As some of you know, my profession as an IT Trainer currently tasks me with working with young people looking to start their IT career, from 16 at Foundation Learning level (the new government name for Entry to Employment, E2E) moving through modern apprenticeships in ICT. I thoroughly enjoy working with these individuals because it gives me not only the opportunity to impart my experience of the working world and ICT knowledge, but also gives me insight into just how much the world has moved on in just 10 years.

Next year I have been invited to my 10 year reunion at secondary school (an event I will not be attending!), and it got me thinking about what I knew coming out of school with IT, and what opportunities I was given and had to to, while I was still thinking about my career choices.

I left school with an A grade GCSE in ICT (among others!), and for that I created a very basic website using Front Page, the very cheap and basic kind you tended to see on Yahoo GeoCities informing you of the latest developments of someone's cat (think Facebook with better formatting!), and an Access database with was nothing more that a large spreadsheet, no related tables in sight!

Today, the next generation of would-be IT Professionals are coming to me, and leaving me (at around 20) with ICT diplomas, Microsoft certifications, L3 NVQs, and 2 years experience of the working world for some. Some of the people I work with a becoming ready-made IT Managers, fresh off the production line and with a little guidance ready to take on that challenge.

And what would of ICT are they (the younger of this stock) going to be facing in 10 years as these would be IT Managers? TouchPads for every working or student, walking round site talking to colleagues through this device on another continent? Already there. Cloud computing?Already there. Social computing? Already there (mostly).

Social workplaces, now there is a next big thing. No longer do you work for a company based on where you live, who you know, have you applied, but through social and professional networking, using mobile technology, cloud interaction and professional connections you will work with a virtual team on virtual projects, brought together by reputations, recommendations and connections made through experience, training and sheer hard work.

And this is something that I am beginning to introduce to all the young people I am working with. In a time of financial difficulties (2010 for you historians reading this) where entry and secondary ICT positions are becoming harder to come by and especially depending on your locality, networking, be it social or professional (as I believe in keeping the two separate) becomes all the more important. With the advent of 24/7 internet and interaction, the country and world has become so much smaller for the better, and reputations via these mediums will soon become the making or breaking of job prospects and even careers.

But there is also a gap arising in attitudes towards ICT and the working world for a number of this generation. All of the young people I meet and work with have Facebook, Twitter, [insert other here] and some regularly post last weekends messy antics in graphic detail for all to see, and despite them being clued up on the technical world have not entered (Facebook's ever changing) world of privacy... or is this actually: professionalism... or is this actually: common sense?

And this may sound like a contradiction to everything I have said about social and professional networking, getting yourself out there and 'meeting' as many people as you can... but I always answer that question with the same phrase: 'Would you take THOSE pictures to your job interview'...

Part 2 to follow. Blog: Ramblings of a Techaholic