Information Week: IT Talent Shortage Or Purple Squirrel Hunt?

These kinds of articles come up from time to time:

http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/h1b/it-talent-shortage-or-purple-squirrel-hu/240150215?printer_friendly=this-page

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the_Grinch

Honestly, there are a couple of reasons for the so called "shortage". First, the IT field is turning very much into the Nursing field. We cry there is a nursing shortage yet schools are still pumping out new grads. The actual shortage is in experienced nurses. IT is the same way, we are pumping out graduates, but companies want experienced IT workers. Second, the wages just aren't falling in line with the skills they are asking for. I've seen positions asking for system administration, network administration, exchange administration, and normal support with the pay scale being $30 to $40k a year. Seriously? You literally (if you are conservative and the company is small) are talking about two positions.

Lastly, few companies are even giving new grads a shot. Facebook was founded by a talented guy with no college degree. Go to their website and find a position that doesn't ask for years of experience (in a large environment I might add) on top of at least a Bachelors, but often wanting a Masters. You won't find a position like that. Add to it that most universities don't offer a coop or internship program to get you some experience and you now have the reasons that they need to import people for this "shortage".

dave330i

It's a purple squirrel hunt.

Corrsta

the_Grinch wrote: »

Lastly, few companies are even giving new grads a shot.

That's the big Catch-22 of our generation... You need experience to get the job, but you need the job to get experience. When I got my degree back in 2011, it was a nasty wake up call when I would search "entry level jobs" into Monster and see positions requiring a Master's degree AND up to four years of work experience.

the_Grinch wrote: »

Facebook was founded by a talented guy with no college degree. Go to their website and find a position that doesn't ask for years of experience (in a large environment I might add) on top of at least a Bachelors, but often wanting a Masters. You won't find a position like that.

I find it especially funny that Zuckerberg was recently featured in the Code.org web advertising campaign (targeted towards high school students) where he said that Facebook is looking to hire "literally" as many talented people as possible.

the_Grinch

At my last interview with Google, it was much of the same. Job description made it out to be an entry level job, but the questions they asked were beyond what any fresh out of school undergrad would know. That is honestly what kills me about this start ups turned legit companies, they forget where they came from. The minute they get investors, the less of a start up they are. A great example would be Sourcefire. Two years ago, if you read some of their job descriptions they were awesome. They'd say something like "Be able to work in a high pressure environment", but follow with "Must be skilled at peer pong". Or "have seen True Lies at least four times and quote readily." Or my favorite, "Be prepared for long debates on who shot first." Now? All business, not one interesting line in their job requirements.