I may be out of a job in less than a year.

[Posco_Proudfoot]

I'm in IT. I found out today that my company is being purchased and my group will remain on until the transition over to their system is complete. Should take about a year or so. I'm so depressed. It seems companies are constantly being bought and I feel like I'm always havin to worry about my job. If it isn't layoffs or outsourcing it is other companies buying yours and having to deal with wondering if you will have a job long term.

 

Anyone in Information Technology got any suggestions. I'd like to get into something long term that is high in demand and will help me get a job in the future.

[a4a]

apply for a govt. job.

[CandyGirlXO]

apply for a govt. job.

 

 

I work for the gov't and we are currently doing furloughs, and then probably lay-offs starting in July.

[wuggle]

Its getting tough everywhere, but in IT we are still better placed than many. You don't say what aspect of IT you specialise in, but if it's leaning towards networks & hardware my advice would be to try to shift subtly into software.

 

Hardware is so cheap now, its totally a disposable comodity, latest OSes are so much easier, anybody can build a pc these days, connect it to internet etc, but still most people haven't a clue about how to make programmes or systems work. I can imagine a position soon where a pc actually IS just as easy to buy and use as a dvd player (unlike at the moment where it just appears that way even though joe public really dont understand the security aspects and just how vulnerale they are etc )

 

IMO, now that hardware is so cheap, companies will be looking to develop thier internal systems more over the coming years, and make savings in efficiencies by streamlining internal systems, business specific software is still quite ropey, I read recently that the average employee on a call centre has to use 15 seperate software packages on a daily basis, this is becoming unacceptable and system integraton, bespoke software will IMO become more common.

 

SAP was a good attempt at trying to allow business to map thier internal procedures to systems but sort of priced themselves out of the smaller markets.

 

I recently had to try to find a programmer for my company and there is still a real shortage of good programmers available with modern langauge skills, there is still a glut of programmers out there with Cobol skills which are now outdated.

 

My advice, try to learn C#, vb.net or even basic vbscript, perl etc just so that you can say you can programme.

 

Software and systems design, definitly the future.

[carhill]

Start your own business. Be gainfully unemployed, like I've been for 25 years. Never know where the next paycheck is coming from

 

If you're a hard worker and understand information systems, you'll gather plenty of clients as a consultant. I'm constantly amazed how little people know about computer/information systems, and I don't know much.....

[doushenka]

No advice here. Just offering sympathy, because wow, has my family been there over the years. Best of luck.

[norajane]

Start networking NOW!

 

Join professional associations and participate in their conferences, panel discussions, etc., get back in touch with your university alumni association and talk to their career counselors, get hooked up on LinkedIn, etc.

 

Meet people and talk to them, and keep in touch after you meet them - you NEVER know who will end up giving you the hint, the introduction, the information, the connection that will be important later.

[jerbear]

I agree with NoraJane on networking. I just joined my local alumni and business association to join a new network.

 

I would have to say, with the exception of one job, all my jobs were obtained through conferences, fellow alumni, friends, and acquaintances.

 

I also like a4a's get a govt job. Yeah, I've looked and networked. Not all govt jobs are furloughed, yet.

[norajane]

Yes, if you can pass stringent background check, drug and polygraph, the CIA, the State Department, Dept of Homeland Security, heavily rely on IT. Also, all kinds of government orgs from the IRS to Depts of Agriculture, FDA, Patents, etc. rely on IT!!

[jerbear]

Yes, if you can pass stringent background check, drug and polygraph, the CIA, the State Department, Dept of Homeland Security, heavily rely on IT. Also, all kinds of government orgs from the IRS to Depts of Agriculture, FDA, Patents, etc. rely on IT!!

 

Yelp, those unfortunately are NOT easy to get.

[Posco_Proudfoot]

Its getting tough everywhere, but in IT we are still better placed than many. You don't say what aspect of IT you specialise in, but if it's leaning towards networks & hardware my advice would be to try to shift subtly into software.

Good point. I'm more in the software development area.

Do all sorts of things. I basically don't specialize in one thing, and that's what worries me so much.

[MWC_LifeBeginsAt40]

You shouldn't be worried with an IT background. I know my company is always looking, but one skill I know there is a demand for is someone who knows the business and also has IT experience, AND being a good communicator between departments.

 

With this you can do business analysis, project management, and use what you know to your advantage. Contract yourself out for a while, if that's what you like, or just to tie you over.

