Is IT a good career choice?

Greg Ross CNET News

Published: 03 Aug 2005 11:30 BST

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The strategies listed above show that there are still ways for entry level IT professionals to land a job. But there’s more to the story. When you see the off-shoring trend continuing, and you see research from Gartner that predicts that by 2010, the number of IT staff in the profession will fall by 15 percent, it makes you wonder if there really will be opportunities out there for our children. However, at a recent Microsoft annual gathering with university researchers, executives again bemoaned the lack of computer scientists, both globally and in the United States. Gates added that it is clear the industry is losing talented girls and women at many stages of their academic career, and that there probably is no single solution. "I don't know the magic answer," Gates said.

I'm not sure I agree that there even is a shortage. Just look in your local want ads and compare the number of job openings to what there used to be not too long ago. I find it laughable that Bill Gates recently mentioned that he couldn’t understand why more college students are not enrolling in computer science programs. With offshoring trends, the growing number of unemployed experienced IT professionals, long hours, 24/7 support requirements, stagnant wages, and a continuing attitude by management towards IT as just a cost centre, it's no wonder college students choose other professions over a life in IT.

Part of the problem, say both academics and Microsoft executives, is that the technology field just hasn't done a good job of positioning itself as hip and exciting. There needs to be more of a sense of romance and magic, says Kevin Schofield, general manager of Microsoft Research communications and strategy.

What? I don’t think that's what's going through the heads of potential computer science students who are choosing other fields, or the legions of current IT professionals who are leaving IT to pursue a career in a field that allows them the ability to lead a more balanced life. Look at finance. I still don't think anyone has made accounting or being a CFO sexy, but that hasn’t stopped students from getting those finance degrees. Why? Because it is still relatively easy to land a good paying finance related job.

So what was the answer to the question of whether a career in IT is worth it? I replied, "I don’t know. Whatever you choose, I wish you luck..." What would you have said?

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