Bad Market for Programmers

[Pizzaman]

Well it's been like almost a year now since I graduated with my useless degree.  Anyone else got a computer science degree and is struggling to land a decent job in your field?  Me working at Fry's Electronics doesn't equate to being "in the field."

I love selling computers.

Customer: "Well I want a computer that's really easy to use.  User friendly, I can go online, e-mail, word document, use Microsoft Office... oh ya and uh Windows XP Home Edition, that means it comes with Microsoft Office right?  Ya so I saw this computer on ad for $199.  What do you think of this Lindows machine?"

Me: *Dives into a pile of flat-panel monitors and hopefully kill myself while drenched in LCD liquid.

-Pizzaman

[sedriss]

I also studied computer science, and the only job i got was moving crates around in a old warehouse

[Dart]

* Dart is thinking about studying software engineering for university next year

Hmm, this doesn't look good. :\ However, I was told by my school counsellor that although the computer software market is currently at a decline, it will go up in the next five years or so because of the increasing amount of technology. So cheer up; it'll get better.

And if not, I guess I'll have to fall back on my second career choice: architecture.

[SSH]

During the recent decline across hi-tech, the whole workforce has got older as they lay off newbies first as they are cheaper to lay off and they have less value to the company. Thus, along with hiring freezes, there has effectively been little new blood in many companies for 4 or 5 years. This is the case at my compnay, and it makes it flipping har to go up a grade or get leadership roles as there is no-one more junior than you are, even though you have a bunch of experience. So, I hope and pray they start hiring youngsters again soon, simply to offset the top-heavyness of the company.

[jetxl]

... I was told by my school counsellor that although the computer software market is currently at a decline, it will go up in the next five years or so because of the increasing amount of technology...

Sure...
In the 60's they said that people would live on Mars within ten years.
And that math teacher told me he would e-mail my grade tomorrow. That was a month ago.

Wandering Stranger; "Say Jet, what are you studying?"

* Jet X.L. crawls in a dark corner of the school cafeteria, in a very anti-social way.

[Haddas]

... I was told by my school counsellor that although the computer software market is currently at a decline, it will go up in the next five years or so because of the increasing amount of technology...

Sure...
In the 60's they said that people would live on Mars within ten years.
And that math teacher told me he would e-mail my grade tomorrow. That was a month ago.

Wandering Stranger; "Say Jet, what are you studying?"

* Jet X.L. crawls in a dark corner of the school cafeteria, in a very anti-social way.

Well, I was thinking of becoming a Datanom, could be computer science over there. I don't know, it's the hardware part of the job. Anyway, My counsellor told me I shoulnd't become that, because the market will be overflowing with them soon, and how right he was. It seems there's only work for them as pizza deliverers and the likes at these times :/

* Haddas wonders what the hell he's gonna do now.

[Scummbuddy]

Great.... I'm almost done getting my Computer Science degree. I thought about also finishing my art degree from my school. Then perhaps I could make games.

Wait, I already do that.

Well, get paid, anyways...

[Babar]

Yes, yes! Computer software market is dead! All of you, drop your computer related Majors! They will be no use!

* Babar  hopes that the market will be clearer by the time (and if ) he graduates

[Pumaman]

There are plenty of jobs out there, it's just that the majority of them require 2-3 years experience, which isn't much use if you've just graduated.

Still, loads of companies have graduate entry schemes, it's just a matter of persevering, keep applying for jobs, and don't be afraid to move to a different part of the country to get one.

[Pizzaman]

* Dart is thinking about studying software engineering for university next year

Hmm, this doesn't look good. :\ However, I was told by my school counsellor that although the computer software market is currently at a decline, it will go up in the next five years or so because of the increasing amount of technology. So cheer up; it'll get better.

Three years ago, my assembly language teacher told me, "The economy is down right now, but the computer market will bounce back up once you graduate in 3 years."

And also there's this fear of outsourcing

-Pizzaman

[Las Naranjas]

Of course increasing techonology means that three IT or programming jobs can be reduced to one.

And that one job can go to the huge swathe of prefectly credentialled workers in India who don't demand as high wages.

You see, I was wise and made one of my degrees an Economics one, as to be able to be gainfully employed tell CS graduates why they don't have a job...

[Takara]

Well, I thought I'd add a note of happiness to this thread.

