The BCS early careers podcast

Graduating from Computer Science with Business Management in 2004 as first-generation, I had no network and very little support with career advice. I became a teacher to give back to the next generation and when I joined the BCS Early Careers Executive, we aligned our values and decided we wanted to showcase a range of careers for anyone who was entering the Tech Industry, regardless of background and with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. The Early Careers Executive in the BCS supports new entrants into the Tech sector whilst studying at university or changing careers.

IT Ignition is a podcast developed by Kolawole Daramola and myself. I already had experience in creating podcasts and so Kola and I decided on a series of episodes and format and then we started selecting guests and topics to cover to help support our Early Careers Community.

Guests have ranged from a Data Engineer, Software Developers and a very exciting and special guest which shall be released in the future! We cover themes such as what it’s like to study a Degree Apprenticeship, what Software Development is like for women and how to find a job in UX. We have a tremendous line-up and most of our time is being spent researching, creating content, editing and promoting our podcast and Early Careers. We have plans to extend this to video content for TikTok and have already had many people reach out to us to tell us how much they have enjoyed the first episode, and we are now showcased on the BCS website as well, in several areas.

We are always looking for guests and for people to support us from all sectors across Tech and happy to seek recommendations from others. If you’re interested on appearing as a guest or wish to nominate someone, please connect with Sobia Iqbal on LinkedIn, or email at sobiaiqbal.bcsit@gmail.com.  

Check out the first episode of IT Ignition - A Degree Apprenticeship – A Risk Worth Taking here.

Sobia Iqbal
Career Development Officer
BCS Early Careers Executive