Abstract
Transitions from university study to graduate work in new industries such as information technology (IT) are not well understood. As the IT industry is a significant recruiter of graduates and an important component of the UK economy, the transition into the IT profession needs to be understood better. In addition, understanding the transition into IT work may contribute to a broader understanding of transitions in the new industries more generally. We focus on three cases selected from a broader longitudinal project and take as our starting point graduates’ perspectives on their transitions. We use Bourdieu’s conceptions of field, habitus and capital to move beyond existing policy discourses which tend to concentrate exclusively on the qualities of graduates. Specifically, we argue that, to understand transitions we need to focus on the work and the organisational context (field), the habitus of the individual making the transition, and the resources (capital) that individuals may deploy. That is, individual transitions are better understood by considering field, habitus and capital and the interactions between them.
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Notes
In general terms, the degrees were characterised at one extreme by the largely theoretical and mathematical BSc in Computer Science and at the other extreme by the BSc in Information Systems which aspired to be more business focused. Joint Honours combinations often coupled an IT specialism with aspects of Management.
The names are pseudonyms
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Clark, M., Zukas, M. & Lent, N. Becoming an IT Person: Field, Habitus and Capital in the Transition from University to Work. Vocations and Learning 4, 133–150 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186-011-9054-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186-011-9054-9