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Technology and Data

Research careers and find opportunities in technology and data.

About technology and data

According to Tech Nation's 2022 Report, nearly five million people are employed in the UK's digital tech economy. That's an increase from just under three million in 2019.

London, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Southampton and Glasgow are listed as top destinations to live and work in tech, based on average salary and cost of living.

The BCS Digital in Business Life report 2023 identified the top priorities for IT leaders and digital professionals as:

  • cybersecurity
  • cloud
  • business process automation
  • AI

Emerging trends in technology include edtech, healthtech and also climate and agricultural tech.

Salaries

Starting salaries for graduate jobs in this sector can vary depending on the position.

To get an idea of typical starting salaries use the following resources:

For information about how to negotiate a salary, visit Handling job offers.

Roles and skills

The range of companies and sectors you can work in is huge and can suit graduates with a variety of skills. There are also opportunities for graduates without a computer science degree.

Prospects’ What can I do with my degree can help you explore your career options and get ideas on where your degree could take you. Discover the typical skills you can gain from a Computer Science degree.

Look at the job profiles below for examples of the types of roles available within technology and data.

To find out what other graduates are doing, use the be inspired section below.

Job profiles

Have a look at the job profiles in this sector on Prospects and targetjobs to find out more about what these roles involve and how to get into them.

These are just some of the profiles available:

For more specific job titles and details about what they involve see:

Skills employers look for

Digital Skills Global give detailed insight into the top 10 skills tech companies are looking for:

  • programming, web and app development
  • digital business analysis
  • digital design and data visualization
  • digital project management
  • digital product management
  • digital marketing
  • social media
  • data science and data analytics
  • decision making for leaders
  • something they haven’t seen before

As well as technical ability, employers are interested in skills which make you effective in the workplace, such as:

  • communication and presentation skills. For example, presenting information to non-technical colleagues or clients
  • teamwork. Projects can require input from different specialists, or collaboration between colleagues to complete
  • analytical and problem solving skills. Identifying risks and working around obstacles are an important part of many tech roles
  • ability to learn and adapt. As technology changes and advances, you may need to retrain and learn new methods
  • attention to detail. Small oversights can have a big impact on tech projects

Be inspired

It’s not always easy to know which roles to apply for. The resources in this section can help you find inspiration from previous students and know where to get further support.

Inspiration from people working in the industry
Online reviews

Searching for reviews online can be a useful way to get an idea of what to expect from certain roles or employers. Reviews are written by employees with different opinions about what makes a good employer.

Use the following review sites for inspiration and insight into the recruitment process:

Not sure what you want to do?

If you’re not sure exactly what you want to do, we can help. You can book a guidance appointment via MyCareer. Our careers consultants can help you explore your options or plan your career.

Explore career planning advice
Making career choices
Exploring your options

Sector and industry insights

Researching the industry is essential, whether it’s to:

  • help you decide which area to work in
  • identify who to apply to
  • tailor your application
  • impress an interviewer with your knowledge of the sector

Here are some resources to help you get started:

Career guides

Read career guides for this sector, such as:

Industry news

Use online magazines and journals to follow news from your industry. Reading about trends and developments is important for applications and interviews.

Examples include:

For North East technology and data sector insights, visit:

Attend events

Attend events to hear directly from professionals in the industry.

See also our recruitment events and employer & sector insights.

Student societies

Join IT-specific student societies. For example, the Computing & Technology Society (NUCATS) organises and promotes events such as hackathons. They sometimes invite guest speakers to talk about their careers.

Social media

Use social media to find industry insights

Join sector-specific groups on LinkedIn to keep up to date. Posts often include news, events and opportunities. You can also find useful insights on careers on X and TikTok. Treat these with caution, as not all content may be accurate.

Find out more about how to use social media for your career.

Professional bodies

Consider joining a relevant professional body/industry network

Professional bodies often:

  • run networking events
  • have specialist groups you could join
  • post vacancies on behalf of their members
  • have member directories, useful for speculative applications

Key organisations include:

Finding professional bodies worldwide

GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of professional bodies. Find them under ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each individual country guide.

Guide to finding opportunities

Many large recruiters advertise summer internships, year-long placements and graduate training programmes in technology and data. For example: Waterstons, Accenture, IBM and P&G.

Opportunities are available across every sector, from finance and law to healthcare and energy.

Have a look at our other Explore Occupations pages to find additional sources of vacancies.

You can also find opportunities within government agencies and public bodies, such as NHS Digital, GCHQ and the Civil Service.

There are various ways to find internships, placements and graduate opportunities. We’ve added some tips below to help you get started.

  • search for advertised vacancies using the vacancy sites listed below
  • look at the careers sections on company websites for student and graduate opportunities. Use Researching Employers to help you gain insights into companies
  • attend events such as recruitment fairs and employer and sector insights
  • contact employers speculatively – see non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs to help you find organisations to approach
  • follow companies on social media for latest news and updates
  • consider registering with a recruitment agency for graduate jobs
  • register with EmployAbility if you are disabled, neurodivergent or have a mental health condition. They can offer advice and support on applications to Newcastle students. They also run first year, internship and graduate programmes with inclusive employer partners
  • ask family and friends if they have any useful contacts who may be able to offer you work experience
  • consider alternative ways to find relevant experience and develop your skills
  • create your own opportunity by starting your own business or working freelance

Advertised work experience

Placements and summer internships are usually aimed at undergraduate students in and above their second or penultimate year of study. Some companies will also consider first and final year students.

NCL internships

The Careers Service runs flexible term-time and summer internships with local employers and on campus. NCL internships are aimed at all students, from any stage IT projects, such as programming, data analysis and web/app development.

Search for these under Vacancies on MyCareer. Type in ‘NCL internship’ into the text search box.

