The Internet is probably the biggest advance in the use of technology since the advent of the computer. It has created a mass communication and information resource across the world that is easy and inexpensive to use and effective in commercial, social and personal environments. The Internet has now become mainstream and has spawned the need for an entirely new range of skills and knowledge. However, it is also important to realise that, essentially, the Internet itself is not a new technology. It uses well-established systems, both hardware and software, in the form of PCs, servers, networks, telecommunications, programs, and familiar operating systems such as Windows and Unix. It is the way this technology has been applied that gives the Internet its unique place in the history of computing and in the future.

What has ultimately established the Internet as such a major force is its availability and accessibility to anyone with a computer, modem and phone line. It is now commonplace to have an e-mail address and a web site in much the same way as a phone and fax number. This is causing sociological changes, too.

The rapid pace of change in these areas is making it increasingly important that IT professionals keep abreast of these technologies; not only for themselves, but also for the businesses, organisations and individuals they will be servicing. It is this highly dynamic market that makes it more difficult to be successful in the IT arena because choosing the right set of skills and qualifications is not a precise science when there is a constantly changing focus.

The World Wide Web removes traditional national barriers to global commerce...

However, understanding the scope of the technology now, and looking at how it has emerged in the past, can give us some indication as to how it might progress in the future. There are definitely certain basic skills that not only traverse the different technologies themselves, but also withstand the changes over time.

The skills required for these areas mainly require those of a technical nature; candidates should not, therefore, be afraid of becoming involved in the detail of computer systems.

The buzzword of the moment is ‘e-commerce’, enabling us to use the Internet for buying, selling, and general communication, online, instead of using traditional methods. However, it must be realised that it is still normal commerce; the main difference is simply the medium by which the commerce is transacted. A jazzy web page isn’t enough – it must function well enough to allow the customer to find information and place an order easily.

Every major change brings both opportunity and threat. Every major communication revolution not only makes the process of business faster and cheaper but also brings with it new avenues. The World Wide Web removes traditional national barriers to global commerce and enables even the smallest enterprise to have a ‘shop window’ open to the world.

The Internet encompasses several different areas of computer technology and therefore presents a broad range of opportunities for the aspiring individual wanting to move into those areas:

• Software system design and development
• Server, and other hardware, support
• Networks
• Operating systems
• Telecommunications
• Security

More specifically, in addition to Internet installation and support, the World Wide Web provides opportunities in:

• Web design and development
• Software development
• Training
• Graphic design and animation
• Video capture
• Electronic commerce
• Publishing
• Law

At the more technical level, there is great demand for many proprietary skills in specific product-based areas. It may well be worth considering aiming to build up expertise in one or more of these products. It’s important, though, to be aware that there is the danger that what may be in vogue one month may be out of date the next.

To actually design a Web site requires, ideally, a mix of design and technology skills, though you would not necessarily be expected to have both, as it is more likely that you would be working as part of a team. In the early days of Web construction, HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), the tagging language of Web pages, had to be coded by hand. Nowadays, sophisticated graphical editors are available to make that task much easier. They generate the HTML code automatically. In addition, Web pages will have many purely graphical elements such as pictures, photos and illustrations, animations and for these, a good knowledge of the major graphic software design tools is useful, plus a natural flair for design.

• HTML
• Web editors eg Dreamweaver, Frontpage, GoLive
• Graphic Design tools, Quark, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Freehand
• Special design tools: Shockwave, Flash

A normal web page is generally a static piece of information; software programming tools will typically allow Web sites to be more dynamic, allowing for online forms, user interactivity and enabling database, or other, connectivity between the server and the user.

• Java
• JavaScript
• CGI Scripting, Vbscript, Perl

Linking web pages to server-end databases is now becoming an important aspect of interactivity. It allows for instant up-to-date information to be displayed; users can update the databases directly, and most important, actual Web pages are themselves generated from the information held on the database, obviating the need for every page to be manually customised or maintained; only the database has to be updated. Active Server Pages (ASP) is currently the commonly used approach for this area.

