Five Myths about
Future Employment
in IT
Courtesy of Microsoft Corporation and
SIM (Society for Information Management).
From their “Future Potential of IT” program.
Trends in US Enrollment / Degrees
Growth of PC
drove this increase
Growth of Internet
drove this increase



Reasons for low enrollments
 End of Y2K
 dot-com bust
 Press magnified impact
of offshoring
 Post 9/11 less foreign
student visas
Chart data only CS- no data
on other IT-related majors
Spring 06 enrollment up
Myth 1
There are no IT jobs.
Reality

Employment (millions)
4.5
IT job market strong
 70,000
tech jobs on
Dice.com
 Significant increase
from 2002 at 30,000
4
3.5
3
2.5
2

1.5
1
0.5
Companies increased
IT staff budget since
2003 (Gartner)
19
90
19
93
19
96
19
99
20
02
20
05
*
0
Year
•2005 Data is through 3/05.
•Source: BLS. Industry employment includes manufacturing (computers, storage devices, peripherals), software, Internet related (ISPs, search portals),
data processing, computer design, computer programming, computer systems design, computer facilities management, and other comptuer-related services.
Myth 2
There will be no IT jobs when I graduate.
Reality
Job Type
Expected Growth
through 2012
Computer Engineers
MIS/CIS/Info Sciences &
Systems
Computer and Info Sys
Mgrs
Technical Support
Specialist
36%+
Teaching (Preschool - 12)
21-35%
Management Consulting
21-35%
Human Resource Specialist
21-35%
Nursing (Registered Nurse)
21-35%
Computer Programmer
10-20%
Accounting (Private)
10-20%
Sociology*
10-20%
Political Science*
10-20%
Electrical Engineering
3-9%
Mechanical Engineering
3-9%
Chemical Engineering
0-2%
Help Desk Support
N/A
Marketing
N/A

36%+
36%+
21-35%
Four of fastest
growing US jobs
2002-2012 for
bachelors degree to
be IT-related
Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Handbook,
2004-05

First boomers turn 65
in 2011
Myth 3
All IT-Related Jobs Are Going Offshore
Reality –
Some Jobs Will Go Overseas
Commodity jobs (e.g. some programming,
help desk) sourced overseas
 Highly skilled jobs will stay
 Jobs relating to company’s core
competencies or products will stay
 Jobs requiring close business/customer
contact will stay (CIO Magazine)

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% of Respondents
Top Ten Critical Skills to Keep In House 2005
-SIM Advocacy IT Workforce
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Project Management Business Domain Technical
Myth 4
IT salaries are low due to cheaper
overseas labor
Reality – Undergraduate Starting Salaries
IT-Related Fields - Some of the Highest
Chemical Engineering
Computer Engineers
Technical Support Specialist
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
MIS/CIS/Info Sciences & Systems
Computer Programmer
Accounting (Private)
Nursing (Registered Nurse)
Human Resource Specialist
Marketing
Political Science*
Teaching (Preschool - 12)
Sociology*
Help Desk Support
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
Highest median earnings
among women










Pharmacists
Chief executives
Lawyers
Computer software engineers
Physicians and surgeons
Computer and information systems managers
Medical and health services managers
Computer programmers
Physical therapists
Human resource managers
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment and Earnings, 2005 Annual
Averages and the Monthly Labor Review, November 2005.
And…
Salaries May Go Even Higher
Current trends (i.e. low enrollment,
significant job growth) predict shortfall of
adequately skilled IT labor
 BLS data - minimum of 10% of US IT
staff (375,000 of 3.72 m) baby boomers
due to retire in 5-10 years
 Both will add to the upward salary
pressures

Myth 5
IT-Related Educational Degrees
Are Worth Less
Reality….
Computer science and engineering skills
always needed
 Research suggests, however, that
business is emphasizing additional skills
 Those skills change the focus of the IT
marketplace just a bit…for example:

Top Ten Mid-Level Skills and Capabilities
% of Respondents
-SIM Advocacy IT Workforce
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
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Project Management Business Domain Technical
Summary points to leave you with
IT vital to business profitability
 Fast pace of technological change keeps
IT careers interesting
 Offshoring threat overstated
 Globalization of IT is an opportunity
 US IT worker demand will remain strong

What about YOU?
Your Future Potential
is in IT!!