Eight recent graduates from Ulster University are celebrating after securing software development positions with international financial services firm, Citi.
The group of eight, with backgrounds in a diverse range of areas from music to English literature, graduated after completing an intensive one-year masters conversion course.
The MSc Professional Software Development degree aims to equip students from non-computing backgrounds with the technical skills to thrive in Northern Ireland’s growing IT sector.
Ulster University graduate Niamh Cochrane said: “My undergraduate degree was in music, but with news of job creation in the IT sector never far from the headlines, I decided to change my career path.
“The conversion course gave me the opportunity to boost my knowledge of the sector and develop skills that I could immediately put to use in the working world.”
Director at Citi, John Healy added: “One of Citi’s main reasons for setting up here was for the quality of its graduates. We continue to be impressed and are growing our presence in Belfast with 600 new posts over the next four years.
“Ulster University’s conversion course demonstrates that a career in IT is not out of reach for those with no IT experience. It provides an opportunity for graduates of any discipline to retrain in order to establish a career in this industry.”