• Oracle, Cold Fusion, Access, SQL, ASP
• Active Server Pages (ASP)

The mobile phone is fast opening up a whole new vista of Internet-enabled technology with Web-based information being delivered via the wireless application protocol (WAP), using a special variant of HTML, known as WML. This allows the text portions of Web pages to be presented on cellular phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) via wireless access.

XML, Extensible Markup Language, is a flexible way to create common information formats and share both the format and the data on the World Wide Web, and elsewhere. XML can be used by any individual or group of individuals or companies that want to share information in a consistent way.

• XML
• WAP

How an individual relates to this area of IT is as important as the actual skills themselves. Therefore you should have the right character to be effective and enjoy working with Internet technologies. These would include:

• technical bias;
• ability to deal with system problems;
• good oral and written skills;
• tenacity and resilience;
• understanding of design and logic.

It can be said that once skills have been gained in a particular area of computing, it is easier to translate that knowledge into another area. This is generally true of most aspects of the IT profession, but the sheer pace of change also makes those skills become quickly out of date. Continuous learning is imperative and joining a scheme such as the BCS Continuing Professional Development Scheme is one way of addressing this; it ensures you are kept abreast of the latest developments in IT and have records to prove it.

The overall opportunities for working within the Internet field are tremendous and continually growing. It is vital to have a basic grounding in IT plus a broad academic and some practical knowledge of implementing such systems. This can be followed by specialisation in a particular area by further study or on-the-job experience.

Who would have believed only a few years ago that the Internet phenomenon would happen? What we can learn from these recent experiences is that it is certain the technology will become better and cheaper. It will be a combination of elements that will affect the type of changes we will see, in everything from government legislation to faster telephone lines. However, it is always important to remember that many of the new products we see in computing technology are due as much to commercial competition as to technological advances. It is clear that the Internet will become more consumer-oriented with services being delivered into the home. Already we are seeing video-on-demand, Internet via the TV, digital broadcasting, Web on mobile phones and use of the Internet for voice calls.

The opportunities for the aspiring IT professional are limited only by the imagination.

Architectural technologists work alongside architects assisting them with all aspects of their work. It is a responsible and varied career, entry to which increasingly requires a related degree or equivalent qualification. BIAT accredits a number of such degrees; details of these and information on what the work involves is on the website.

Anyone thinking of working in telecommunications needs to dial in to this site. There is lots of interesting information about the future of communication technology too. The graduate recruitment section has excellent help pages and scenarios to prepare you for assessment centre selection procedures. Current vacancies can also be applied for online.

Fancy yourself as a code cracker? GCHQ's website includes a hidden message among all the standard recruitment and organisational information. You do not have to solve the puzzle to get an interview, but if you include the hidden message in your application form, they say they would be very interested in talking to you. Career opportunities exist for linguists, mathematicians, administrators, librarians, technologists and graduate management trainees.

If the idea of a career that involves diving, underwater communications, design of offshore structures, aquaculture, geology of the sea bed, oceanography, remotely-controlled underwater vehicles or marine engineering interests you then, as the website says, there are oceans of opportunities. Access detailed careers and qualifications information through the 'Education & Training Courses' link. There is comprehensive information for pre-GCSE students, school-leavers and graduates.

The licensed retail industry is one of the largest employers in Britain, providing jobs for nearly half a million people. This includes careers in catering, finance, human resources, information technology, marketing, occupational health, pub management, property management, sales and stocktaking. There's all the information you need here from details of working in a themed bar to becoming a brewing scientist. Elsewhere on the site there are some recipes involving beer to try out at home, beer history and a guide to the different types.

Engineering construction employs about 45 000 people in a whole variety of jobs. Investigate them using this site. Craft apprenticeships include steel erecting, pipefitting, plating, non-destructive testing and welding. At the technician level, there is computer-aided design, procurement and engineering design. Graduate engineers can choose from extras such as project management and information technology. There are detailed descriptions and case studies for each area of work and a calendar of careers exhibitions where you can find out more.

