Q&A: Simon Hogg, Oxford Brookes University

What was your first IT job?

My first true IT role was as a systems operator for Thames Valley Police.

How has the world of IT changed since you first started in the sector?

The speed of data communications, the volume of data produced, stored and analysed along with the profusion of IT devices.

Learn the key skills for the area of IT you want to work in, but also learn about communication. Always have an open mind, be very inquisitive and don't be afraid to challenge ideas or decisions.

What do you think are the most important skills people wanting to enter the IT job market should have nowadays?

Coding, systems administration and network management, the foundations for IT today, so a difficult choice perhaps.

What advice would you give someone thinking of entering the IT jobs market/your younger self?

Learn the key skills for the area of IT you want to work in, but also learn about communication. Always have an open mind, be very inquisitive and don't be afraid to challenge ideas or decisions.

What is the biggest challenge facing IT professionals at the moment?

Keeping pace with technology and demands for it's use. 

What technologies/trends are you currently watching and why?

Access to systems and data, by users, from wherever they are, using whatever device, but doing so easily and securely. 

Conversely, what current technology/trend are you not interested in and why?

Mobile telephony. It can only get faster and the design of phones cannot change too radically. But, we all remember what Bill Gates said about the amount of memory needed in PCs don't we?

Anything else you would like to add?

We don't spend enough time on project management and good communication, not just in IT projects either.