The demand for IT jobs
According to a new global study, the demand for information technology (IT) professionals are rising faster than expected. The explosion of information technology in global business where the “value chain” is connected from customers to manufactures and suppliers and recently the mobile applications market have added more demands to the already shortage of workers.
Within the United States, employment in the IT sector have increased 23% from 2008 to 2010 even with the economic recession. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that IT is the field with the greatest potential for growth in the next ten years. Money Magazine identified "software engineer" at the top of their listings of the "Best Jobs in America." And among the top ten jobs, seven on the listing was all IT related jobs. In describing these jobs, the magazine editor wrote: “The high demand and strong growth prospective with the entry level salary of $95,500 to $125,000 put it at the top of the list as the best and most rewarding career today.
The shortage of IT skilled workers is not only happening in the U.S or Europe but also in Asia. Both India and China also reported that the global needs have created an unprecedented rising in salary in their countries. The annual entry level salary of a software developer in India has risen to $18,000 in 2011. InChina it is $14,000, and in Ghana, South Africa and other countries in Africa it is $12,000. The trends continue to increase fast due to high demand but according to several studies, software developers generate more value for their companies than they cost, even at the high salaries such as in the United States. The top software companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Microsoft are aggressively hiring more IT workers in India, China, Africa and wherever they can find them and bring them to the U.S to work.
Few years ago, many people in the U.S worried that IT outsourcing trends would allow computing jobs to move oversea, just like manufacturing jobs. Last month, the New York Times observed that the real threat to the U.S. is not about IT outsourcing but the lack of qualified IT workers here. The fact is that the demand is so high but the supply is so low since few students are getting into the field. The newspaper wrote: “If we do not start getting more students to study in this sector and generating the necessary work force, we will lost a huge opportunity to rebuild America.”
The high demand for IT skilled workers has created a need to change the immigration law. Last month, President Obama told the newspapers that the U.S is a country of pioneers and immigrants where they create their own destiny here. He does not see any reason to have they come here, being educated in U.S school systems, then force them to go back. The U.S needs their skills here and want them to stay here. It signals a coming change in immigration laws that will open door for highly educated people to stay legally in the U.S. Among the top skills to be considered: Information technology and Biotechnology.
Contradict to many false belief that computing professionals are people who work alone in front of the computer days and nights. In today's world, building software requires the coordinated efforts of many people with a wide variety of skills. Designing a successful product requires effective communication not only among the members of the development team but also with users, customers. Beside technical skills, companies also require “Soft-skills” such as communication skills, listening skills and presentation skills as an essential requirement for success in the field.
Software development is also a highly creative activity. Putting together a software system means thinking creatively about the design, finding solutions to problems, discovering the best practices, and maintaining a vision of how all the parts fit together. While the demand is high, students and IT workers must continue to learn as the technology is also changing fast. To do that, it is important that students must obtain a strong educational foundation (A college education is needed) and have a lifelong study habit so they can keeping their skills up to date throughout their careers.
Globalization will continue to change the balance of power among nations but career opportunities in Information Technology are expected to remain very strong as technology is the critical parts of a globally competitive market.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