Fancy yourself as the next Trevor Baylis or Clive Sinclair? NESTA's invention and innovation programme aims to encourage inventors to turn their ideas into products by providing financial, technical and moral support. The 'Inventor's Handbook' provides information on pitfalls, sources of advice and how to protect your intellectual property. If you have an idea that you think has potential, fill in the on-site application as a first step to turning your invention into reality.

Price Waterhouse Coopers

PricewaterhouseCoopers is the world's largest professional services organisation. We help our clients solve complex business problems and measurably enhance their ability to build value, manage risk and improve performance in an Internet-enabled world. Ours is a diverse fusion of culture and experience and with your unique qualities and abilities, you could be an important part of this. Working with colleagues from different business areas, countries and cultures gives you invaluable experience of how a global business operates as well as the opportunity to travel and experience this first-hand.

We recruit at two levels:

• Experienced IT professionals, with a minimum of 18 months' experience in bespoke software development, together with knowledge of one or more of the following: NT, Unix, Word, Excel, relational databases or the integration of PC packages.
• Recent graduates with a relevant degree, HND, HNC or similar, with a year's industrial placement, as Development Trainees.

Information Management has always been at the heart of our activities. Information Technology now has a vital role to play in enabling us quickly and securely to capture, store, distribute, research and analyse large volumes of intelligence and other information. Our systems comprise both administrative and intelligence applications running on PCs, workstations and mainframe servers. Over the past few years we have moved to 4th generation languages, using client/server technology. This now provides a PC on each desk allowing users access to those systems that they need to see. Multimedia storage and retrieval applications play an increasingly important role.

The Service's IT department is divided into four main areas:

Development - This is concerned with both the development of bespoke applications and the initial integration of software packages for PC and mainframe machines. It involves the analysis of user requirements and problems the design, development, testing and implementation of applications to meet agreed user needs, research into new technologies, the procurement of software and hardware.

Integration - This is responsible for ensuring the successful implementation of changes to live systems. It involves examining the impact of proposed development tasks defining dependencies between development tasks ensuring that developments use configuration management and test environments effectively, quality assurance of development deliverables prior to acceptance phases.

Support - This section provides support to live systems in order to maintain their smooth running. It is divided into :

Operating System Support: responding to everyday problems on the servers, system monitoring, software upgrading .

Application System Support: responding to everyday user problems with applications, second line telephone support for application code, enhancements to application code .

This is responsible for the secure and efficient operation of the main computer system in accordance with service level agreements. It is split into:

• Operations: back-up, restoration and archiving of computer data, instigation of fallback procedures, co-ordination of upgrades, maintenance, downtime and changes to existing systems, machine performance statistics, magnetic media movement and security, out of hours support.
• Help Desk: first line client support and system administration.
• Training: Individuals are encouraged to consider their training and development needs with managers, and both external and internal courses are available. External courses in professional skills relevant to particular projects cover database or system administration, team leadership, analysis and design. Internal courses include background briefings on the role and work of the Service and personal development courses, for example, in communication and presentational skills, and management competencies. We also encourage our staff to think about and pursue their own personal and professional development and funding may be available for those wishing to study for a range of educational or professional qualifications.

We recruit both experienced IT professionals and trainees, the latter at either graduate or school leaver level, depending on the post.  All trainees must pass our IT aptitude test. For Development, Integration and Support we need team workers who are logical, analytical, creative and good at problem solving. They should have good interpersonal, organisational and planning skills and be adaptable.

• A minimum of 18 months' experience in bespoke software development, together with knowledge of one or more of the following: NT, Unix, Word, Excel, relational databases or the integration of PC packages. (ST4 or 5)
• New graduates with a relevant degree, HND, HNC or similar (and a year's industrial placement) may be considered as Development trainees. (ST5)

For Production we need team workers who are able to work under pressure and deal with tight deadlines. They must be flexible and have the drive and determination both to keep live systems running and also to configure and repair system hardware in a technically changing environment.

For trainee entry into Production (ST6), candidates must possess A levels or equivalent in at least two academic subjects.

Salary - The starting salaries are as follows:

ST4   £23,703-£37,461 depending on experience and qualifications.

