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Editor's Letter: Making sense of the IT job market

18.09.2006
Here's a paradox for you: The latest government stats indicate that the IT job market is positively sizzling right now. Unemployment hovers at a nearly imperceptible 3 percent, and employers everywhere report difficulties finding qualified workers to fill open spots. Yet every week I receive e-mails from frustrated, even angry, IT folks whose jobs were either eliminated or shipped overseas (http://iws.infoworld.com/iws/?q=offshoring&t=all&s=date). Although they keep plugging away, they simply cannot find work. And these folks are not just a bunch of cranks; they're IT pros with real skills and experience to match.

Are the rosy employment numbers (http://www.infoworld.com/reports/24SRcompsurvey2006.html) a lie? Should I stop relying so heavily on my e-mail volume to gauge the job market? I think the answer to both questions is no. Both data sets make sense when you recognize that the skills required for the most sought-after jobs are unevenly distributed across the IT talent pool (http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/09/18/38FEjobstalentgap_1.html). Ace project managers and developers versed in cutting-edge technologies can write their own tickets; old-school programmers may have trouble even boarding the bus.

A recent conversation reinforced this point for me. I was chatting with a CTO of a midsize West Coast company who has been trying, unsuccessfully, to hire a developer for six months. This CTO (who requested anonymity) complained that the candidates he sees all have reasonable "back of the box specs," but tend to be old-school programmers -- what he calls "classic can-of-Jolt guys."

He, on the other hand, is looking for a "Renaissance developer" -- someone with chops in cutting-edge Web technologies as well as a comfort with open source. Equally important, he insists, are strong social and communications skills and the ability to see the big picture. "I want someone who can think in terms of the business, not just in terms of an individual project," he tells me. "If I want someone to put his head down and code, I can just as simply pay $30 an hour for an Indian developer."

That assessment, although harsh, matches up with the advice in our IT Jobs Special Report (http://www.infoworld.com/reports/38SRjobs.html), an exploration of opportunities in the tech employment market. The employment extravaganza offers guidance to IT pros looking for work (http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/09/18/38FEjobscoach_1.html) and to employers looking for workers. In an attempt to make sense of the job market, we've rolled up a passel of labor statistics, a listing of the most in-demand skills, and even a primer on how to attract and retain talented workers (http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/09/18/38FEjobstalentwar_3.html).

Job seekers who are currently employed are likely to find a few gems in the "Seven Deadly Career Sins (http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/09/18/38FEjobspitfall_1.html)" -- such as No. 4: "Falling behind on emerging technologies." But perhaps the best career counseling (http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/09/18/38FEjobsinterview_1.html) comes from headhunter Nick Corcodilos, who focuses on acing the job interview. His advice: Talk business, not tech, and be prepared to show how your skills will contribute to the company's bottom line.