IT staff shortage leaves 17,400 jobs to be filled

It's nonsense. I work somewhat in recruitment and there is not a huge shortage.

The Universities start pumping out these surveys a few years ago when they noticed a drop off in interest in IT college places.
 
17 thousand.....maybe "IT Jobs" refers to anyone who works with a computer!
 
I work in IT. I would have the opposite impression. Theres a shortage if low end, starter roles. Even once you have some experience, competition is much intense and thus its still tougher (than it used to be) to get a really good role. Theres lots of poorly paid jobs with poor conditions. But if you have the right skillset, good skills, good experience, there are decent roles available. Just not as many. If there were 17,400 roles it wouldn't be like that.

I annoys me that colleges over supply some areas (not just IT) simply to make an easy buck. Theres very poor career guidence and research on employment trends from colleges, but student take them at face value.

FAS do some work in this area but it doesn't seem to get through to 2nd and 3rd level students. Or the workforce at large.

http://www.fas.ie/en/About+Us/Publications+and+Resources/
 
You have to laugh.

If there is a shortage, then in line with supply and demand economics, the salaries of IT staff must be rising substantially faster than inflation. They aren't ? No shortage.
 
What depresses me somewhat about this is that the media will give it front page visibility. It seems any old nonsense press release can get into the paper as news these days.
 
I have 30 years experience in DP and IT and have just taken voluntary redundancy due to being caught between a decision to outsource most of IT followed by a company buyout and all that that entails in terms of culture change etc. I am content at this outcome.

However, for the last five to seven years I was only too aware that my employer could and continued to employ recently first class IT Graduates of between 23 and 26 years of age from DCU, Trinity, Regional IT's and pay them a basic €25k to €30K on yearly contracts. These would be highly skilled people and would usually up stakes and leave after two or three years when they realised that salary and career progression was non existent. New graduates would then be employed! This would also keep old timers like me with all our perks of pension, holiday pay, bonus, VHI etc in our place!

While no longer looking for a job in IT, I have looked around at the job market. Most jobs in IT, especially at mid or senior manager level, have responsilbilities and workloads not in proper proportion to salaries or contracts offered. Most jobs in IT are in the €25K to €45K bracket. There are a lot of jobs in call centres paying very poor money to highly technically skilled IT graduates. Jobs in Accountancy, Sales, Marketing etc pay better for similar pressures and workloads.

IT is becoming like nursing! While IT workers usually enjoy their work, big money doesn't always come with it! Others in jobs that ere enhanced or made easier by information systems e.g. sales (CRM, business intelligence), financial services, retailing (EPOS) etc usually reap the real benefits in terms of money and better hours!

I would advise students and my own kids, to certainly qualify in IT if that is your passion, but, then to do a post-grad in accountancy, business or proper project mangement (there are very few good IT project managers out there!). Oh yeah.. one other option is to specialise in appls like SAP, telecoms. This will ensure that you can earn deserved financial rewards from your early thirties onwards by progessing to other areas in corporate life or going into business on your own, where IT graduates really thrive.
 
So I'm not going mad then.

Carpedeum, your post pretty much sums my experience too. Though I would say if you have the right skillset and experience and find the right role there are higher paying roles out there. Business Analyst, High End Technical PreSales, that sort of thing. But the majority as you say would be in that bracket.
 
I agree with the above and see 2 major problems persuing a career in IT.

1. It is a totally unregulated profession. You need a prof qual to be a doctor, lawyer, accountant etc. Therefore wages are higher as entry is restricted. Anyone can enter IT.

2. Purely IT work is that it is a cost centre for an organisation....always downward pressure on salaries (unless your an IT seller/consulatant etc).

I have worked in IT for almost 10 years...
 
Carpedeum..just out of interest - if you are not looking for a job in IT where are you looking?
 
carpedeum said:
However, for the last five to seven years I was only too aware that my employer could and continued to employ recently first class IT Graduates of between 23 and 26 years of age from DCU, Trinity, Regional IT's and pay them a basic €25k to €30K on yearly contracts.
Click to expand...
I wonder who in the public sector is benchmarked against these guys :) ?

I know the feeling. It isn't just those courses these days. Polish graduates are often excellent and have a great attitude to work and work for quite low salaries.
 
From what I've read, (http://www.rte.ie/business/2007/0531/itdcu.html) this survey is based on 21,000 IT positions advertised on the net, less 3,400 which are advertised twice, giving 17,400 jobs. Hardly the most reliable method. Using this method there is probably a shortage in every industry.

From my experience alot of IT jobs advertised, seem to have been filled long ago but not removed. I also think some recruitment agencies advertise phantom jobs to lure you into sending them a CV to add to their database.

I also agree with the post about third level institutions oversupplying areas. I completed an honours degree in Software Engineering and then took a year out to work. After working in the industry and returning to college, I quickly realised the college had no interest in the quality of the degree or job prospects for it's students. Numbers were the priority. I think this will lead to a deteriation in standards of graduates.

If I remember correctly this story went around last year too, again from a DCU survey. Sounds like they may be seeing numbers for IT courses dropping and are trying to reverse the trend. If there was such a shortage wouldn't employers be offering free cars and sweets etc and wouldn't IBEC be making noise about it.
 
losttheplot said:
From my experience alot of IT jobs advertised, seem to have been filled long ago but not removed. I also think some recruitment agencies advertise phantom jobs to lure you into sending them a CV to add to their database.
Click to expand...

This is completely true, and anyone who has or does work in Recruitment will tell you this.
On top of that each 'job' would be advertised by each and every agency that deals with that job 'type' - and because of the competition between the recruitment agents they will often relist the same job numerous time with slightly different details etc. in order to hopefully out-do the competition and attract a CV.
Recruitment agents advertise numerous phantom jobs 'on spec'.
It's a numbers game for them.

It's a farce really, but even worse is the ineptitude of reporters who peddle this garbage with no critical analysis.
 
In my experience probably only 1 in 10 (maybe even less) jobs advertised by agencies is an original job advert. Its like spam. You learn to filter it after a while.
 
Firefly said:
Carpedeum..just out of interest - if you are not looking for a job in IT where are you looking?
Click to expand...

Hi Firefly,

I am trying to redirect my career into a job where I can make a difference, add value to people as opposed to share prices, use interpersonal skills and gain more job statisfaction and personal contentment.

I am in my late 40's with a family and may sound a bit of a nutter, but, I found that I was in a rut and treading water. This was spilling into my home life. Depression was the next phase. Whenever I retire, whether it be 55, 60, 65 or 70, I want to be able to say that I did my best.

Downshifting is a phrase the gurus used a few year's ago!

Carpe Diem!
 
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