22 February 2023
Free collection of job ads (&JDs & PSs) for computing+ jobs
![TechDevJobs logo.png](/media/y34awfy0/techdevjobs-logo.png?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=940&height=525&rnd=133215684527200000)
TechDevJobs is a free website containing a collection of 40+ real (closed) job adverts, with any Job Descriptions (JD) and Person Specifications (PS) files included, for jobs which involve programming, computer science or wider digital skills.
Each job is published as a new blog post. Most are live at time of posting but the information remains there after the job has closed - meaning you can access it at any time.
Computer science / tech / dev / digital jobs organised by sector/theme
https://techdevjobs.wordpress.com/jobs-organised-by-sector-theme/
Above is a list of all the jobs posted on the site so far, organised by sector (e.g. universities, industry, health charities, transport infrastructure, community groups). I'm sporadically adding more jobs, as time permits.
My hope is that computing schoolteachers and careers advisors might find the resource useful and perhaps print and share a selection of the jobs with their class as a way of drawing attention to
- the variety of roles available to people interested in computing / programming / digital,
- the many different sectors in which people can develop their careers,
- the skills needed,
- typical salaries, and
- the different ways of applying (CV + covering letter, application form) and being assessed (interview, presentation etc).
Examples of the jobs include a "Software Developer in Digital Species Identification" at the University of Twente, a "Health Data Analyst" at Asthma UK, an "IT Systems Administrator" at Goonhilly, Cornwall and a "Lead Software Engineer" at Factmata.
Not all computing-related jobs(1) require coding skills or a computer science degree of course and I've included some of those too.
Other useful resources include
The BBC Bitesize 'Careers in IT' page which showcases different kinds of roles and interviews some people doing them, this set of slides arising from interviews with peole in tech from Adrienne T, and What can I do with a computer science degree?, from Prospects, which looks at the types of jobs and career prospects.
Background to the TechDevJobs site
While reading the 2016 Shadbolt Review(2) I learned that students (the focus was on university students but I think this aspect is widely applicable) felt less confident about potential career paths and "what's out there". At the time I'd already been creating a similar site for science communicators (a sector similarly massive in scope) to help people new to that field get a sense of the 'landscape'. I thought I might as well do something similar in the computer science field!
(1) I work 'in computing' (in QMUL's School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science) but I don't do any programming. My 'computing-adjacent' role is Public Engagement Co-ordinator, which means that I write about computing research for CS4FN, support academic colleagues in developing ways to communicate their research or involve the public in their research, and also some project and event administration.
(2) Shadbolt Review 2016: Computer Science Degree Accreditation and Graduate Employability
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/computer-science-degree-accreditation-and-graduate-employability-shadbolt-review - it's 91 pages long so I recommend using Ctrl+F for career/s and visibility (as the document talks about how 'visible' career options are or aren't to university students). There's a section on page 75 (77 of 91 in the PDF) called "careers advice and visibility of graduate opportunities".
- - - - - -
Although the 'tech' jobs website began in 2018 I'm also using it as part of my work on Paul Curzon's EPSRC ICT Public Engagement Champion award, grant number EP/W033615/1.
Changelog
27 Feb 2023 - spotted I'd mistyped 'administration' so corrected that :)
Discussion
Please login to post a comment