In this month's print issue of CFO magazine, in an article about the direction of IT, the magazine states that specialization will soon become a handicap for IT workers. The article says that one research company predicts a decline of 40% in the job market for IT specialists with an expertise in one particular technology, and that "versatilists" with multidisciplinary backgrounds, including business, will be the ones to thrive in IT. Just throwing this out there for the benefit of the IT folks on the boards. -Jassen
Adding to this....in IT staffing, CIOs are increasingly looking past CS grads and toward MBAs: "The preferred educational background for IT employees today is more often an MBA than a computer science degree, says [Forrester analyst Laurie] Orlov. New IT hires are as likely to be brought over from the business side as they are to have been groomed in IT. Even some programming jobs—once purely technical positions—now require candidates to spend time working in the business function first before ever designing systems for that function, she says." http://www.cio.com/archive/010106/soc_staffing.html
This makes sense to me. As companies try more and more to make IT add to the bottom line rather than sucking from it, it makes sense to ensure that your first-line managers on up have a good sense as to where IT truly fits in with the overall enterprise.
You obviously need to differentiate between IT that performs a support function role and IT that is the central product of the company. For instance, how does the software development of Microsoft XP or Microsoft 2003 Server fit into Microsoft's bottomline. There has always been a direct correspondance here and it doesn't take much education to see that. Its in cutting edge companies like Google and Microsoft where the MBA grad will not have the training to participate with this money driver except at a management or analyst position. The probability that someone without an advanced technical degree will be designing and developing or possibily even envisioning the next great technological breakthrough is not very high in my opinion. Now if you are looking at IT's role in information management or business support, then MBA's or those with business domain experience are going to be very valuable players in the development or support process. Of course IMO, the people who are going to be the most valuable are those with a Computer Science or Engineering undergrad and an MBA followed by experience with a company's core business. However, to think that a individual without a technical degree or experience can be hired as a software engineer is (excuse my bluntness) laughable.
The impetus is on the day to day management (key word) of the IT operation. As JoAnn pointed out, the overwhelming number of these positions provides an IT support role. I also agree completely that "hardcore" technical specialists will always be necessary for new IT systems development and engineering. Most businesses don't do that, and don't have a need for it. Microsoft, while a juggernaut, provides the product that (most of) the rest of the business world uses for its day-to-day operations. My own degree plan is targeted at the “business” oriented end of day to day IT operations and IT project management, and there is certainly a market for that. Having said that, the WORST thing a responsible company could do would be to hire me as a software engineer……. Dave
