East Anglia is known historically for it's agricultural background; arable farming, dairy farming and fishing industries. For years, these were the main industries in the region and there is still a thriving industry in all these sectors, but by no means are they the major employment structure keeping the local economy going. In recent years, the jobs in East Anglia have taken a turn toward the more computer based industries. Careers in Information Technology have soared to meet demand for computerised systems in all aspects of working life and business in general. From the tills at Tesco to the invoices printed at a local dry cleaner, IT systems are in place needing operators and programmers; maintenance and installation. The industry is huge, and it's advancement has come with a tongue in cheek humour that has pervaded the industry since it's boom in the 1980s. The term Yuppie for example was a reference to the young and upwardly mobile sector of New York that were living the high life in accordance with the economic boom and IBM financed software systems. Trading in stocks and shares, writing new computer programmes and the like delivered high wages and gave the term computer geek kudos. Now the style of these so called geeks is well and truly planted on the cool wall of the IT industry, there is even a popular cult TV show getting portraying the life of those in employment in the computer systems industry. The IT Crowd is a parody of It jobs the world over, but particularly in England. It features three main characters, a genius geek, an Irish pseudo geek and the head of department who 'has had a lot of experience with computers' but probably just from bidding on E-bay, using MSN and updating a Facebook account. The working life in the fictional office pick up stereotypical assumptions of those in the industry (namely socially inept nerds) and keep a good flow of legitimate technical jargon and references to jobs in IT that only those in the know could spot. Catch phrase questions from the series have permeated office life, such as 'is it plugged in?' and 'have you tried turning it off and on again?' Anyone who works in an IT department will understand just how often this is the advice that is repeatedly given and is actually the solution to the very technical problems occurring! There are other cultural cliches that have worked their way into the programme, such as computing commands and retro software references on tee shirts, props and the script itself. The show itself sets itself in a dingy basement of a prestigious city centre business block, to create a stark contrast between the glorified nature of working in an office environment compared to working conditions of technicians. In reality however, this is a falsity, and having a job in the Information Technology sector will not mean being condemned to a dark basement for the rest of ones working life! In fact, jobs in IT can be highly skilled and highly paid positions. The training needed for software engineering and development can take years and require creative flair as well as quick firing brain cells. Whatever level of work in this industry you are looking for, you can be guaranteed that it is the right choice to have trained in. Technology is advancing fast, and jobs in this sector will continue to grow. In an industry where equipment from 20 years ago can be classed as an antique, it can be guaranteed that it is a fast moving and expanding market for workers.
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