Systems Analyst

IT systems in a company are key to their working well and profitably - this could be a business, a government department or the NHS. Examples of IT systems include the company website;  the IT system supporting design of products or the manufacturing processes; the IT system used for company finances – wages, paying bills, and managing their cash flow; or the IT system to manage patient health records. Systems analysts work out what the customer needs and then use a range of software to draw up plans to improve or replace the existing IT systems. They need to consider cost and time scales, and how to do the changes with minimum disruption. They will work with programmers and software developers to design the programme and will oversee testing it and training staff to use it. As technology changes so rapidly they will need to ‘future proof’ it  to keep up with technology and to adapt to future changes in the business. Systems analysts usually need experience and a HND (Higher national diploma). They could have an apprenticeship or a degree such as computer science or IT management systems.  Maths, English and a computer science qualification are a good start and you will need to develop IT skills as part of your training. Systems analysts earn £20,000 to £60,000 per year.