- analytical thinking skills
- maths knowledge for understanding programming
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
- complex problem-solving skills
- excellent verbal communication skills for sharing ideas
- persistence and determination
- thinking and reasoning skills
- the ability to use your initiative
- to have a thorough understanding of computer systems and applications
Your day-to-day tasks may include:
- talking through requirements with the client and the development team
- taking part in technical design and progress meetings
- writing or amending computer code
- testing software and fixing problems
- keeping accurate records of the development process, changes and results
- carrying out trials and quality checks before release
- maintaining and supporting systems once they're up and running
You could work at a client's business or in an office.
With experience, you could become a senior developer, with team, project management, planning or research responsibilities. You could move into related areas like systems design, IT architecture and business systems analysis.
You could also set up your own business or work as a consultant in most areas of the economy, for example business services, finance, cyber security, telecommunications and healthcare.
You can find out more about working and training in computing from The Chartered Institute for IT and Tech Future Careers.