[Posco_Proudfoot]

Edit: From the responses I should be more specific. I do EDI, I can do Unix and Perl Scripting, Cobol, Mainframe TSO, Java, I did Oracle years ago so I'm very rusty on the database stuff. I'm also 41, I've got a great concern that I'm becoming too old for what people want.

 

I sort of feel like I need to start looking at something more advanced without keeping up with the latest and greatest all the time.

For example, alternative energy engineering, project management, etc.

[jerbear]

For example, alternative energy engineering, project management, etc.

 

EDI can mix with CISSP, CISM, and other certs

PMP is a good cert to get over the others listed above. I say this because the skills are transferable. If you're going to spend resources, I suggest PMP.

 

Alternative energy engineering is much harder without experience. Now if you have TQM/Six Sigma/etc... and did some work or have information flow processes; you should be fine.

[wuggle]

Edit: From the responses I should be more specific. I do EDI, I can do Unix and Perl Scripting, Cobol, Mainframe TSO, Java, I did Oracle years ago so I'm very rusty on the database stuff. I'm also 41, I've got a great concern that I'm becoming too old for what people want.

 

I sort of feel like I need to start looking at something more advanced without keeping up with the latest and greatest all the time.

For example, alternative energy engineering, project management, etc.

 

 

Sad to say, but as I'm sure you already know some of your skills are becoming outdated (mainframe, cobol etc), there has IMO been a shift away from mainframes\cobol to mid range servers, distributed processing and pcs.

 

I would definitely try to pick up some skills in a more modern language (c any flavour) or if that is a bit too terse for you try vb.net, quite easy to pick up, and some SQL \SQL server skills. As lifebeginsat40 says one thing that is always in demand is the ability to be able to translate software skills into real business needs, so as well as just learning new software actually try to pick up systems analysis skills, and look to integrate systems & departments.

 

We just have to accept these days, particularly in our field , we have to be constrantly learning and moving with shifting requirments. IMO , flexibility, ability to learn and see the whole business (not just concentrating on the technology) will mean you're always in work.

[Posco_Proudfoot]

Sad to say, but as I'm sure you already know some of your skills are becoming outdated (mainframe, cobol etc), there has IMO been a shift away from mainframes\cobol to mid range servers, distributed processing and pcs.

Oh yea, there isn't a demand for it. It isn't something I'd be interesting in doing anyway.

 

I've got a whole year to retrain and do what the market demands. I see a lot of positions for .NET, Java, ASP, mostly web related applications.

I may be competing with a lot of unemployed skilled labor in this area with the job market the way it is.

[wuggle]

java, .net, asp and anything web related are good bets to retrain in, with increasing market share going to linux (still only 3-4% but unless Microsoft do something spectacular with W7 that should grow) the onus is on many software development projects to be os transparent (usually web based). When competing for job also stress experience with the whole product lifecycle, from design to completion. A typical problem when employing programmers is that they are often just seen as back room code generators, you really must be part of the whole cycle of development these days and understand how business processes can be translated to code.

[Posco_Proudfoot]

java, .net, asp and anything web related are good bets to retrain in, with increasing market share going to linux (still only 3-4% but unless Microsoft do something spectacular with W7 that should grow) the onus is on many software development projects to be os transparent (usually web based). When competing for job also stress experience with the whole product lifecycle, from design to completion. A typical problem when employing programmers is that they are often just seen as back room code generators, you really must be part of the whole cycle of development these days and understand how business processes can be translated to code.

Have no problems with the business. I did a lot of things before IT and have a better grasp of things than most of my coworkers. That's always been my strong point. But I think my options are limited in the company I'm at when it is merging with another. So, looking to enhance my resume while I have time.

[wuggle]

Last advice I can give then is once you have the technical skills sorted, time to get the most important thing sorted, how you put yourself forward in interviews.

 

Whilst I agree that networking with people can lead to job opportunities, IMO the most important area that people fall down on is at the interview. I have interviewed people in the past whose skills looked excellent on paper yet at the interview they came across as arrogant, disinterested, scared etc.

 

When being interviewed, be confident but not arrogant but most importantly IMO passionate about IT and specifically how IT can help business be more efficient and save money. Passion with knowledge is so attractive to emloyers, they want to see that you are going to be keen to work for THEM.

 

Good luck, I still say IT is better placed than many other trades, everyone is struggling at the moment.

[fanou22]

I agree with all the above posters about acquiring new skills. You may also want to try some new industry as well.

 

One more thing to consider is take advantage of that year to position yourself as the guy who they don't want to let go when the merger is complete.