Where are all the IT jobs?

[David Megginson]

The local community college lied, didn't they? Lots of companies here, very few IT jobs hat I might be able to get. Zero "entry-level" jobs. Mostly "senior" level jobs.

Just graduated today with Associate's. Been applying for months with only one interview.

Frustrated.

I'm sorry that happened to you. Here's how it actually works.

Companies: We don't want to pay decent salaries to IT people. Let's flood the market by pretending there's a "skills shortage", so we can pay less.

Government: OMG, industry told us there's a skills shortage! Everyone go study tech.

Student: OK, I'll study tech. It will be a breeze to pay off my student debt with all the jobs they're promising me.

Companies: Great! Now we've received 1,000 resumes for our entry-level $45K job. Let's cut it to $35K--I think they'll be desperate enough.

 

[flhrci]

I'm sorry that happened to you. Here's how it actually works.

Companies: We don't want to pay decent salaries to IT people. Let's flood the market by pretending there's a "skills shortage", so we can pay less.

Government: OMG, industry told us there's a skills shortage! Everyone go study tech.

Student: OK, I'll study tech. It will be a breeze to pay off my student debt with all the jobs they're promising me.

Companies: Great! Now we've received 1,000 resumes for our entry-level $45K job. Let's cut it to $35K--I think they'll be desperate enough.

Sounds frighteningly like the "pilot shortage."

 

[denverpilot]

Apply to defense software contractors. We're still using C. And Ada.

C is decent. Ada is meh.

^^^ interesting! I didn't think of these sort of jobs as anything but salaried.

I think he was using hourly equivalents but I’ve seen both.

I am 48 making a career change again.

Ageism is real in IT but it tends to kick in hard after 50.

I have a couple certs but so far, no bites on the hook.

What certs? Some are better regarded than others?

A CISSP is a good cert for cyber security. It doesn’t go very deep in any specific security area, but it is very broad in what it covers, which makes it rather difficult. But there is no telling if it is what you need to get doors open, or if it is just the year end hiring slump.

CISSP is pretty much mandatory at entry level to security stuff unless you have a long list of security projects worked on. Everybody knows it’s broad and shallow, but it’s also hard for someone not working in security to have much else.

 

[-KLB-]

I'll go out on a limb, and I know this might be speaking the quiet parts out loud, but I think the presumption on the part of said recruiter is the darker skinned fella might be in a more precarious work status/life position and thus more willing to accept a lower wage than you.

Might also check off some affirmative action checkboxes.