You can find these advertised throughout the academic year. Full-time summer opportunities are advertised from around March.

Worldwide experience

Access GoinGlobal for internships in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:

  • additional vacancy websites
  • CV, application and interview advice
  • advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world
Looking for ideas

If you’re looking for inspiration, try searching our NU Work Experience Directory.

You can see where our students have had internships and placements in the last five years. To see all results in a search category, keep the search field blank.

Advertised graduate opportunities

The resources in this section advertise both graduate jobs and graduate schemes. See our graduate jobs page to understand the difference between them.

When to apply

For graduate schemes, apply as early as possible.

UK applications typically open early in the academic year from September or October. Some close as early as November-December. Many employers close applications as soon as their places are filled.

Graduate jobs tend to be immediate start positions which can be available all year round. You are more likely to apply for these towards the end of your studies. See targetjobs: A graduate's guide to starting your IT career with a small employer.

Vacancy sites

Use our resources to get started:

  • MyCareer - search for graduate schemes and graduate jobs in the North East, UK and overseas. Register/log in to access vacancies and sign up for personalised email alerts
  • Graduate Jobs – lists graduate vacancy sites

Search the external sites below for more opportunities

Sector wide vacancy sites

Data science & analytics vacancy sites

Games development vacancy sites

Worldwide vacancy sites

See International jobs for details of overseas vacancy sites.

Access GoinGlobal for job adverts in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:

  • additional vacancy websites
  • CV, application and interview advice
  • advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world

You might also be interested in GermanTechJobs.de – software developer jobs in Germany.

Non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs

Not all internships, placements and graduate jobs are advertised. In fact, many people create opportunities through:

A speculative approach is common for finding work experience and graduate jobs. This is where you approach a company directly to ask if they have any opportunities available.

How to access hidden opportunities

Start by identifying organisations you are interested in. Our guide to finding organisations below can help. Then use the following steps to approach them speculatively about possible opportunities:

  1. Identify a contact name to address your cover letter to. Call or email to find out who handles recruitment within the organisation. Or, find a key contact in the department you want to work in.
  2. Send them a tailored CV and cover letter. Express your enthusiasm for the sector. Show that you have researched the company.
  3. Follow up your speculative application with a phone call, or email, around a week later. This shows you are serious and motivated.
  4. If your application was unsuccessful, ask for feedback or advice, and keep trying!
When to contact organisations

You can use this approach at any point in the year. We recommend that you:

  • start your research as early as possible to gather relevant contacts
  • contact organisations around three months before you want the opportunity to begin
How to find organisations

Use the resources below to find organisations in the North East, UK and worldwide.

North East organisations

UK organisations

  • targetjobs - search employers by sector, eg software engineering or technology
  • Find companies on MyCareer - click ‘Search' then 'Organisations’ to find companies the Careers Service has worked with. Can filter by keyword, sector and region
  • Newcastle University Game Technology Research Group: Alumni - list of gaming companies Newcastle graduates have gone on to work in
  • targetjobs: Organisations - search by sector, eg software engineering or technology
  • Tech UK - network of technology companies in the UK, see member directory to find companies
  • LinkedIn Find Alumni tool – filter by location, area of work, degree studied and skills. See a list of companies which have hired Newcastle graduates. Scroll down to see the graduates’ profiles for inspiration
  • Researching employers – includes ways to source and research companies
  • Professional body websites sometimes include member directories, which are helpful for finding employers

Worldwide organisations

  • gamedevmap - worldwide directory of game development companies
  • search GoinGlobal's employer directory for company information in 196 countries. Their country guides list professional bodies around the world

Specialist recruitment agencies

Recruitment agencies can be useful for finding graduate jobs in technology and data. These tend to be for immediate start positions. It's worth registering with one or two agencies towards the end of your course.

Specialist agencies include:

See recruitment agencies to find more agencies. 

Finding overseas recruitment agencies

GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of recruitment agencies in specific countries. They are listed under the following headings:

  • staffing agencies and temporary help firms
  • executive recruiters and search firms

Recruitment agencies may not operate in the same way in different countries. In the UK agencies are free for job seekers, but this may not be the case elsewhere. Explore the terms and conditions of an agency before signing up to use them.

Other ways to gain relevant experience

We've added some suggestions to help you develop your skills and gain relevant experience.

  • complete a free virtual internship. Eg Forage, has software engineering, cyber security and data science/analytics internships
  • sign up for free online courses to develop new skills such as learning basic coding or a new programming language. Demonstrate your interest in the field, eg in software engineering, data science and AI. Try Udacity, FutureLearn, ALISON and Codecademy. IBM have free online courses to help you prepare for an entry-level job in tech, eg cyber security, data analysis and project management
  • build a portfolio of work to demonstrate your skills and interest. Eg, use GitHub for software development and data science projects, or create your own games on Unity, Unreal or CryEngine. See ScreenSkills article on how to build a games portfolio
  • attend events and network to make contacts and connections, eg through hackathons and game jams. For tech events and meetups in the North East, see Tech Diary. Animex, international festival of animation and computer games, runs annually at Teesside University
  • enter an IT-related competition - prizes can often include internships. For example, Kaggle run a range of data science and machine learning competitions, some with prizes
  • volunteer for Code Club. See Volunteering for more opportunities

Work for yourself

Working as self-employed or freelance is common in this sector.

Our START UP team can help you explore working for yourself at any stage. Whether you want to explore an idea or have already launched a business or freelance career, you can access the following help:

  • support with idea generation
  • provide tailored advice
  • help you develop your skills
  • introduce you to like-minded peers
  • refer you to further support from mentors
  • award grant funding up to £3,000

The following may also be useful:

Book an appointment
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