So which is it, is the IT field still open or is that propaganda?

originally posted by: onequestion
So I've read that one of the best fields to get into right now is the IT field, but is that true?

I've read positions on both sides of the table but it's hard to get a real perspective on the truth here.

First how do you define the IT field?

Obviously getting into technology and robotics can be a great thing. I'm just curious of what I read about how in need people are in that field how much of it is actually true?

IT is very broad. Honestly, the field is more open on the hardware side of things right now. From network engineers to the low level IT guys that switch out broken keyboards in an office. Software has a few problems, we've drastically overproduced programmers and programmers being a group of very smart people have figured out how to decentralize their job well enough to where literally anyone who knows how can do it on a laptop from their living room couch.

There's a lot of very high paying jobs if you can get a position physically working in a company, but more and more companies have realized they can hire programmers in other countries and take advantage of the difference in currency value. There's not enough good paying jobs to go around for everyone who has the skills. If you down the software route right now the two best career paths are to either specialize in niche languages that companies need to maintain due to legacy software, such as the companies (financial/medical mainly) that still need to maintain Fortran and will be doing so for the next 50 years... or to work on mobile app development (high paying if you do well, but it's pretty high risk... the vast majority of apps fail).

The coolest jobs in tech in my opinion though are robotics, AI, virtual/augmented reality, and game development (which can incorporate the other 3). And an honorable mention goes to database administrators, but I have an unhealthy love of well built/managed databases.

Note that everyone else s responses are why I say you need to be in the top 1% on the software side to have a shot. If you aren't (or atleast in the top 10%) you're going to always be on the job hunt because there simply won't be enough raw talent at the company you're working at to stay in business.

originally posted by: schuyler
The difference between actually BEING good and THINKING you are good is sometimes difficult to measure and quantify and difficult to test for. I know some people don't like Microsoft out of principal, but their employment testing is very rigorous (Friend of mine wrote a book about it: Fred Moody: "I sing the body electronic; a year with Microsoft on the electronic frontier." Our kids were friends.) So are Facebook, Twitter, and Google. If you can pass their hiring gauntlet, you're pretty good.

Don't forget Amazon. Their hiring system is also very rigorous. I've never actually applied to any of them since I'm still in school but I do like to challenge myself on the various programming tests these companies put out in order to make sure I'm learning the right things. One should at a minimum be able to answer most/all of their questions (the same goes for places like HackerRank and GeeksForGeeks).

a reply to: opethPA

I learned POTS, then CCTV, since I claimed to be the "infrastructure" guy. Then on to fiber. Where I am, technology has slowed down a bit and VOIP seems to be stuck in a strange "more bandwidth needed" kind of state. I have yet to find a really solid solution for that where all the users are happy with the service.

I enjoy doing a complete office move. Making sure all the parts arrive on time and everyone does what they say they will, then assemble it all and make it work so the client thinks it was all really easy to do. I get the most satisfaction from that, but sadly, that seems to be the economic stranglehold right now. Nobody is moving.

Pick a Job where you need to physically be there

If your job can be done on a computer from anywhere you're screwed..

-a programmer

originally posted by: acackohfcc
Pick a Job where you need to physically be there

If your job can be done on a computer from anywhere you're screwed..

-a programmer

This times 10,000. If you take nothing else away from this thread, memorize this persons advice. If your job can be done remotely you are probably screwed. You either need to be knowledgeable enough that the people being outsourced to can't compete (this means you need to be more productive and higher quality than an entire team of people... while being cheaper) or you need a job that physically requires you to be on location (which is why I think it's generally better to be on the hardware side these days.... though not as fun).

Outside of tech, this happens to be why a job like a plumber has great job security. Everyone needs them and we're still a very long ways away from replacing them with a bunch of mobile robots.