How to Switch to an IT Career in the UK: A Complete Guide

Looking to change to a career in IT, but don’t know how to get started? You’re not alone. Every year, thousands of people join the IT industry in the UK from roles such as admin, teaching, and retail, with none having a technical background. 

Here’s the down-low, no frills way to do it, in simple terms: no jargon, no hype, just how to, how long, and what the cost is.

Why People Are Switching to IT in the UK

Tech jobs pay well and keep growing, even when other industries slow down. Cyber security jobs alone grew by around 12% in the past year, and 7 in 10 UK companies say they can’t find enough people with the right security skills, according to IT Job Board’s 2026 market report. Cloud skills like AWS and Azure are also in high demand right now.

Basic office jobs aren’t growing the same way. IT is one of the few areas where a normal person with the right training can walk into a decent, stable job in under a year.

Is It Too Late to Switch to IT?

No. There’s no age limit and no rule that says you need a computer science degree. Employers care much more about what you can actually do than what your old job title was.

What’s the Best Age to Start?

There isn’t one. Individuals enter IT support and networking careers in their 30s, 40s and even 50s regularly. What’s important is that you demonstrate your knowledge of fundamental concepts and that you can solve problems in a measured fashion, which is pretty much the entire nature of the business.

What Qualifications Do You Need With No Experience?

No academic qualification is required. Most people begin with one and then add on to it. Let’s look at the comparisons of the primary options:

CompTIA A+ is the certificate most UK employers look for on a first IT support CV. CCNA comes later, once you’ve got some support experience, and it opens the door to network engineer roles. An apprenticeship is a good option if you’d rather learn on the job and get paid at the same time. There’s no upper age limit, and about 1 in 4 apprentices starting each year is over 25, according to Total People.

Can I Get an IT Job Without a Degree?

Yes. When looking for a job, the majority of IT support and helpdesk positions will require a certification such as CompTIA A+, rather than a degree. Interviews are about what you think, not what you have on paper. A degree may be helpful in senior positions in engineering or architecture. In general, your first IT job doesn’t require it.

How Long Does It Really Take?

The typical timeframe for a career changer to find their first IT position is 3-9 months. The reality is as follows:

• Weeks 1–8: Work and Study for CompTIA A+ at the same time.
• Weeks 6–12: Apply for helpdesk and support roles while finishing your exams.
• Months 3–9: Interview, get hired, and settle into your first support role.
• Months 9–18: Start CCNA once you have real work experience, if you want to move into networking.

This process is not done quickly and often fails. It’s important to build even a small home lab or to practise real troubleshooting scenarios, just as it is to pass the exam. 

Choosing the Right IT Training Route and Budget 

Money is often the biggest worry, but there are a few realistic options.

• Self-funded courses. A structured CompTIA A+ course usually costs a few hundred pounds, much less than a degree. Look for one with practice tests and real support, not just video lessons.
• Skills Bootcamps. These are free, government-funded courses of up to 16 weeks, covering IT support and cyber security. Some come with a guaranteed interview. Check gov.uk Skills Bootcamps for current options.
• IT apprenticeships. Training is free, and you earn a wage from day one. This suits anyone who’d rather not pay up front at all.

4 Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Attempting to do too much at once. Pick one certification and one target job. Studying cyber security, cloud, and networking together usually means finishing none of them.

• Hiding your old career on your CV. Customer service and admin experience are genuinely useful in IT support. Don’t bury them, reframe them.

• Skipping hands-on practice. Passing an exam isn’t the same as doing the job. A small home lab or volunteer IT help goes a long way at an interview.

• Quitting your job too early. Most successful switchers study part-time and keep their income until they have an offer in hand.

How To Build a CV With No IT Experience

• Clearly state your target role at the top of your CV, for example: “Career changer looking for an IT Support Technician position, CompTIA A+ certified.”

• Make your career goal obvious within the first few seconds so recruiters immediately understand the type of role you are applying for.

• Reframe your previous experience using IT-focused language, replacing general terms like “handled” with stronger action words such as “resolved”.

• Highlight transferable skills from your previous career, such as: problem-solving, customer support, communication, troubleshooting, and working under pressure. 

• Place your certifications near the top of your CV instead of hiding them at the bottom.

• If you are new to IT and have limited experience, keep your CV concise and aim for a one-page format.

Where to Start

If you want structured help picking a path, studying properly, and building a CV that actually gets replies, Impact IT Training’s career switch programme is built for exactly this kind of move. If you’d rather start with device and endpoint management instead of A+, the Endpoint Administrator Associate course is a solid alternative starting point. 

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