IT Job Market

[Dan J 277]

I am currently in University studying for an undergrad degree. We cannot afford to have both of us going to school and cannot find any decent Undergrad programs online. DH also says he is too old, too experienced etc to do an undergraduate degree in computer science or similar.

Will not having a degree significantly lower his chances of getting a job?

The education systems between the USA and UK are so very different. The UK wants less people applying for higher education and going straight into jobs from GCSE/A-Levels (think of A-Levels as the general required classes during the first year or two of college in the USA.)

DH needs to work full time, otherwise we'll lose our home, there is no other option bar getting a degree completely online.

Most IT/Development Managers consider experience to be most important. However, in particular with large companies, not having a 4 year degree will make it difficult to get past the HR department. Networking is one way to get around that and get a resume directly to the hiring manager.

Does he want to focus on IT or Development? Most of the time, positions are IT or Development, not both. Only small companies really have positions that cover both IT and development.

[CheeseQuavers 0]

Most IT/Development Managers consider experience to be most important. However, in particular with large companies, not having a 4 year degree will make it difficult to get past the HR department. Networking is one way to get around that and get a resume directly to the hiring manager.

Does he want to focus on IT or Development? Most of the time, positions are IT or Development, not both. Only small companies really have positions that cover both IT and development.

He is probably going to be after a Systems Administrator or Perl/PHP Developer role. These three facets of IT are his forte.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

There are so many Asian sys admins that any job that doesn't have a security clearance has lots of applicants that are willing to work for a very reasonable wage.

[Cortr 3]

I live in the Midwest and work in IT (development). I got laid off from my last job in April and it took me 6 (six) days to find a new one with better pay and a much happier work environment.

I still get recruiters calling me all the time. I'd suggest putting your resume out on Monster.com. Only put the phone number on it if you want to get called _a lot_ by headhunters. Otherwise, just stick with an e-mail at the top. You will get a number of e-mails/calls from headhunters. Pick out 3-4 to work with who seem "the best" of the pool and tell them what you're wanting to do.

These people are generally commissioned salespeople, but you can get them working "for you" in your job hunt. You can tell them exactly what you're looking for, and they will eagerly try to submit you to positions they feel you're a good fit for. The headhunters generally work for firms that have good relationships with a client base. Having the headhunter submit you will help you get past the bulls*it with HR departments. They generally work directly with the hiring manager.

All the outsourcing to India and whatnot does suck, but it's not -that- bad. There are still quite a few jobs out there, even in the current crappy economy. Of course, I've got my bachelor's degree in computer science too, so things are a little different for me, but I know plenty of people who lack that and still have a good job in the field too.

Good luck.

[Dan J 277]

I live in the Midwest and work in IT (development). I got laid off from my last job in April and it took me 6 (six) days to find a new one with better pay and a much happier work environment.

I still get recruiters calling me all the time. I'd suggest putting your resume out on Monster.com. Only put the phone number on it if you want to get called _a lot_ by headhunters. Otherwise, just stick with an e-mail at the top. You will get a number of e-mails/calls from headhunters. Pick out 3-4 to work with who seem "the best" of the pool and tell them what you're wanting to do.

These people are generally commissioned salespeople, but you can get them working "for you" in your job hunt. You can tell them exactly what you're looking for, and they will eagerly try to submit you to positions they feel you're a good fit for. The headhunters generally work for firms that have good relationships with a client base. Having the headhunter submit you will help you get past the bulls*it with HR departments. They generally work directly with the hiring manager.

All the outsourcing to India and whatnot does suck, but it's not -that- bad. There are still quite a few jobs out there, even in the current crappy economy. Of course, I've got my bachelor's degree in computer science too, so things are a little different for me, but I know plenty of people who lack that and still have a good job in the field too.

Good luck.

Its often entry level type work that most often gets outsourced. Which can make it harder to break in. But once you are in the industry, getting another job is often pretty easy, provided you keep your skills up.

[mike411 15]

What types of position is DH looking for?

There are jobs, just more requirements and pay a bit lower than a few years ago.

I think DH needs to get a BS degree. The school does not matter as long as it's accredited. He’s only been working for 8 years! What too old and too experienced? He needs to do it for you and not allow his pride to get in the way for a brighter future. The job market is only going to get tougher in the US with jobs going overseas. Many non-degree people found IT jobs in the 90s because of high demand. It can be challenging if they get layoff now.

I always joke with my friends telling them “If you can work from home, you can work from India.”

He sounds like jack of all trades with skills from networking to programming. It is good for getting in the door, but not for a career. People that focus and specialized makes more, get more stable jobs, and more opportunities.

I am focusing on IT security right now. The market is big and will get larger as the U.S. searches for new service markets.

Good luck!

[nylonmac 10]

I don't have EAD, nor the K-1 visa to begin with. But I have started looking into the situation, as I am similarly placed to the OP's DH. (No degree, 6 years in IT Support with Windows/Linux/OS X skills - no programming :'( )

In October, I did a Google search for the type of companies I'd like to work for in the general area of where I'll be moving to. I emailed 2 places at first, just informal, well written emails explaining our situation asking for advice on how to be an attractive candidate in the local market. I received nothing from the first one, but received an email on the same day from the company's director saying that he would definitely like to talk to me as my writing style was engaging and a breath of fresh air in comparison to the emails he usually receives.

We then spoke on the phone a couple of weeks later to see how we got along, whether my skills and attitude reflected with that of the company and we ended with him asking what type of salary I would expect (with me saying that I'm not sure but I'm currently paid in the £20-£30k range) and then him saying that he'd want to pay me $50,000pa and would employ me temporarily at first (when I get EAD) and then make me a permanent employee if it works out.

Then the long wait for my NOA2 has finally come to an end so I emailed him, saying that I have heard something from USCIS, it is progressing to the next stage and I will be visiting in February. He wants me to meet up for a pint during my visit.

I'm not going to put all of my eggs into this basket, as he can't really offer me a job until I receive EAD and they may not have any openings when it does arrive, but I think the moral to the story is that you should email companies in the field with honest, courteous emails just asking for advice and if you get one response, it would be another way in.

I want to get a degree, but can only do it part time and once I am working, so will look to enroll at CUNY or similar.

[Darnell 8,478]

fwiw- CUNY rocks.

[Harley10 0]

Hi there, tell your husband to study Sharepoint. Its easy enough to pick up and it is growing in popularity big time over here. This is what my husband specializes in and they are falling over themselves to hire him. He is currently on 85k a year. He also has all the skills your husband has but its a knowledge of Sharepoint that gives him the edge.