The strategies listed above show that there are still ways for entry level IT professionals to land a job. But there’s more to the story. When you see the off-shoring trend continuing, and you see research from Gartner that predicts that by 2010, the number of IT staff in the profession will fall by 15 percent, it makes you wonder if there really will be opportunities out there for our children. However, at a recent Microsoft annual gathering with university researchers, executives again bemoaned the lack of computer scientists, both globally and in the United States. Gates added that it is clear the industry is losing talented girls and women at many stages of their academic career, and that there probably is no single solution. "I don't know the magic answer," Gates said.
I'm not sure I agree that there even is a shortage. Just look in your local want ads and compare the number of job openings to what there used to be not too long ago. I find it laughable that Bill Gates recently mentioned that he couldn’t understand why more college students are not enrolling in computer science programs. With offshoring trends, the growing number of unemployed experienced IT professionals, long hours, 24/7 support requirements, stagnant wages, and a continuing attitude by management towards IT as just a cost centre, it's no wonder college students choose other professions over a life in IT.
Part of the problem, say both academics and Microsoft executives, is that the technology field just hasn't done a good job of positioning itself as hip and exciting. There needs to be more of a sense of romance and magic, says Kevin Schofield, general manager of Microsoft Research communications and strategy.
What? I don’t think that's what's going through the heads of potential computer science students who are choosing other fields, or the legions of current IT professionals who are leaving IT to pursue a career in a field that allows them the ability to lead a more balanced life. Look at finance. I still don't think anyone has made accounting or being a CFO sexy, but that hasn’t stopped students from getting those finance degrees. Why? Because it is still relatively easy to land a good paying finance related job.
So what was the answer to the question of whether a career in IT is worth it? I replied, "I don’t know. Whatever you choose, I wish you luck..." What would you have said?
Talkback
Greg I read your article from August 3 about IT careers and I would like to tell you that IT careers are alive and well in the heartland. Four years ago I got the job of training IT students at MIT (Murray In Tishomingo), we have never looked back. Even during the dark times of 2001 we found jobs for our 30 students. The key to finding jobs for these people is 1. Putting together a great training program that actually trains’ people. We spend 48 weeks training people in Microsoft, Cisco, CompTia, Linux and Web design plus during that time we send our students out on internships to various businesses. 2. Developing a good relationship with all the local business, for rural Oklahoma that means anyone within a 100 mile radius, and schools. That’s right schools; people in the IT industry have forgotten that E-Rate dumps $2.5 billion into the schools of the US each year. What that means is that the Education community is awash in technology and for the most part has no one to take care of it. We have been addressing the problem for the last four years with great results. All in all we have found if you produce a good product people will buy it.
Thanks Greg
Murray State College
One Murray Campus
Tishomingo, Ok 73460
580-371-2371 x265
I would have said this
"Unless you are naturally good at IT keep away. We don't need scholars, we don't need book readers. We don't want people in it for the money. These people come in, take good jobs and ruin the chances of others who are genuinely interested in IT. I have seen so many people in IT for the money or because they read a couple of books; it pains me. The don't know a local host from a broadcast address but getting them to explain each of the OSI layer models is easy.
Unless you picked up a computer when you were 10 years old or less, we don't want or need you in IT. Leave IT to those of us who actually want to be in IT. Not because it might land you a well paying cushy job!"
It might be harsh, but we have too many idiots in IT leaving a trail of mess for me to clean up.
If you are after an easy job in IT you have missed the boat by about 4.5 years. back then as long as you had some kind of Cert you could walk into a job without any trouble.
Now everybody wants real world experience, people with good technical skills in multiple areas along with a good understanding of business needs and costs.
Most entry jobs are hard to find now and usually require working on a 24hour shift pattern just to get your foot in the door.
But hay it's not all doom and gloom, there are jobs but you have to be prepared to work your way up and put in 110% to meet the skills needed by the industry. A good place to start looking is the public sector as the government seems to be moving into enabling on-line access to most of its services(pay is not the best but getting better). Next best place is a service provider starting as a field engineer or on a helpdesk and working your way up.
The Industry is currently in limbo so everybody is keeping their heads down and waiting for the dust to settle, while trying to hang onto their jobs the best they can, as we are definitely in an employers market.
If you don't mind long hours, hard work and going a couple years without a pay rise and job security only for a couple of years, then IT might be for you.
If you don't fit into the above then you should be looking elsewhere
When I started in DP (note: not IT), it was really interesting and hands-on. This is back in 1974. Now, although I still enjoy the challange of making the machines do the work the clients want, either in my development role or in support, I wouldn't reccomend it as a career. It's become highly specialised in that nowadays you have to know your specific narrow subject extreemly well, consequently (for me) a lot of the variety and interest is lost. Also, I find ICT staff tend to be undervalued and scapegoated and quite often you are stuck in professional salary scales that take no account of some of the outrageous hours you have to work.
Bravo Greg! At least someone has a sanity check and describes things as they really are. What i would like to see is a judicial investigation or expose into the total lack of due diligence shown by senior management these days in their blind rush to embrace offshoring/outsourcing as the IT cost nirvana. Managing your information systems is NOT simply a line on a quote - sit down and work out the TCO and don't forget to include the business cost impact of communication problems, lack of flexibility, response times, inability to prioritize, faceless responsibility, helpdesk blackholes and user frustration. Oh, and try and find someone in management prepared to admit they accepted these when they signed up...good luck! A full IT career in today's world? Battery hens have more variety.
Greg,
This is a personal question and the answer can only be tailored to the individual. And to provide the answer requires an understanding of what drives the individual. To have asked the question almost begs the response 'probably not'. A good career choice is about doing something you are passionate about. If you are not passionate about anything, a *good* choice isn't really an option. But a mediocre choice is.
What a surprise, another IT educator claiming IT is great for jobs, etc.
The *only* people who say these sorts of things are the educators who NEED to sucker in students to keep their own pay checks coming.
IMHO I don't think people who gain to benefit from increased IT students (ie, IT educators and big companies) should be commenting on whether IT is a good field for getting a job in.
Dankie ngyabonga, I give a High Five to the post above.... We really don't need scholars, book readers as well as chancers. A lot of people think I.T is in the books ... Wake people ...vukani bantu bakithi ,, you must have brains for I.T nad if you didn't start it from a scrap then you haven't started, and if you didn't start it at a younger age it means you still young in the game...
I find this whole notion that you need a degree to work in IT rather negative, and likely to deter a large number of highly talented and capable (but relatively uneducated) youngsters.
I believe a flair for problem solving, analysis & plain old fashion 'building things' is a damn sight more use than a degree (ie. spending several extra years jotting down notes).
Granted the top end of the profession DOES need high intelligence and education, but for run-of-the-mill business IT?, I don't think so.
Personally I just started with a ZX81 & took it from there...
I started in working in IT in 1979, after completing a BSc in computer studies, and when I started it was interesting. There was lots of different manufactures all with their own machines and operating systems. Today, it is very boring, dominated by one operating system (which hasn't changed much since 1990), and manufacturers all making basically the same machines. As a consequence, for the last 20 years, I haven't found it to be an interesting career. I've never found found it to be well paid either.
Why do I stick at it? Laziness! The time that I would have had to spend studying another degree was time that I used pursuing my hobbies. Some might see this as wasted time, but I don't. I've very happy in my life, except for work. Also, while I've been in IT, somebody else can be doing a well paid and interesting job. Given my time again, I'd do something "honest" like bricklaying, plumbing or carpentry.