If lucrative employment is the irresistible lure beckoning you to college, then software seems an excellent bet. Employment and salaries have been rising steadily over the past few years so that degree graduates can command starting annual salaries in excess of £15,000.

Employers and the Government are worried about skills shortages - and there is a world shortage of computing expertise. So, you can very easily take your skills abroad.

Seamus Gallen, of the National Software Directorate, points out that it's not just job availability that is the attraction. "Working in software gives job satisfaction, as well as excellent income," he says, "and it's as suitable a career for women as for men."

After dropping off for a number of years, the percentage of women opting for the software area is rising. Women now account for about one-third of our software students.

Forget the nerd stereotype, says Gallen. Software development involves meeting people and dealing with people at least as much as working on a computer. "Getting on with people and working as a team is as important as technical ability," he says. "Software is very much a young people's industry. Most software developers are in their twenties and many heads of companies are in their thirties. Bill Gates, the head of Microsoft, for example, is the world's richest man - at 41." Aptitude for computing is not rare, he says. Most people have it.

According to Gallen, software companies occupy "the very best office accommodation" and they provide "top-class working conditions." In this fast growing industry, he sees plenty of opportunities for rapid advancement and for becoming an entrepreneur.

There can also be plenty of opportunities for travel as Ireland exports the vast bulk of its software. Last year exports from the indigenous software sector totalled £365 million, while overseas exports totalled a massive £3,854 million.

There is a bewildering array of third-level options. This year more than 2,000 first-year degree places were available - more than double the previous year. Certificate and diploma places have also increased considerably on last year's 1,500 Certificate places and 400 diploma places.

You can combine computing studies with financial studies or languages or you could opt for DCU's degree as Gaeilge. In addition to direct-entry courses with computing in the title, there are also courses under the umbrella of arts, science and engineering.

Common-entry programmes allow students, who are unsure of which area they want to specialise in, time to make up their minds. For instance, TCD's common-entry engineering degree allows students to follow a common programme for the first two years before deciding on one of five areas - electronic engineering, computer engineering, electronic and computer engineering, mechanical and manufacturing engineering and civil engineering.

Gallen suggests that the best route of entry is directly into a degree programme. Contrary to common perception, you don't need higherlevel maths except in the case of TCD's computer science and engineering degrees. Of course, a liking for maths would be an advantage.

If you don't have sufficient points for a degree or you don't wish to leave home or you simply don't want to commit yourself to four years of study, the certificate/diploma route can also be used. Students who do well enough in exams may progress to a degree. By the way, employers have a slight preference for courses with a work placement, according to Gallen.