Every year, Ireland is going to need 5,000 to 6,000 extra software developers, more than the colleges are likely to turn out. This prediction by Seamus Gallen of the National Software Directorate makes for cheerful reading if you are thinking of embarking on a career in the software area. Of course, it's not quite such good news for employers, who are desperately seeking employees.

Back with the good news. Starting salaries in 1999 ranged between £15,000 and £20,000. The latest figures indicate that some 22,000 people were employed in the pure software industry at the end of last year. It is estimated that a further 10,000 are employed in software in areas such as financial institutions, banks, building societies, semi-States, Government departments and manufacturing industry.

Gallen's enthusiasm is infectious. "Working in software gives job satisfaction, as well as an excellent income, and is as suitable a career for women as for men. Software development involves meeting people and dealing with people at least as much as working on a computer. The ability to get on with people and to work in a team is as important as technical ability."

Software is very much a young people's industry, he adds, most software developers are in their 20s and many heads of companies are in their 30s. "Being a fast-growing industry, there are plenty of opportunities for rapid career advancement and for becoming an entrepreneur. The software industry in Ireland exports the vast bulk of its output, which creates many opportunities for software people to travel abroad."

There are a variety of career titles in the industry: programmers, analyst programmers, software designers, applications developers, software engineers... Equally, there is a huge variety of computing courses rejoicing in a diversity of titles. Gallen says "the best route into industry is through a third-level qualification - certificate, diploma or degree but it can be bewildering trying to choose a course."

In effect, he says students shouldn't be put off by the titles - there are details of emphasis but most courses offer a general grounding in software development. "If there is a college in your home town you should think seriously about going beyond it - the course is probably just as good as any other."

As always, the advice is to read the college prospectus, and see which subjects are offered each year - don't choose a course simply by reading the title in the CAO handbook.

FOR instance, the points for TCD's Information and Communications Technology degree fell to 305 this year and Gallen suggests this is purely a function of the title with students not recognising its computing content. It is an excellent course.

There is a common misconception that students need higher-level maths to study computing at degree level. In fact, higher-level maths is only required by TCD. "It is, however, an advantage if you do not hate maths," says Gallen.

The number of girls opting for computer science in 1998 increased significantly. There were 40 per cent women enrolled in the first year of third-level non-degree courses and 34 per cent in the first year of degree courses, according to Gallen. "These are probably the best figures in the world but it still doesn't mean that we have enough," he says.

The Expert Group on Future Skill Needs, set up by the Government, recognises that full-time third-level undergraduate courses can not supply industry's needs. It proposes four strategies to increase the supply of qualified personnel: conversion courses, employee upskilling, full-time education and improved completion rates.

Many colleges are now offering one-year conversion courses so you can start with virtually any primary degree and then can add on a postgraduate computing qualification. These are usually one year full time courses.