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How Will Recent Financial Downturns Affect IT Jobs?
An anonymous reader writes "So, with the financial crisis and loss of jobs everywhere, what are the chances of getting a good IT job? I'm going to graduate this year with a BS in Software Engineering majoring in Network Security. I'll be looking for a job as a penetration tester eventually, but I hear that is hard to get right out of college so I'll be looking for a job as a Junior Network Admin or similar type of job to start off in. Is there a lack of jobs in this field? I figure computers always need fixing so they have to have some sort of IT personnel on staff to maintain the core of their business. Anyone have a good insight on this issue?"
What's the effect of the end of American Economic Hegemony on the IT industry?
Roughly a year ago I was hiring as quickly as possible, and so were most of the people I knew. Software devs, Ops, PMs, technical writers, IA's, front-end guys, the whole gamut. Sure, I focused on the top end in terms of experience, but it's not a rigid requirement, and I like bright kids out of school (or even still in school). I was one once, and I did pretty well by the people who hired me, way back when.
I can tell you I'm not hiring today. That's just an anecdote. More interesting is this discussion, which seems to be (if you believe everyone) chocked full of other managers. None of them have asked for the kid's contact info. No one on Slashdot wants him. That's a lot more than an anecdote.
Of course you should keep busy in the meantime with unpaid work. That's widely given but good advice.
Not sure how long this will last for. For the record, I'm one of those who's not sure we should even expect a "recovery" at all in our lifetime, at least in the sense to which Americans have become accustomed in the past.
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I agree with the GP's opinion, and frankly, so do all of the top-level executives I know.
It tells a lot about a person's character... whether or not they are willing to stay busy, go all out, and make an effort to make the best of a bad situation. It shows a very strong work ethic and a good attitude. I imagine there are a lot of disagreements with this idea because many people who are unemployed take this criticism personally and as a sign of failure. My piano teacher had a poster that said, "A mistake is not an error until you refuse to correct it." If there's a problem, fix it. Don't just sit and complain about it.
Furthermore, if you don't have any companies who want to employ you, then you might need to take some of your education and experience off of your resume to cater to the job you need to have. Lying about experience you don't have is the thing you have to avoid on a resume.
Your other point was that you assume your potential employer is concerned with every facet of your personal life. Take off your tinfoil hat. If during the interview you get asked, "What did you do during this time?" it's easy to say something like "I stayed home with a sick wife/mother." You are not obligated to tell the employer that you gave the person in your care a sponge bath every night. If they ask that, then they are probably not people you would want to work for, and ethically they have serious problems.
You could also say, "I worked really hard to get through school and I decided to reward myself by taking a vacation." That implies that you had a goal and worked toward it, accomplished it, and are rewarding yourself because you did a good job. (Note that > 1 month is a very long vacation unless you have traveled the world. Incidentally, employers like to see any people who have spent time in other lands.)
Keeping busy is a major sign of maturity and helps the hirer decide whether or not you have a positive attitude. It shows that you are willing to lead and take responsibility for your actions. In this age of limited personal accountability, paint yourself so that employers know that you have the pride to never give up.
If you need a break after a long hard 3-5 years of school, you should state that to the employer. Most of them are quite reasonable. And usually, summer break, is enough to recover. If you take a break and have nothing to show what you accomplished during those summer breaks, you are probably not in the right place.
Remember, that IT people should be a bit lazy, wanting to automate a lot of things. So unless there is a valid reason for you to need a break after school, I do agree with GP.