Beyond coding: helping young people discover the breadth of careers in tech

When pupils think about a career in technology, what do they picture? For many, software development and coding may spring to mind first. But the range of roles involved in designing, delivering, supporting and securing technology is much broader.

A BBC Bitesize article featuring tech expert and author Christina Lovelock sets out to challenge some of those assumptions. Jobs in tech: Expert advice introduces young people to five very different roles and, in doing so, offers computing educators a useful prompt for thinking about how we present technology careers in school.

Tech careers aren't just about coding

One of the strongest messages from the article is also one of the simplest: working in technology does not necessarily mean writing code.

Christina highlights five roles: service desk agent, business analyst, delivery manager, security architect and Chief Information Officer or Chief Technology Officer. Together, they illustrate just how varied technology careers can be.

This matters when talking to pupils about where computing can take them. If their picture of the sector is limited to programmers and software developers, some young people may decide early that technology is not for them.

Showing pupils a wider range of roles can help them recognise that their own interests and strengths have a place in the sector.

People skills belong in technology too

The skills highlighted in the article are strikingly broad. Communication, collaboration, curiosity, organisation, leadership and problem-solving sit alongside technical understanding.

A service desk agent, for example, needs to understand users' problems and communicate effectively. A business analyst needs curiosity and an ability to investigate how organisations work. Delivery managers need to bring people together, while senior technology leaders need to listen, make decisions and build relationships.

For computing teachers, this provides an opportunity to connect classroom learning with a broader understanding of professional practice. Collaborative projects, problem-solving activities and opportunities to explain technical ideas are not peripheral to preparing pupils for technology careers: they can help develop skills that the industry itself values.

Computing opens doors across many sectors

Another useful message is that technology professionals are not confined to technology companies. The article points to roles in organisations as varied as hospitals, universities, banks, retailers, charities and sports teams.

That can be a powerful careers message. A pupil interested in healthcare, sport, finance or the charity sector does not necessarily have to choose between that interest and technology. Digital systems, data and technology underpin organisations throughout the economy.

Making those connections explicit could help pupils see computing not simply as a route into the technology industry, but as knowledge and skills that can open doors across many different fields.

Challenging stereotypes can widen participation

The article encourages young people to ignore stereotypes about who works in technology and consider the skills and interests they already have.

That message has particular relevance for computing education. Careers information can do more than tell pupils which jobs exist: it can help challenge assumptions about who belongs in computing and what a successful technology professional looks like.

Christina Lovelock explores this wider landscape in much more depth in her BCS book, Careers in Tech, Data and Digital: From Education to Employment. The book covers career areas including data, architecture, IT operations, product and delivery, quality assurance, software development and user-centred design, as well as routes into the profession. BCS describes it as an award-winning title, and its breadth makes it a potentially useful resource for educators supporting careers conversations. (shop.bcs.org)

Helping pupils see what's possible

The BBC Bitesize article offers an accessible starting point for conversations with pupils about technology careers — particularly those who may enjoy computing but do not see themselves becoming programmers.

For educators wanting to explore the subject further, Christina also joined computing educator Beverly Clarke MBE for the BCS webinar Building a career in tech. Their discussion considers the changing technology landscape, the skills and behaviours that support careers in digital roles, and the importance of education and inclusive pathways into the profession.

The central message for schools is worth carrying into careers conversations: there isn't one type of person who works in technology, and there isn't one route into a technology career.

Explore the resources below to find out more:

Read Jobs in tech: Expert advice on BBC Bitesize

Explore Careers in Tech, Data and Digital from BCS

Watch the BCS webinar with Christina Lovelock and Beverly Clarke MBE