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2020/2021 Computer Science COMPUTER SCIENCE CAREER GUIDE2 Success at School is a national careers website for students aged 11-19, as well as their teachers, careers advisors, parents and other influencers. Young people can learn about their future career options through no-nonsense careers advice related to their own experiences. As well as covering topics such as career paths, industries, apprenticeships, university and employability skills, we connect schools and students to employers and universities through opportunities on our site and our interactive forums. Millions of young people and their influencers have visited our site for advice and information to help them plan for the future. Go to successatschool.org for more information. Copyright Success at School Ltd 2020 AboutSuccess at School GCHQ is the Government Communications Headquarters. They use cutting-edge tech and expert knowledge to protect the UK from all sorts of different threats. Things like cyber-attacks, terrorism and espionage. Work at GCHQ is incredibly interesting and rewarding, and because the threats they face are always changing, there’s always something new to learn. This means GCHQ is always looking for people who are interested in tech. If you’re studying computer science, there’s no better place to be. You’ll take all the things you’ve learnt and use them to have a positive impact. Plus, you’ll always be learning new skills. Some of what you do at GCHQ will be complex, but you’ll always tackle problems together, supporting each other every step of the way. So, if you’re passionate about computer science, keen to learn and a real team player, GCHQ could be the place for you. Aboutour sponsor3 COMPUTER SCIENCE CAREER GUIDE 05 What is computer science? 06 How will computer science prepare me for work? 10 Should I choose computer science? Contents 12 T-levels 15 Job roles 18 How to future-proof your career 14 Why work experience matters 20 GCHQ profile 32 Everything you need to know about gap years 22 Spotlight job 34 University 24 Interviews 28 Apprenticeships4 Foreword Choosing the right subjects to study is tricky. Ideally, you want to pick something you’re passionate about. But you also want to make sure it’ll lead you somewhere. So now’s the time to start thinking about what you might want to do after school and the kind of place you’d like to work. We live in a digital world that’s transforming every aspect of how we live. So computer science is an incredibly relevant subject to study. It’s a great choice for those who love tech, coding and computer programming. But it’s also great for those who approach problems a little differently. It’s a subject that’ll help you to push the boundaries and expand your thinking. Plus, you’ll learn how to work independently and develop your own initiative, while also working well in a team. These are all skills that employers will be looking for – including us. Our roles rely on teamwork and innovation. And as the internet sits at the heart of everything we do, we’re always looking for people with a passion for tech – particularly computer science. It’s a subject that we really value. This guide will give you an in-depth insight into computer science and explore some of the work you could do. We hope you feel motivated by all the options on offer and wish you luck for whichever route you choose.5 From your iPhone to your Fitbit, your Xbox to your laptop and even your smart home speakers, computers and technology are part of our everyday lives. Computer science also governs everything from the algorithms that show you targeted shopping adverts online to the air traffic control systems that keep planes in the sky. When you study computer science at school, you’ll explore how technology is affecting our daily lives and transforming the way we work. This rate of change has only accelerated following the Covid-19 pandemic. You’ll learn technical skills, such as programming and coding, as well as skills you can use in any workplace like problem solving and data analysis. There are many opportunities for computer scientists in different industries, many of which are working with cutting-edge technology. You could become an AI specialist helping to develop new artificial intelligence technology. Or you might use your technical skills as a software developer or information systems manager. Your problem-solving abilities will be useful if you work as a research scientist or if you forge a career as a robotics engineer. Data analysis is vital for digital marketers, and your numeracy skills will help you if you decide to work as a financial advisor. What is computer science? Hey Google... Hey Siri... Alexa... Continue Don’t worry Be happy6 5 workplace skills you’ll learn in computer science Creativity In class: In the classroom you’ll be encouraged to find innovative ways to solve technological issues. You’ll need to look for relationships between different aspects of computer science and understand how they can work together. This won’t always be obvious, so creative thinking can help. At work: You might take your creativity into a role such as VFX artist, where you’re using computers to create visual effects for TV shows, films and video games. Or you could combine your creativity with your precision as a graphic designer to create websites or printed marketing materials. Numeracy In class: Maths is a fundamental element of computer science. It’s how you express computational laws and processes. You’ll learn about number representations and bases, Boolean algebra and the comparison of complexity of algorithms. You’ll also explore the concept of sets, as well as arithmetic operations in a programming language. At work: Mathematical skills underpin many computing and technology roles. You’ll need good numeracy skills to work as a data scientist or a software tester. This will also help if you work as a risk manager or an air traffic controller as you may need to make complicated calculations under pressure. Problem solving In class: In the classroom you’ll learn to take a systematic approach to problem solving, starting by clearly defining the problem. You’ll design and implement a solution, as well as carrying out testing and evaluating its efficiency. You’ll focus on software development, but this skill can be applied to other problems. At work: Complex problem solving is one of the top skills employers are looking for. Civil engineers need to find creative solutions to problems when they’re designing new structures or buildings. International aid and development workers need to find sustainable solutions to problems caused by natural disasters. Data analysis In class: Data is at the heart of everything