I constantly read slashdot/craigslist forums/digg.com and the people on there tend to ALWAYS make the cs/it field out to be as if it is extremely difficult to get a job in the field. Im quite confused on what to believe at this point. Heres why

1) These salary surveys predict that IT/CS related fields are, "booming" with growth rates for software enginners at 46% over 10 years...

2) The average salary of a software engineer in 80k/yr...

3) The computer science degree is in the top ten most lucrative degrees...

4) We are coming off of a dot com boom. (meaning alot of people are leaving the field?)

5) The number of computer science graduates is decreasing (possibly from the surge of people going during the dot com boom?)

6) People make it out as if tons of jobs are being shipped off to India.

7) Reports say that only, "5%" of IT jobs are going overseas

8) The number of lay offs in the IT field is decreasing. Something along the lines (sorry I read this like 5 months ago on slashdot) that the number of lay offs was at like 80k/yr and now it is 40k/yr.

9) Most employers want 2-3 years experience MINMUM when hiring IT/CS employees (even "entry-level" positions!)

10) Employers say that they are in need of, "qualified" individuals.

I really don't know how to look at this situation. There is good evidence from both sides of the situation, but looking at the overall picture is hard to make out. Is the IT/CS market in scambles and flooded? It is lacking qualified indivduals? Is the IT/CS market dead and just going to be eventually offshored? Will the CS/IT market rebound? Is there a future lack of CS/IT people brewing in the near future (low # of ppl pursing CS in college)?

I would really like to hear from other people who are in the field or planning on going into the field.

As a graduating CS Student in a community College in Alberta, I can say that I am one of only 4 students to complete this program at this college. I only hope that I can find a rewarding career in my field that has a wage of more that $9.00/hour, which is what I have been offered so far. I've found tons of postings, but a lot of them want full degrees and Experience. I want to complete my degree, but as a married mother, I need to pay down the debt accumulated by this round of schooling first.

Good luck in your search.

PJ

Hehe, yes I understand what you are going through. I often browse the ads to see what employers are looking for (and hopefully atempt to get those skills - im only 17 now). I will be going down the same path as you (cc then transfer). The hardest part seems to be getting those first 2-3 years of experience then you will have something valuable to sell to an employer. I guess we can just see what happens...and hope it turns out in our favor.

I just entered the field, and there's alot of talk of how bad it was, after 2001 alot of ppl lost there jobs and the market was hard to get into. Now its supposedly coming back up(as long as ur qualified and willing to work). In1999-2001 anyone who could turn on a comp got a job (Y2K) and even in 2001 they still had inflated budgets, then budgets got cut and so did ppl. I don't know but I beleive and have to cause i've chosen this career that its on the rebound