She is not even humming a tune at this point. Information technology is everywhere and is critical to all business operations, not just to the dot-com companies. The failure of the dot-com companies was primarily due to poor business planning rather than a sudden demise of the popularity of the Internet and other computer technologies. Therefore, contrary to many headlines or "sound bites" you may have seen or heard, the outlook for information technology employment remains robust.

In the 2001 Occupational Outlook Handbook produced by the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for computer programmers is projected to "grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2008." There is an even more positive outlook for systems analysts, engineers and scientists since they "are expected to be the fastest growing occupations through 2008."ⁱⁱ

Let us not forget that most IT jobs are not found within IT companies (new economy businesses). Most companies' main lines of business are not hardware, software or computer systems technology. Traditional "old economy" businesses (such as manufacturing, insurance, banking, etc.) generate the most demand for IT workers. According to a study by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA, www.itaa.org) non-IT companies will need 643,257 new IT workers this year while IT companies will need 258,332 new workers.

So why all the doom and gloom? Why are so many prospective students convinced they have missed the crest of the IT jobs wave? Personally, I blame it on the media and their penchant for "sound bites" and other quick bits of information. Many media outlets have been quick to quote the ITAA's 2001 survey, which was produced after the dot-com failures. This survey indicates that employers will create more than 900,000 new IT jobs in 2001, which is a decrease of 44% from 2000.^iv Many media pundits (and the public) tend to focus on negative statistics. A 44% decrease does sound terrible. However, let's focus on the opportunities. Nine hundred thousand jobs represent a significant opportunity. Although it is very different from the 1.6 million that were projected in 2000, it still puts IT at the top of the charts in terms of employment potential.

The hiring outlook for the remainder of 2001 and beyond continues to look promising. According to RHI Consulting's Information Technology Hiring Index, chief information officers (CIOs) are projecting a 15% increase in hiring of IT professionals for the fourth quarter of 2001.^v In addition, although large companies are reducing spending on computer hardware, there is a trend to increase spending on third-party, contracted technology services according to a report released by Gartner Inc. in July 2001.^vi The report, which surveyed nearly 600 companies, indicated "56 percent of large businesses increased their information technology budgets in 2001." ^vii The decrease in hardware spending is being more than offset by increases in spending on services and employees. Therefore, employment in consulting firms or firms that provide contracted IT services to other businesses is expected to be on the rise.

Many areas of the US continue to report difficulties in finding qualified IT workers. The Regional Consortium on Technology and Information Exchange (Kansas City) recently found that "87 percent of businesses polled said there was a shortage of workers" in the Kansas City metro area.^viii Business at energy companies is booming due to recent increases in the price of oil and gas. However, in the Houston area, technology workers with networking experience are still in short supply.^ix

Government agencies (both federal and local) are experiencing severe shortages of IT professionals all across the country. Since public-sector salaries tend to lag behind those of the private sector, talented employees have been lured away in droves over the past several years. The National Association of State Information Resources Executives (NASIRE) reports their research shows all but two states are reporting a shortage of IT workers.^x Since government agencies are publicly funded, their fixed budgets often do not allow them to offer higher salaries, incentive bonuses, etc., thereby preventing them from competing effectively for IT workers. However, government CIOs are working hard to become more competitive and are meeting with some success. At the IRS, where over eight percent of total employees hold IT positions, bonuses now are an important part of a seven-step retention program.^xi

In addition, although laid-off dot-com employees are being hired relatively quickly, IT managers are not necessarily satisfied with the quality of the employees being hired. Dot-com companies were known for being non-traditional places of employment that often lacked the conventional organizational structure and constraints. This presumably made these companies innovative and flexible. However, as the dot-com workers are now integrated into more traditional businesses, some are having trouble adjusting to a structured work environment. Although willing to work long and hard, these employees "aren't accustomed to following structured methods for software development."^xii According to Jim Hughes, CIO of Cleveland-based National City Corporation, "There is a lot of innovation among some of the dot-commers, but there's also a kind of hacker mentality."^xii Many managers would probably prefer students with limited experience to dot-commers who have acquired bad habits or who do not fit into the culture of the organization.

So as you can see, there are still plenty of opportunities for landing employment once you have completed your IT training. Don't let anyone discourage you from pursuing your goal of an IT career just because a few dot-com companies went out of business!