you do in computer science. You’ll learn about different data structures, abstract data types and how to produce data models. You’ll also explore the various ways data is represented and touch on the subject of big data. Learning to interpret data in various forms will be an important part of your course. At work: We generate a huge amount of data in our daily lives. A pay-per-click (PPC) advertising specialist uses data about our shopping and browsing habits to create targeted online advertising campaigns. Big data specialists help companies get to grips with large datasets and find meaningful insights to inform the business’s strategy. How will computer science prepare me for work? Programming In class: You’ll cover the fundamentals of programming at school. This will include understanding programming concepts such as variable and constant declaration, assignment and iteration. You’ll also learn about arithmetic, relational and Boolean operations in a programming language. At work: Programming is becoming more important in a variety of roles. Web developers need to understand programming languages to create websites and develop their functionality. Software engineers will use programming languages to write software for various pieces of technology. 7 COMPUTER SCIENCE CAREER GUIDE ...and 2 you may not have thought of Communication In class: You’ll need to explain how you’ve solved problems relating to computing and why you’ve taken a specific approach. You’ll also be encouraged to discuss the moral, ethical, legal and cultural opportunities and risks that digital technology brings in class. At work: Working in computing doesn’t mean you don’t interact with other people. An IT technician needs to help people understand technical information, even if they don’t have a technical background. SEO specialists need to explain SEO strategies to others in the marketing department and across the business. Investigation In class: As part of your coursework, you’ll need to investigate a specific problem or area of computing. This could be of a well-known problem such as the game of life, or an area of computing like machine learning algorithms. You’ll need to share your research, as well as show how your investigation contributed to your solution. At work: Being able to research and investigate topics is useful in many professions. Barristers often need to investigate previous court cases in their work. Police officers use investigative skills and are increasingly using technology to assist them. A user researcher investigates problems by carrying out testing and conducting surveys to find solutions. Search or type a URL8 Learn what is meant by the term algorithm. Understand how to follow and write algorithms and develop your knowledge of the standard constructs you can use to express a solution to a problem in the form of an algorithm. These constructs include sequence, assignment, selection and iteration. You’ll also learn to turn pseudo-code into high level language program code. Algorithm engineers – also called algorithm developers – create algorithms for a variety of uses and different technologies. But understanding how algorithms work is essential for any computer programmer or engineer. Algorithms can also be a useful problem-solving tool, which means they have applications in many jobs. For example, a chief information officer needs to consider the benefits and drawbacks of new technology, as well as how it can best be introduced to minimise problems. KnowledgeHow will it help me at work? Explore the concept of data structures and how they’re used in everyday life. Learn about single and multi-dimensional arrays, fields, records and files, as well as abstract data types and structures. Develop your knowledge of graphs, trees, hash tables, stacks and queues in relation to data structures. There are many jobs that require you to process and make sense of data. A clinical scientist will work in a lab to carry out experiments, which generate a lot of data. They will need to record, organise and evaluate that data to draw conclusions about their research. E-commerce specialists use data to inform decisions about how to market to consumers and which products to promote in an online environment. Look at the moral, ethical, legal and cultural opportunities and risk associated with computing and the development of new technology. You’ll explore ideas around data collection and sharing, behaviour monitoring and the dissemination of information. You’ll also learn about the environmental impacts of computing and new technology, as well as explore the debate surrounding privacy. You’ll use hypothetical case studies to dig into these issues in real-world scenarios. Technology has changed the way we live and work, but it’s important to understand the negative as well as the positive consequences of its use. A digital transformation specialist will need to consider ethical, legal, cultural and moral standpoints when helping an organisation change the way it operates. Wearable technology developers also need to think about how the data their devices collect could be used in different ways and whether all of these are ethical and legal. 5 ways your computer science know-how will help you at work9 COMPUTER SCIENCE CAREER GUIDE Understand the internet and how it works. You’ll learn about the structure of the internet and will explore the role of packet switching and routers. You’ll be able to explain terms such as uniform resource locator (URL), domain name and IP address. Gain knowledge of different internet security devices, including firewalls, encryption and key exchange. The Internet of Things (IoT) is growing, with an increasing number of devices at home and at work connected to one another via the internet. We’re also using the internet for work more than ever before. A systems analyst will need a good knowledge of the internet to help organisations design and improve their IT systems. A data security expert will specialise in helping businesses keep their customers’ data safe, as well as protecting corporate data and systems. KnowledgeHow will it help me at work? Gain knowledge of external hardware components that can be connected to other devices or wider IT systems. These can include barcode readers, digital cameras, laser printers and radio frequency identification (RFID). You’ll also learn about secondary storage devices within computers and when these might be needed. As a 3D printing engineer, you’ll need to have in-depth knowledge of 3D printers, how they work and how they can connect to other systems and technology. A network engineer needs to know about all the components in an IT network and find the most efficient and appropriate way of connecting them. Next >