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by timwalsh
At the same time that everyone is hearing about layoffs across the IT sector, you still see reports of XXX number of IT jobs going unfilled every year.
Your ability to get a job will come down to: what skills you have to offer, and where you are located.
In areas where there have been layoffs from high-tech companies, you can expect that the job market will be very tight.
In areas where there aren't a lot of high-tech industries, you could find your dream job the first day you start looking.
Because of the overall economy, fewer employers are offering any relocation assistance. This makes it less likely that layed-off IT workers will migrate to where jobs might exist.
With the way the economy fluctuates, it's also very hardto predict right now, how the job market might look when you are ready to start looking.
Looking through the help wanted ads of the local paper will tell you how much in demand your skills are, in your area. Searching the job board that specialize in high-tech jobs (computerjobs.com, dice.com, monster.com) will tell which skills have the highest demand and which areas will give you your best chance of finding employment.
by hkdl
by timwalsh
While it IS possible to find that "dream job" right off the bat, don't discount other IT-related jobs to begin with. Based on what you are being told ("you have to be quite good at what you do"), it is going to be hard to prove how good you are, without any experience to show this (i.e. references to speak for you).
Don't be afraid to take an IT-related job that is other than what your goal is or what you think would be ideal. The way to determine 'if you are good at what you do', is to start at the ground level (usually help desk/techsupport) and build experience and contacts. If your co-workers (and more importantly, your supervisors) start to see you as the whiz kid you hope you will be, you will probably be given the opportunity to branch into other IT areas (network administration, infrastructure installation (cabling), etc.). You also start to make a name for yourself.
Once this happens, you are better prepared to try for the jobs where "you have to be quite good at what you do" before they will even take a look at you.
You may in fact have to move elsewhere to get your career started, but don't jump the gun before even giving your area a try.
Just remember that one of the steps to help determine whether 'you ARE quite good at what you do' is to be confident in you abilities as they relate to the job at hand. You can help to build that confidence by working your way up
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