I, like may others have been sat on my butt for quite a few weeks now trying
to find suitable employment without much success. OK, I've had a few phone
calls and a couple of interviews but I'm 38 years old and the number of jobs
that my diverse experience and skillset "fits" is diminishing. J2EE is the
flavour of the day even though (IMHO) is it the biggest, most cumbersome
sledgehammer I've ever seen trying to crack relatively small nuts.

I really do think the bubble has finally burst on the IT market, not just in
the UK (where I live), but globally. Up until now, IT staff have enjoyed a
salary or consultancy rate which has been at a premium to those in other
professions. Nowadays, I'm finding that the situation is resversing itself
at a very rapid rate. Skills such as web development are becoming very
mundane, creating a marketplace where salaries/rates are becoming smaller
and smaller. For example, I saw a job recently asking for highly qualified
and certified staff attracting salaries of maybe 20K GBP (somwhere in the
region of 30K USD). I've even seen IT Helpdesk/support staff advertised at
7GBP per hour (maybe 10 bucks or even less - think MacDonalds!).

In fact, the situation in the UK is worse. Employers are looking to hire
contract staff on a salaried person's pro-rata rate - i.e. rates of < 15GBP
per hour (22$/hr or less). Here on the Islands, as a consultant or
contractor, not only do you have to pay standard Income tax and social costs
on this income, but you also have to pay what is called "Employer's National
Insurance" which amounts to a 10% flat rate on gross earnings. Employers win
hands-down. They know exacly what their outgoings are, and they don't have
to fork out any cash on fringe benefits - Health Insurance, Life Insurance,
Mortgage subsidy and other fringe benefits.

To me, this is a very unhealthy state of affairs. Employers are getting
skilled professionals at a bargain-basement cost and are getting happily
used to the status quo and the cost reductions. Soon, people who've gained
vast experience and are seasoned IT people are going to be stacking shelves
at Safeway/Costco because they can actually make more money that way. Do you
think I'm joking? I'm seriously considering a career-change because IT isn't
attractive any more. Why should I bother to research new technologies and
try to learn stuff when the rewards for actually doing this are paltry and
insignificant. I'm trying to get to grips with java and am rapidly coming to
the conclusion that in six months time, java programmers are going to be
ten-a-penny so why should I bother!

When people want you, then salaries are desperately average and you're
expected to relocate and suffer big upheavals in your personal life just to
earn a simple living.

To me, the outlook is bleak for the IT world. Opinions on a postcard
please...

This may look like a "god I can't find work!" rant but I believe that
something fundamental is happening in the IT market and it troubles me
greatly.

Mark W.

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