4th July 2019
Are you thinking about a career in IT? Michael Sage is a former student from Belfast Met, hear his story and how attending one of our Bring IT On information evenings helped him to make a decision of what his next steps would be in his career.
‘I’m a 21 year old working for Allsop, a local software business in Belfast that deals in bespoke solutions for businesses across the UK and Ireland.
I studied the Foundation Degree in Software Engineering course for two years in Millfield.
I’ve always had a keen interest in technology! As I grew up, I began to hear more and more about Northern Ireland’s emerging IT Sector. That was all well and good, but I never really had much idea about how to get into the sector other than the conventional route that was taught (A Level -> University). It was only by not getting into University first time around, I had seen that there were different ways to get there.
Initially when I was studying the Foundation Degree, my intention was to do a top-up course full time to get my Bachelor’s. It was only by attending a talk/information session held by Bring IT On that I realised that the idea of staying on to work after my placement semester sounded really appealing! That then led to me taking the placement offered by Allsop a few months later. Working part-time before my placement even started (bit eager!), completing my placement and then getting a full-time contract with the company. With the work I’ve done there, I have went on to speak at the NI Dev Conference this year and I was shortlisted for Young IT Professional of Year as part of the BCS NI awards. Alongside my job, I currently study part-time in UUJ and the company’s flexibility allows me to do that.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to the tech sector, there are so many fantastic opportunities in Belfast and in Northern Ireland as a whole. Going to Belfast Met and getting involved with Bring IT On enabled me to do so many things before I would have even finished a full-time degree!
I hold Belfast Met in high regard for teaching me in such a hands-on practical way and being able to show me that.’
Michael has had great success and chosen the best pathway that suited him, Michael was also nomination as BCS Young IT professional of the year in 2019 and we wish him all the best in the future. We will be holding more information session again in this coming academic year and will be attending a number of Department for Communities (DfC) job fairs, as well as a number of school career fairs. For more information on what your next step could be, whether you are a school leaver, graduate or looking to retrain and return to the IT sector check out the this link about why you should consider a carer in IT.