ST5   £20,771-£30,042

ST6   £13,784-£26,865

Salary: Varies with experience, but starts around 17k+

Location: Oxfordshire

Cracking a new virus demands brains, long hours and good food. It’s a constant challenge to work against a devious virus. It is rather like unlocking a puzzle, or solving a crossword. The virus writers have set us a challenge, and we have to unravel them.

I have wanted to work with computers since I was at primary school. I find the arena of computer security and protecting computers users' data, an interesting and stimulating challenge. Working with viruses is a particularly appealing part of this, as they exploit the loopholes within systems and expose their weaknesses. It’s a constant challenge to work against a devious virus.

My first job was in Hungary, and I worked for Ericsson as a maintenance software engineer. From there I came to Sophos and this is my first job in the Anti-Virus industry.

I went to university where I studied computer programming. A sound knowledge of programming is essential, as is a good grasp of assembly language (the language many viruses are written in). Anything to do with computers is an advantage, coupled with enthusiasm and an eagerness to learn.

You need to possess a great deal of patience to work in the Virus Lab. You also need to be attentive to detail and have a logical and methodical approach. Much of what we encounter is new and undocumented, you therefore need to be prepared to step out into the unknown, trust your intuition and be confident in your own convictions. In a way it is rather like unlocking a puzzle, or solving a crossword. The virus writers have set us a challenge, and we have to unravel them in order to provide protection against them.

I’m currently analysing an MIRC worm. This is a type of virus which spreads using Internet Relay Chat.

My colleagues. In this job you have to share information and learn from those around you. We all support each other and I have acquired a great deal of knowledge from the people I work with. It is very much a team effort, and getting along with those in your team is an essential ingredient for success. Sophos also provides a superb subsidised restaurant for staff with a Cordon Bleu chef no less!

The air conditioning in this building – it’s completely erratic!

It isn’t uncommon for people in this profession to have to work all night - thirty-six hour shifts have been known. Usually we demand pizza as payment!

Sound computing knowledge, the more you know about how computers actually work as opposed to just how to use them the better. To get ahead you have to be prepared to learn the hard way, as in most cases a new virus is uncharted territory. You can’t shy away from this - you just need to get stuck in!

This varies widely, depending on experience and aptitude. However, a graduate should expect to start on around £17k +

To always do my best and to continue to improve. I strive towards better and faster understanding all the time. You never stop learning.

I'd say the best advice you can give someone is that nothing is out of their reach. You need to believe that you can and will succeed, and if you work hard enough you will achieve your goals.

Salary: £8,000 - £15,000

Location: London

Although he is only 19, Alec is a key member of the creative team at a web design company.

You’ve got to have a keen mind and go and look up those new skills all the time because the technology’s always changing. "Everything’s changing in new media."

I’ve been brought up on computers, been around them all my life and sort of taught myself bits and pieces on them. I’ve also picked up skills in work experience placements, on the job training but you’ve got to have a keen mind and go and look up those new skills all the time because the technology’s always changing.

It’s kind of arguable what qualifications are looked for now because some of these technologies move so quickly it’s difficult for the colleges to sort of keep up. Experience of computers and games is useful and being able to use the Internet effectively and being able to create for it obviously helps.

I’m a digital media developer with Deep End Design. I work mainly on web sites, building the pages on the graphics that have already been given to me, so I have to write the code that makes the images display and the text and the sounds and other media elements work.

I also do music, little pieces for videos and also bits and pieces for the web, so I have to compose original sound tracks.

I also have to go and meet clients, show them work in progress and explain to them, not always on a technical level, what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and why we can’t do certain things as well.

At the moment everything’s changing in new media and there’s digital and interactive TV coming. We’re looking at this at the moment and getting involved in things like set top television, where the Internet is built into your TV and you can choose video on demand. I’m hoping to be working on all those new technologies as they’re being developed.

Salary: £21,000 - £30,000

Location: Birmingham

Karen manages a team of programmers and IT support staff. After six months, I knew it was the job I wanted to be in. I liked the environment and the people I was working with. "Sometimes it is rather like solving a puzzle."

