Salary

• As a graduate IT consultant you can expect to earn £20,000 to £30,000.
• With significant experience, you can earn in the region of £32,000 to £40,000.
• At a more senior level, if you've identified a specialist area, salaries range from £40,000 to £80,000. The exact salary depends on the demand for your specific expertise.

Salary is dependent on location, size and type of employer, and experience, and is usually performance-related. Contract work is possible and daily rates will depend on your experience and area of expertise.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Although you'll generally work 9am to 5pm, the nature of the industry means that extra hours are often required to meet deadlines. You'll also spend a lot of time travelling to client sites, mirroring the client's working hours.

Part-time work is unlikely, but career breaks are possible as work is project-based. While many IT professionals are independent contractors, it's best to gain some experience and contacts in the industry by working for an employer before going down this route.

Self-employment is possible once you have built up experience and a good reputation.

What to expect

• The job is mostly office-based, working as a member of a project team. You'll often be based on clients' premises.
• Although more companies are addressing the gender imbalance in the IT sector, women are still underrepresented. This is a recognised issue and steps are being taken to redress the balance. See Women in Tech and BCSWomen for more information and job vacancies.
• Jobs are available in many large towns and cities, with client sites located throughout the UK.
• The work can be fast-paced and challenging at times, particularly when meeting client deadlines.
• You will need to travel during the working day and may stay away from home overnight to visit clients. Overseas travel may occasionally be necessary depending on the employer and client.

Qualifications

Although you can enter IT consultancy work with any degree, the following subjects may be particularly useful:

• business and computing/computing for business
• computer science and software engineering
• data science
• electrical/electronic engineering
• information systems
• mathematics
• other related computing, science or engineering disciplines.

Relevant work experience and a genuine interest in IT and consulting will increase your chances of securing work.

Tech Industry Gold Skills, with the help of some of the biggest employers, has designed the BSc and MSc IT Management for Business (ITMB) degrees. The aim is to give students the technical, business and interpersonal skills needed for a career in the IT sector. These degrees are accredited by TechSkills.

There are also a range of IT degree courses that are accredited by the British Computer Society for Chartered IT.

Alternatively, you can do a degree apprenticeship. The Level 6 Digital & Technology Solutions Professional (IT Consultant) degree apprenticeship, for example, combines study with paid work, allowing you to train on the job and gain a qualification. You can search for an apprenticeship using Find an apprenticeship.

A pre-entry postgraduate qualification isn't required but may be useful, particularly if your first degree isn't in a related subject or if you want to specialise in a particular area of IT.

Search for postgraduate courses in computer science and IT.

You may start your career in an area such as systems administration, network engineering or software development in order to build up your skills and experience.

Employers will also look for relevant professional qualifications and certifications, such as those offered by Cisco, CompTIA and Microsoft. Research qualifications carefully to make sure they align with your career aims, your chosen area of expertise and the clients you want to work with.

It may also be possible to start your career in an entry-level role such as IT support for a consulting company and then work your way up by taking further training and gaining experience.

Skills

In addition to technical skills, you'll need to have:

• excellent communication, interpersonal skills and presentation skills
• a logical approach to problem solving and analysing
• the ability to learn quickly
• excellent customer service skills
• the confidence to make big decisions that impact businesses
• teamwork skills
• organisational skills to prioritise heavy workloads
• project management skills
• the ability to communicate technical information to non-IT clients and colleagues
• leadership ability
• flexibility and adaptability
• time management skills.

You will need a driving licence to visit client sites.

Work experience

It's vital that you get some IT-related work experience such as an internship or industrial placement. Some degree courses include a year in industry, where you can develop your skills and experience through real-life projects, and also build a network of contacts in the industry.

Work experience gained in a commercial environment in a client-facing role helps demonstrate your commercial awareness, client management skills and ability to understand and communicate the business benefits of IT.

Competition for vacancies is high, so it's a good idea to start making applications for jobs to larger firms in the autumn term of your final year.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

You can find work within management consultancies, software and systems houses, and some large manufacturers of computing equipment and software. You may focus on a particular industry, or work across a range of sectors for your clients, including:

• construction
• education
• financial services and global investment companies
• healthcare
• manufacturing - including automotive
• the public sector
• transport
• utilities.

Some companies and consultancies specialise in one area of IT services, such as web design and internet solutions, or they may produce software tailored to a particular market. You'll need specialist knowledge and experience in that area to apply, or they may offer the necessary training.

Big graduate recruiters take on recent graduates into consultancy roles. Companies range in size from small firms employing fewer than five people, to industry giants.

Globalisation, outsourcing, cloud computing, cybersecurity and social computing currently drive opportunities in this sector. A rising interest in environmental innovation, in products and services, is also creating new demand for consultants.

Look for job vacancies at:

• CWJobs
• IT JobBoard
• Technojobs

Recruitment agencies such as Crimson, Michael Page and VIQU commonly handle vacancies. For companies who employ consultants, see the Management Consultancies Association (MCA).

Contracting is an option once you're an experienced IT consultant and most job sites deal with contract roles. Also, search specialist sites like Contractor UK for leads.

Professional development

You'll develop technical and business skills through a combination of on-the-job training and in-house courses. You may be given training in a variety of programming languages and be taught the principles of systems analysis, as well as how to use specific project management and business software. Other training may cover topics such as client interaction, communication, leadership, conflict resolution, and sales and presentation skills.

Formal training is more likely in larger companies, where you will gain experience in a variety of working environments and systems. In some cases, mentoring schemes are available. You will need to keep learning throughout your career to keep up to date with advances in new technologies and trends.

Professional qualifications and certifications, such as those offered by the BCS: The Chartered Institute for IT, Cisco, CompTIA and Microsoft, provide evidence that you have reached a certain professional standard and level of skill.

As a member of the BCS you can access a range of information and guidance. The BCS also awards chartership as a Chartered IT Professional (CITP) for those with a high level of experience and skills, as well as a commitment to continuing professional development.

Other useful certifications include:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified Solutions Architect - for IT consultants working with cloud computing
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) - for IT consultants specialising in information security
• Project Management Professional (PMP) - to demonstrate your expertise in project management.

Career prospects

The IT industry is so diverse that you can develop your career in a number of ways, in a variety of industries and sectors. As an IT consultant, your immediate prospects depend on the size and type of the organisation you work for. Movement between employers is common.

Most large consultancies have an established career structure for their staff, with frequent appraisals and an emphasis on individuals managing their own career. You might move from handling daily responsibility for a project to a more strategic role within team leadership. You will typically start as a junior consultant, developing your skills and experience, before moving into mid-level roles and then on to senior consultant.

There are opportunities to specialise in a specific area of IT such as cybersecurity, cloud computing or software development. Alternatively, you could specialise in a particular sector such as health or education.

You may also choose to take on greater responsibilities in another part of the organisation, such as training and recruitment, research and development, project management or sales.

Other ways to progress include moving into a more strategic business direction, either for a company or a management consultancy firm. You could also opt to work as a self-employed contractor.