The first of the baby boomers turned 65 years old this past January, and time will tell how dramatically this will affect our nation’s workforce. The baby boomer generation makes up approximately 26 percent of the U.S. population, and it’s estimated that for 19 years (beginning Jan. 1, 2011), 10,000 boomers will reach age 65 every day.
So…what does this mean for us in the information technology workforce?
True, a lot of people are opting to stay a bit longer at their jobs, to get more money back into that retirement fund, pay down more on their mortgage, or perhaps just set more money aside, but people are still retiring. In the IT world, a field that is already re-exploding (think back to the dot com rush of the 80s) this means there are more openings than ever.
In certain lines of work, younger people may feel that they have less upward mobility because of the larger percentage of older workers staying on, but in the IT field, this is not the case. The future for computer science and related careers is looking shiny and bright.
For one, almost every company out there now relies on IT—for supplier connections, customer support, and internal networking, to name a few. When the economy started down its dark path, a lot of companies cut back. Now that things are on the upswing, these same companies have to get back on track and make updates in order to stay competitive.
Take network security, for instance. Everyone needs it, and many places need to improve theirs. Even without the Baby Boomer factor, this ratchets up the need for specialized tech workers.
And while there are certainly many baby boomers out there with a technological edge who aren’t leaving their careers anytime soon, there’s a general trend of some boomers making the switch from high stress, full time jobs, to more part-time and/or not for profit agencies, places that seem to be making a difference.
As a result of all these shifts, we now see some of the older, more antiquated companies like IBM and Microsoft upping the ante in the recruiting game, competing with younger, seemingly more attractive places like Apple, Twitter, and Facebook. We all know how that goes. It’s the name of the game for the companies involved, and for those seeking tech work, it’s nothing but very good news.
Right now, we know that there are at least two, maybe three jobs for every graduate in computer science this year. There’s definitely work if you’re looking for it, and it’s happening now.
In its top ten jobs for 2011, CareerCast places software engineer at the number one position and computer systems analyst at number five.
There are also the super encouraging Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates—these indicate a 53 percent increase in network systems and data communication analyst jobs from 2006 to 2016 and also show great promise for database administrators, software engineer, and computer systems analyst positions.
The reality is this: there are more jobs out there than there are IT people to fill them. Those of you in the field should understand what sort of advantage this gives: better job choices all around, an increased ability to get the job you want, and an increased ability to get the wages you desire.