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.
Key personal skills 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.
Go to 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 onto 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 full or part-time top-up degree. Top-up degrees are designed as direct progression from the Foundation degree to achieve an Ordinary or Honours degree, though entry may be selective.
Alternatively, you could transfer onto an Honours degree course. Entry point would depend on your grades, experience and overlap between courses but could be the final year.
Go to www.solent.ac.uk/courses/ for information on degree courses at Southampton Solent University.
To search 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 may 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 postgraduate study and finance, go to the national online directory at www.prospects.ac.uk/study.htm .
Go to the main section Further Study of this Guide for more information and help.
Useful Links
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' and click on sections 'Careers' + 'Students'.
The Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering & Manufacturing Technologies - click on 'Electronics' button for Sector overview + side-heading
http://jobseekers.direct.gov.uk/
Government Careers database and links to jobs nationally. Search by either clicking on side-heading 'Careers' and choose a category or type in job title.
www.prospects.ac.uk/starting_out.htm
Graduate Prospects - national careers website for HE students studying in the UK:
Drop down 'Job sectors' and click on 'Engineering & manufacturing'
Drop down 'Jobs' and click on 'What jobs would suit me?' to use 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 Media publication for graduate jobs and careers advice - click on sub-heading 'careers advice'
GTI Media graduate careers publication - Advice by graduate career area
Inside Careers publication - for graduate careers and jobs in 'Engineering & Technology'
Engineering & technology careers & news
Enginuity - engineering and technology careers
The Directory of Design Consultants
The Institution of Engineering Designers
Go to the Job Applications section of this Careers Guide for additional help and advice with making applications.
