Working in IT means variety and flexibility, from slick uber-cool office spaces to yoga classes at lunch time...
Forget striped suits, shiny shoes & fluorescent strip lighting
While most of you are deciding what sort of career you want to pursue, very few will have any concept or experience of the workplace itself and what you might expect. Although it is difficult to generalise about working environments since different companies have different attitudes and cultures, nevertheless there are some misconceptions that need to be addressed!
A career in IT does not necessarily mean a suit and tie for the boys and an A-line skirt and shirt for the girls. Neither does it mean you’ll be crammed like sardines in a huge concrete office and slumped in front of a computer screen all day. In fact, often it couldn’t be more different.
According to a recent report from the International Labour Organisation, Britons work the longest hours in the developed world. So with such a significant proportion of our lives spent in the office, the type of working environment and culture we immerse ourselves in is of huge importance to our productivity and sanity.
‘The Office’
You may have seen The Office, a mockumentary on office life written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Ricky Gervais plays the role of self-deluded David Brent, general manager of the Slough branch of the Wernham-Hogg paper merchants. As hilarious as the series may be, we are reassured by the fact it is fictional and David Brent exists firmly in the context of situational comedy and is not archetypal of a ‘boss’ (unless of course you are particularly unlucky!)
The Reality
To get a flavour of the diversity and culture that exists in different IT workplaces take a look at some of the companies we have featured in our Company profiles section. You’ll see workplaces where you dress down, work in airy, modern and creative environments and can even take a yoga class or play table football during your lunch break. What better way to get a feel of working life than to listen to those already in the workplace.
See examples below – click through and take a look at the employee profile videos (displayed in the right-hand menu), as today’s employees describe their working environment as well as how they got to be where they are:
Click here to visit other companies we feature