Careers Brief - Electronics & Computer Technology HNC/FdSc
Overview
The HNC and Foundation degree in Electronics & Computer Technology, offer you the opportunity for progression onto an Honours degree programme and direct job entry. An Honours degree is likely to give you a long-term career advantage.
Your knowledge of hardware and software applications in electronics opens up a wide range of opportunities within engineering and computer-related work. You could be working in engineering design and development, as a test engineer, project management, providing technical support and customer service, sales and marketing, consultancy, technical writing, teaching, or as a patent agent. This is a constantly developing market. For example, you could be working on projects as diverse as security systems, 3G mobile phones, new power generating plant, railway services or banking systems.
In addition to your technical training, you should also promote the key transferable skills and competencies you have developed on your course. These include: being adaptable and a quick learner; communicating; team working and working on your own initiative; analysing information and problem solving creatively; IT; numeracy; multi-tasking and the ability to work to deadlines.
Use the website links below to find out more.
Further Study
Success in your HNC could lead on to achieving a Foundation degree after studying further units. Alternatively, you might be able to transfer into a related Honours degree course. Entry point would depend on your grades, experience and overlap between courses.
With your Foundation degree you would be able to apply for a Top-up degree. Top-up degrees are designed as direct progression from the Foundation degree to achieve an Ordinary or Honours degree. Alternatively, you could transfer into an Honours degree course. Entry point would depend on your grades, experience and overlap between courses but could be into the final year.
Use the Links on the HE Home page for information on degree courses at Bournemouth University (click on sub-heading 'Courses').
To search for other degree courses, go to www.ucas.com/ (UCAS - Universities and Colleges Admissions Service for the UK). Use the university/college links for course details.
You will need to use UCAS to apply for courses. Contact the Course Tutor of your chosen course to find out your position, before you make your formal application.
Find out how much this will cost you. Where is your funding coming from? Go to the university/college website for information on course costs and finance and to www.direct.gov.uk/uni/ for additional help with student support.
With a good Honours degree (First or 2.1), you could progress onto an appropriate higher level Masters and/or PhD doctorate. This could be to develop your area of study to a more in-depth practical and/or academic level or to gain other specialist training.
For information on all postgraduate courses and research, go to the national online directory at www.prospects.ac.uk/links/pgstudy/ .
Go to the main section Further Study of this Guide for more information and help.
Resources
The Institution of Engineering and Technology - go to sub-heading 'Careers & training' + 'Education'
BCS The Chartered Institute for IT - drop down sub-heading 'Qualifications, Training, Careers' to click on 'Careers' + 'Students'
Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering & Manufacturing Technologies - click on Sector overview + side-heading 'Careers & Qualifications'
ETB - for Job Profiles click on 'Real life engineering'
http://jobseekers.direct.gov.uk/
Careers database and links to jobs nationally. Search by either clicking on side-heading 'Careers' and choose a category or type in job title.
Graduate Prospects - online national careers service for HE students studying in the UK:
- Drop down 'Careers advice' and click on 'Use your qualification' for 'Your Foundation degree...what next?'
- Drop down 'Sectors' and click on 'Engineering & manufacturing'
- Drop down 'Jobs & work' and click on 'What jobs would suit me?' for Prospects Planner
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/
Government Careers Advice Service
www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/
Jobs4U Careers Database - click on sub-heading 'Job Families & Articles' or Quick Search by typing in job title
GTI publication for graduate jobs and careers intelligence - go to sub-headings 'Career sectors' + 'Careers advice'
Hobsons/GTI graduate careers publication - Careers advice section
Inside Careers publication - specialists in Graduate Careers
Engineering & technology careers & news
The Directory of Design Consultants
The Institution of Engineering Designers - go to sub-heading 'Careers'
Go to the Job Applications section of this Careers Guide for additional help and advice with making applications.