I dropped out of my first set of A levels at 16 because I thought they would lead me into teaching, which I didn't want to do. But then I went back a year later to do Business Studies, Government and Politics. At the time I had no idea what I wanted to do.

I moved into IT by complete accident, just before I was 21, when I took a job on the computer help desk at Lucas, the car parts manufacturer. At that point, I didn't even have a PC at home, but I decided I would stick with it and make a go of it.

After six months, I knew it was the job I wanted to be in. I liked the environment and the people I was working with. Lucas had an in-house training scheme, and I did all the courses I could find. I also looked at external courses. I started doing a part-time degree in computing at the University of Central England, here in Birmingham. After a while, I moved onto one of the programming teams, and up from there. I had gone on to work for another IT contractor when a recruitment agency contacted me about my current job.

Spring has contracts for several large chains of stores, including Sainsbury's, Tesco and Marks & Spencer. On the financial side, the company works with Lloyds Bank and Brittania. My team is mainly involved in support and maintenance of the system and minor enhancements. The system we support uses the Cobol language on IBM mainframes.

Some of the work is quite routine, but you never know what you are going to be doing from day to day. You can come in in the morning and have a specific amount of work for that day, and then it all goes out of the window and you are firefighting for the rest of the week.

The systems process so much data and are so big that there are bits that fall over all the time. There might be other parts that have never had a problem, and that were developed years ago and the people who developed them have left. Sometimes it is rather like solving a puzzle.

You definitely need qualifications to work in this field. It is better, if you can, to go to university. You need qualifications and proven skills, whether it is a degree or an industry qualification such as a Microsoft Certified Professional. You also need work experience. On its own, a degree might not mean anything, so it is good to do a sandwich course or take a holiday job.

Salary: £17,500

Location: Winchester

Age: 24

Louise is, working on a wide range of projects for clients. I have already visited clients in Switzerland and Germany and this certainly adds to the interest and challenge of the work.

I was born and raised in Bognor Regis, on the south coast, but now I live in Eastleigh, about 15 minutes drive from work. This really suits me. I have the freedom of my own accommodation, but am not too far from home or my boyfriend Steve.

My father, Ian, is a teacher at one of the secondary schools in Bognor and his specialist subjects are woodwork and geography. My mum, Mary, teaches English and religious education at a junior school in the town.

My younger sister Sarah and I both attended schools in Bognor and I then went on to the community college where I soon realised that I had an aptitude for geography and business studies. In fact, I gained a grade A in GCE Business IT and this is really what prompted me to find a career in that area. I know that it quite often follows that children of teachers also enter the profession, but I really didn't have a clue as to what career I wanted to pursue until I passed that exam.

At college, I was very much into team sports and I particularly enjoyed rounders and basketball. It was a great place to socialise and I made many friends. Even today, I find it very easy to make new friends and seeing my friends is one of my great joys, as is keeping in touch with my family. I also enjoy keeping fit by swimming and taking part in aquasize - aerobics in water.

I progressed from college to Bournemouth University and this new opportunity to learn convinced me that Information Technology was the arena in which I wanted to develop my career. After graduating with Honours, I successfully applied to join a team of graduate recruits at IBM, Hursley Park, near Winchester. The company is a worldwide leader in computer technology and at any one time has several hundred graduates under training at the Hursley Park site and elsewhere throughout the UK.

Hursley Park is a vast complex where between two thousand and three thousand people work. It is a great place and is very people-oriented. That's one of the reasons I enjoy what I do.

I have been seconded to one of the many business areas, in this case, insurance, and I report to a graduate manager who is responsible for about thirty other graduates. My responsibilities within the business area include liaison with customers, the recruitment of graduates and the programming of Cobol and IBM CICS computer software. I have already visited clients in Switzerland and Germany and this certainly adds to the interest and challenge of the work.

The work is project based and I am not tied to one specific project or business area. I am able to transfer across to other business areas within the company if I wish. These include, for example, defence and out-sourcing.

