Advice for my cousin's son trying to start in IT

[orac]

No Chance

No Chance. Do something else. The market is starting to pick up, only experienced people will get jobs, the rest will go to India.

[weemster]

I used to love IT but as I get older realise there are to many weirdos, not enough of the fairer sex or people with a balanced sense of humour. Money is good but eventually time becomes the commodity ! but IT can work (I am sub 40 (just) and have saved a fair few quid over the past 7 years and met a few good people, I also have a good standard of living).

[OwlHoot]

I disagree. IMO. He should choose an area he enjoys to specialise in, and target his job applications, enhancing those areas of his course to suit, on the CV. He should then apply for work experience if jobs aren't forthcoming.

Good point - I hadn't thought of work experience, in the specific sense of a Government scheme (if it's still going).

The curious thing is one of his half-brothers is a PC games whizz, who I think part owns a gaming company in Liverpool. I remember showing him how to write an ellipse drawing program when he was about 10, and not long after had written his own fractal landscape generator which one could fly over - pretty impressive.

But I don't know if my cousin's son is interested in game development, and if he is perhaps he's not talented enough or doesn't get on with the games prodigy (who is somewhat unapproachable, verging on autistic). But I might mention that too. Seems an obvious approach to consider, especially for someone who turns his nose up at more conventional IT.

Anyway, thanks also for the other suggestions guys.

[Mich the Tester]

Good point - I hadn't thought of work experience, in the specific sense of a Government scheme (if it's still going).

The curious thing is one of his half-brothers is a PC games whizz, who I think part owns a gaming company in Liverpool. I remember showing him how to write an ellipse drawing program when he was about 10, and not long after had written his own fractal landscape generator which one could fly over - pretty impressive.

But I don't know if my cousin's son is interested in game development, and if he is perhaps he's not talented enough or doesn't get on with the games prodigy (who is somewhat unapproachable, verging on autistic). But I might mention that too. Seems an obvious approach to consider, especially for someone who turns his nose up at more conventional IT.

Anyway, thanks also for the other suggestions guys.

There are plenty of interesting things to do for graduates. How about the Met Office?

Look at this;
Benefits
Pension

On appointment you will automatically qualify to join the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme that includes a programme for new entrants called ‘Nuvos’. This benefits scheme also includes death and injury benefits and more details can be found on the Civil Service Pensions website.
Annual leave and time off

In addition to 25 days annual leave you will get eight bank holidays and two-and-a-half privilege days to be taken at certain times of the year (Easter and Christmas). Your annual leave entitlement will rise with your length of service, reaching 30 days after seven years service. We also offer maternity/adoption leave, paternity leave, parental leave and special leave — for domestic emergency, particular event or voluntary activity — (paid and unpaid).

There are lots of other interesting applications of IT for those who don't like the commercial side. European Space Agency, the Armed forces etc come to mind too.

I started at a Dutch water board, modelling future water requirements using spatial demographic models; very interesting academiccy stuff; I stopped because someone offered me a comparatively huge sum of money and a company Audi to go testing for him.

[realityhack]

Good point - I hadn't thought of work experience, in the specific sense of a Government scheme (if it's still going).

The curious thing is one of his half-brothers is a PC games whizz, who I think part owns a gaming company in Liverpool. I remember showing him how to write an ellipse drawing program when he was about 10, and not long after had written his own fractal landscape generator which one could fly over - pretty impressive.

But I don't know if my cousin's son is interested in game development, and if he is perhaps he's not talented enough or doesn't get on with the games prodigy (who is somewhat unapproachable, verging on autistic). But I might mention that too. Seems an obvious approach to consider, especially for someone who turns his nose up at more conventional IT.

Anyway, thanks also for the other suggestions guys.

Unless he's a genius - there's little money to be made in games development. The coders are genuinely treated like monkeys and paid peanuts - and if you're working for one of the big distributors or production houses, it's a pressured treadmill environment.

Don't know about govt schemes, but in big companies, with work experience you simply contact HR, they do the clearance/vetting, and you take them on for between 2-6 weeks. You'd need to call in a big favour from a friendly client rep/PM as they'd need to be supervised in that time.

If the candidate works their socks off and genuinely impresses the client - they may be in with a shot at a job. First rung of the ladder.

[realityhack]

Also - many FTSEs have graduate training programmes - if his grades are up to scratch, he could always do a scattergun application approach and apply to loads of these schemes. This is speaking from the business-side of IT though, I'm not sure if it works the same way in the 'Group IT' environment.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

I would tell him that he can claim the dole and be a pretend contractor like me if he wants. The real world is something I know nothing about.

For those of you who have CyberTory on ignore - thought you'd want to see this one.

[lilelvis2000]

We knew it all along....

[gingerjedi]

No Chance. Do something else. The market is starting to pick up, only experienced people will get jobs, the rest will go to India.

Are there jobs in India then?