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Digital industries

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What are digital industries?

Innovations in technology have enabled the whole economy to become digitised.

All sorts of organisations can now think about new ways of doing business and engaging with customers and service users.

The impact of new technology is all-encompassing; from public transport to agriculture, household goods to financial services.

We encounter it not just in the workplace, but in our everyday tasks such as 'click and collect' services for online shopping, booking holidays, doctors appointments and all sorts of online communities where we buy, sell, connect, review and comment.

Some businesses exist entirely in the digital world, whereas more traditional businesses are developing digital strategies out of necessity. Even tiny enterprises cannot survive without using the internet.

Opportunities for all degree disciplines

Digital industries are not just for computer science graduates, although the development and design end of the spectrum certainly offer "techies" lots of opportunities!

If you like understanding and connecting with customers, analysing customer or user engagement, developing strategies, promoting goods and services, or working with words, the digital sector offers a wealth of opportunities to match not just a variety of degree disciplines, but also skills, interests and personalities.

To discover which degree disciplines match different job functions, take a look at these Bubble Jobs infographics.

To discover how to relate your skills, interests and personality to digital job roles, take the Bubble Jobs Career Quiz.

Current trends and future developments

TechCity data from 2016 states that the digital economy:

is growing 32% faster than the wider economy
is creating jobs almost three times faster than other industries

According to Bubble Jobs, a digital recruitment agency, top jobs growth at the moment is in digital marketing, content management and social media.

In 2015 this agency alone advertised 684 digital marketing jobs, 581 web development jobs and 161 web intelligence and analytics jobs.

MediaCityUK's directory of companies shows the huge range of companies operating in the digital industries in Manchester's MediaCityUK and can be a good place to start when thinking about applying for jobs in this area.

The need for content creation and management is growing strongly as brands focus more and more on their online presence.

The trend is for the creation of high quality content, including video, and so it is anticipated that opportunities for good writers and communicators will grow, together with those with the right video content skills.

Recruitment advice

Employers in the digital industries are often much more open to creative CVs, particularly if the role is design or web-related. Consider using infographics and sending electronically so that employers can easily click through to any links you have provided, including your digital portfolio. Sites such as Canva offer free templates.

Take a look at this Creative CV Guide

You could also apply the creative approach to your cover letter, for example writing the introduction in the form of a tweet. Make sure you have researched whether the employer is open to creative applications before taking this approach, by looking at the style and tone of their website, or to be absolutely sure – ask them first!

Some other top tips are to:

ensure you have a sensible email address for applications
check your social media privacy settings. It's great to be active on LinkedIn or Twitter, but ensure the selfies and partying photos on Facebook are seen only by friends! Read our online networking advice for further information.
be able to provide evidence of a digital portfolio. Sites such as Creative Pool or GitHub are great for building your profile and showcasing your work

Can I meet employers on campus?

There are numerous ways to meet employers on campus.

You might want to check out our wide range of events that take place throughout the year.

Spotlight On... events

Recruitment and careers fairs

Skills workshops

Employer presentations

Sources of job vacancies

There are many places you can look to find information on job vacancies and opportunities to get into the digital industries, but the ones below are a great place to get started.