Training is a crucial part of graduate employment and I have undertaken very thorough training since joining IBM. This training will continue and will be adapted to meet my needs, whatever role I perform. Apart from learning about the company's products, I have received training in presentation skills, team leadership and the IBM culture.

My hope is to stay with IBM and to progress my career through the company. As for ambitions, well, I would like to swim with dolphins, fly in a hot air balloon and, perhaps most important of all, be remembered for all the right reasons.

Salary: £18,000 - £24,000

Location: South London

Joseph runs a busy library and develops new software to help readers. He adores the technology which puts the world at his fingertips. Librarians have to be good jugglers, moving from one complex task to another, under pressure from targets, deadlines and constant interruptions. "It helps if you have a good memory and an inquisitive mind."

I never set out to become a librarian. Given the traditional and absurd stereotype, who would? But after graduating from university I got a part-time job as a Library Assistant and was hooked, essentially because the job involves solving enquiries on any conceivable subject that has been written about since the Sumerians started writing on clay tablets around the 3rd millennium BC. If you love detective work and have a thirst for knowledge, it’s a fantastic job.

Like most librarians, I first obtained a degree then studied for a postgraduate qualification in the field of information science while working as a Library Assistant. Most postgraduate courses require that applicants have several months’ work experience in a library or information environment. It is also possible to enter professional librarianship by studying for a Library Association-accredited degree without taking a postgraduate qualification. The next stage is to become a Chartered Librarian which involves submitting an application to the Library Association that demonstrates professional development and competence. It is essential that librarians have good interpersonal skills so they are able to work with people from varying age groups and backgrounds. An interest and understanding of information and communications technology (ICT) is also a priority. It also helps if you have a good memory and an inquisitive mind.

They are crucial to navigating the information jungle and evaluating information sources. ICT developments such as the Internet, CD-ROMs, e-books, on-line services, e-mail and WAP phones have led to new ways of storing, retrieving and manipulating information. Library services are being delivered increasingly through electronic means, providing 24-hour remote on-line access to catalogues, reservation services, community information and enquiry services.

Librarians have to be good jugglers, moving from one complex task to another, under pressure from targets, deadlines and constant interruptions. The technologies used to store and retrieve information develop week by week, so one also has to be a quick learner, flexible and adaptable.

Mornings tend to be taken up with essential routines; ensure all staff have been allocated duties and all essential tasks are covered; touring the building to identify any maintenance work that may be necessary; and, log on to the server to check that there are no problems with the Local Area Network. The rest of the day I select and order stock, market and promote the service, plan staff development and appraisals, work on any ongoing ICT and Reader Development projects and attend meetings. All this is interspersed with working on the main enquiry desk. I manage a busy three-storey public building in inner London which is visited by approximately 1500 people a day, so there is always a crisis of some sort or other which needs to be dealt with.

I am currently working on a special project called ‘The Electronic Promotion of Stock in Libraries’ Project, EPOSIL. I initiated it as an experimental project to develop interactive multimedia software to accompany and enhance book promotion displays, providing advice and information for readers, allowing them to make informed choices. I have just started to develop a prototype talking subject index which would be particularly useful for whose first language is not English as well as those with visual impairment, dyslexia or children who may be unsure about the spelling of a word.

Sometimes I get a bit freaked by the responsibility, but I am proud that my staff and I contribute to a service that is so highly valued by the public. I must admit that I also adore being surrounded by powerful and sophisticated technology which puts the world of information at my fingertips.

Like most local government and large commercial organisations, library services suffer from too much bureaucracy. I would love to spend less time writing reports on how I intend to improve the service and more time actually improving it.

For two years I supplemented my income by working additional hours as a librarian in Wandsworth Prison, sometimes working with vulnerable and dangerous inmates on the Special Unit. The experience made me realise how many basic freedoms, such as access to information, I took for granted.

A few years ago, if you had said that early in the 21st Century librarianship would become a sexy profession, you would have been laughed at. But it is on the verge of becoming just that. It's currently undergoing a radical transformation in both character and importance. The ‘People’s Network’ strategy gives librarians new roles as managers of electronic content and gateway services to a vast wealth of online information.