IT Consultant
Careers Explorer:
External analysts who evaluate a company’s IT systems to help them meet their business objectives and improve services.
Overview
You’ll need to be a great communicator for a role as an IT Consultant, as you’ll be working with clients and advising them how to use information technology in order to meet their business objectives or overcome problems.
Your main duties will include analysing and diagnosing a company’s IT infrastructure, understanding a client’s business needs and designing and implementing a technology solution.
IT consultants are in demand across a broad range of sectors. You’ll have to immerse yourself within an organisation in order to clarify their system specifications and understand their work practices and the nature of their business, as well as sector they operate in.
It’s your job to improve the structure and efficiency of IT systems within an organisation and provide strategic guidance to clients on solutions that will improve business processes.
Top 5 Tasks
- Meet with clients to determine requirements and projects
- Define software, hardware and network requirements
- Analyse IT requirements within companies and give independent and objective advice
- Implement new systems
- Organise training.
Salary
As a graduate IT consultant, you can expect to earn between £20,000 and £30,000, and with significant experience, you can earn up to £40,000.
At a more senior level, or if you work in a specialist area, you can earn up to £80,000.
Am I Suited?
- Technical competency
- Decision-making
- Analytical thinker
- Good communicator
- Leader
There are more men than women working in the IT industry, however various groups exist to support women in IT and technology and encourage them into the industry such as BCSWomen and Women in Technology.
Qualifications
You can enter IT consultancy work with any degree, but employers tend to favour qualifications in a related field such as business studies, computer science, information systems or maths.
