The tech industry has a wide range of job titles, which can sometimes make it hard for graduates to figure out exactly what some of those people do. 

Here, we help you decode ten of the most common graduate IT job roles in the industry so you can better understand what they involve and have more meaningful conversations with tech employers.

1.Software Developers

Software developers build programmes, applications, and websites, as well as write and test code using development tools. 

There are four main types of software developer: systems developers, web developers, mobile developers and automation developers. Entry-level developers usually specialise in one of these areas when they start out. 

Developers also spend a fair amount of time talking to clients and co-workers to determine the type of solution or system required. So this isn’t just a job where you stare at screens all day! Expect plenty of interpersonal interaction in addition to the technical work. 

Software developers often work in teams, so knowledge of integrated development environments, source code control management (e.g. Git), and proper issue management will be key to ensuring everyone can collaborate effectively.

2.Systems Analyst

Systems analysts focus on how well software, hardware, and broader IT systems match the business needs of their employer or client. They optimise existing systems, come up with requirements for new systems, and may also help implement new systems and monitor their effectiveness.

Aside from technical knowledge, a good understanding of business goals is important, since systems analysts must also identify the cost-benefit analysis of systems upgrades. They are also responsible for training users and conducting user acceptance testing and feedback. 

Since the majority of the work is often done on-site or on clients’ premises, travel is a significant part of the job. Make sure you check with prospective employers about travel allowances or remote working arrangements if you are considering this line of work.

3.Business Analyst

Business analysts are the bridge between technology professionals, business managers, and end users. Their main role is to identify how an organisation’s operations and processes might be improved through IT, and then recommending appropriate solutions. 

This kind of work is project-based, starting with analysing a client's needs, collecting and documenting requirements, developing a project plan for a technology solution, and then overseeing its deployment. 
As an analyst, you can either work in-house for a company (where you’ll work on projects for your own employer), or as a consultant (which mainly involves working with external client organisations). You may need to travel on-site to assess an organisation’s systems or to meet and interview stakeholders for research.

You don't need a technical degree to get a job as a business analyst. However, you do need to have a strong working knowledge of technology and its implementations in a business setting.

4.IT Support Analyst

IT support analysts assist users with technical setup and configuration, tech support, and troubleshooting advice via email, phone, social media, or in-person. 

Professionals in this line of work either work in-house (delivering support within a particular organisation), provide ongoing support and services to other businesses as part of a maintenance contract, or on an ad hoc basis (e.g. removing malware from a user’s laptop or solving network issues).

IT support staff can work in a variety of settings, from traditional offices to universities to call centres. The type of work you will do varies by employer – for instance, providing IT support for a software provider is very different from doing support for a company selling telecommunications hardware. You may be required to work shifts or go overtime if there is a critical emergency. 

IT support roles can be open to graduates from any subject, but employers often favour those with degrees in IT – especially if the type of support work required is highly technical.

5.Network Engineer

One of the more technically demanding IT roles, network engineering involves setting up, managing, maintaining, and upgrading communication systems, local area networks, and wide area networks for an organisation. 

On a day-to-day basis, network engineers mainly monitor network performance and ensure systems remain reliably online. However, they are also in charge of network security, data storage, database backup, and disaster recovery plans.

This type of work straddles both software and hardware. Network engineers can expect to work with software configuration, service packs, and patches as much as installing and maintaining physical hardware such as routers, switches, load balancers, or servers. 

This is a very technical line of work, and you will acquire an additional plethora of specialised technical qualifications as you progress in your career. A degree in computer science or similar is often required for this kind of role.

6.IT Consultant

The word "consultant" is often thrown around in a lot of jobs, an IT consultant more strictly refers to someone who provides their technical skills to external clients by developing and deploying IT systems for them. 

IT consultants can be involved at any or all stages of the project lifecycle, including pitching for a contract, fine-tuning specifications with the client team, designing the system, leading all or a portion of the project, providing post-sales support, or even writing code.

As this line of work involves helping organisations upgrade or future-proof their IT systems, a solid and constantly-updated knowledge of the latest tech trends will be key to success. Having a flexible work approach is important too, as you may have to travel or work remotely quite often. 

Although a technical degree is preferred in this line of work, it is not always required.

7.Technical Sales 

This job area is all about selling hardware, software, or other IT services to clients. Day to day, the job involves phone calls and meetings with clients, drafting proposals, or filing for project tenders. There will be sales targets to meet, and commissions on top of your basic salary.

Even after a sale is closed, clients will still expect ongoing support from vendors. So your job in technical sales may also include post-sales support such as troubleshooting technical defects or issues, providing user training, or assisting with implementation.

Though this type of work is not as hands-on technically as other IT roles, strong IT knowledge is still required. You will, after all, need to have a thorough understanding of the product or service you are selling, as well as be able to analyse clients’ technical requirements and recommend solutions for them to purchase.

8.Project Manager

Project managers are in charge of organising people, time, and resources to ensure that an organisation’s IT projects meet the stated requirements and are completed on time or on budget. 

Given the fact that almost all firms rely on IT, project managers may operate in any number of industries. A project manager should take into account the business objectives of the projects they manage, prioritise resources accordingly and make sure everyone involved is on track. This can be easier said than done, because project staff may be scattered across many offices and teams – especially in larger organisations.

This type of work requires sufficient experience and a good foundation of both technology and soft skills. You will need to work with tech development teams, assessing their skillsets and providing possible solutions to unplanned technical challenges, as well as communicating with higher level business managers and managing their expectations.

9.UI/UX Designer

UI designers design and layout web pages and user interfaces (UI), many of which include text, audio, images, graphics, and video clips. Their goal is to create pages or interfaces that users can consume or interact with as intuitively or seamlessly as possible – essentially providing a great user experience (UX). 

Designers often work hand-in-hand with web/software developers, who develop the code that brings their designs to life. However, both roles may overlap at times, with designers being tasked to handle some aspects of front-end development as well.

Aside from a good eye for design and working knowledge of graphic design tools, designers must increasingly be able to interpret data as well. They must be able to study analytics tracking how users interact with a website or app, and use that data to inform future changes or adjustments to their designs for a better user experience.

10.QA Analyst

Quality assurance (QA) analysts, also known as localisation analysts and test analysts, test apps, games, and other software to ensure that they are reliable, fully functioning, and user-friendly before release to the public. 

This type of work could involve checking thousands of lines of code against a test plan to ensure that there are no errors at all, or intentionally attempting to hunt down bugs and glitches in the software before reporting their findings to developers. They could also recommend ways to improve a programme's functionality and user interface. 

There is also an additional subset of QA analysts who specialise in translation and localisation. Their role is to make sure that the software/app is appropriately translated for the foreign market in which it is planned to be sold, is culturally compatible, or that the text is displayed properly.

QA analysts are usually engaged on a per-project basis. You can find such roles either in-house at companies with mass user-facing software products (e.g. game development companies), with dedicated IT outsourced service providers, or choose to freelance as one too.