I live with my two best friends in the UK.Ã,  We graduated with Computer Science degrees in July 2003.

By September Mike had himself a job in a school working as the IT technician (not programming, but he's always been into the hardware).Ã,  Not hugely high paying cos it's in a school, but it's getting him the experience he needs to move into a larger company

By January Nikki also had a job.Ã,  She's doing web programming for a company not far from here, and is being paid a good graduate salary with a pay rise due again in a month or so

And me?Ã,  Well, I've been working for my parent's business, which may sound weird, but it involves a good mixture of web design & programming, bespoke applications for foolish clients (people who find copying files from one directory to another too much of a challenge and need big buttons to click instead!) and also a lot of Office customisation.

In fact, all of the people I know who've graduated recently with Computer Science degrees have found jobs related to their degree which they are happy doing

Unlike my sister and her partner who last year graduated with Psychology degrees and have failed to find anything they want to do and are now stuck living with our parents!Ã, 

So, it's not all doom and gloom :)Ã,  Don't give up hope just yet!

Takara.

[RickJ]

Here are a couple of things you could try if you haven't already done so. 

• Use a head hunter to help get you to interviews.  He/she will help you refine your resume  and send them to people loking for people to hire.   
  
  
• Try doing some independent gigs.  Here is a good place to find some  Dice.com.  Here is another place ut they don't pay as well http://www.rentacoder.com/RentACoder/default.asp.  There are others as well but this one is pretty much geared to IT.   
  
  
• Have you spoken with consulting company or temp companys?  They earn their keep by supplying peole for specific projects. 
  
  
• Volunteer for an open source project.  That should get you some points for experience and may even lead to a paying gig. 
  
  You have to remeber that in the software and tech industries things change fast and employers are interested in what you can do and not what school you attended or what degree you have.  That's all minimum requirements.    The advantage of not having much experience is that you are mallable, hardworking, and find grunt work interesting.  Get on a project that can use some of that stuff and you'll be on your way.  Of course if you are lazy, inflexible , and arrogant then you may be working at Fry's for a very long time .
  
  
  
  

[Pizzaman]

Of course if you are lazy, inflexible , and arrogant then you may be working at Fry's for a very long time .

Ya, I already quit Fry's about 2 weeks ago.Ã,  Thanks for the advice RickJ (not sarcastic).Ã,  I am pretty hard working, I find sitting in front of the computer and staring at code creating something is invigorating.Ã,  Ok well amusing.

I've only done self projects like 3D Tetris using DirectX.Ã,  That is also another reason why I am making an adventure gameÃ,  using AGS.

-Pizzaman

[RickJ]

Hehe, I hope you didn't think I was implying that you were those things.  Slackers usually don't make it through engineering or computer science so I assumed you were not.  My comment was, as you surmized,  just a pathetic attempt at humor.   

Hang in there and I'm sure something will come your way.   

[auhsor]

I hope it does pick up again in 2 years when I graduate from my CS degree. Before I went in, people were saying that there were plenty of computer jobs, but I guess times change. The thing is, I am about to start 2nd year at Uni and I feel I've hardly learnt much. I passed 1st year with decent marks, but I'm still not that confident... must be all those smart nerds who know all the languages that discourage me.

[DragonRose]

Slackers usually don't make it through engineering or computer science...

That's because they all come to the dark side the Arts and Humanities. Come, slack with us and know the joys of slackage!

(Hey, I'm only half joking. About 25% of Engineers and 10% of Science students at my school can't handle the stress, so they switch faculties after first year and become Humanities students)

[Las Naranjas]

I like the way I know people who have 25 hours of classes and lectures a well in Engineering, whilst I'm technically doing more than full time study, yet only have 15 hours this semester.

But I'm only half silly humanities. Double degrees are fun this one degree can mock the other.

[shbaz]

Slackers usually don't make it through engineering or computer science...

That's because they all come to the dark side the Arts and Humanities. Come, slack with us and know the joys of slackage!

(Hey, I'm only half joking. About 25% of Engineers and 10% of Science students at my school can't handle the stress, so they switch faculties after first year and become Humanities students)

At my school about 60% drop to business or something. You must go to an easy school. 

[DragonRose]

Well, the engineers also switch to science, and they both switch into kinesiology, commerce, health science, and social science. Humanities (my faculty) just gets the most.