IT labor shortage: Two contrasting views

In my recent Editor's Note "Entitled to Nothing," I set out to identify the disconnect between those who say there's an IT labor shortage, and those who say that notion is a myth. I wrote that what it appears to boil down to is that there's not a shortage of IT professionals. There's a shortage of qualified IT professionals.

Not surprisingly, I've received a ton of mail from readers who were outraged by that conclusion, and especially by the position taken by DeAndre Hodo, global director of IT infrastructure and operations at Littelfuse. This is what Hodo had to say on the subject:

"It's not that there aren't people out there in the IT field that are willing or able to work. It's: Do they have the aptitude, the ability to learn and work at the capacity that you know you need in your organization? That's the biggest problem: qualified talent vs. talent."

Hodo said he's found that qualified workers are a comparatively small subset of IT professionals, and that they have to be lured away from other companies. "They aren't those folks who are sitting on the bench," he said. "Because, quite frankly, that's probably why [those other people are] sitting on the bench."

This response from David Conley, an IT specialist for Collin County Public Works in Texas, was typical:

I have never read a column of yours and gotten so angry as I did with that one.

I'm NOT "sitting" on the bench. I was let go from my last IT job 5 years ago, due to "downsizing" and was released into the teeth of the IT downturn. I have a college education ... have experience in everything from mainframes to Web development.

I can communicate very well, in fact, I do part-time sports radio work. I'm qualified, experienced, available and sitting on the bench because I can't get past the automated resume programs to get in front of a HUMAN to sell myself.

DeAndre Hodo is a jerk!  "Qualified talent vs. talent" is a smokescreen for "I don't want to pay them for their life's work experience." It's that simple! Why should IT pay for experienced people when they can get cheap labor elsewhere? It's bunk, it's bull, and it's wrong.

I don't EVER want to hear about an "IT shortage"... there wouldn't be one if they'd hire all of us IT guys that are "on the bench." They just don't want to pay the price!

Now, contrast that letter with this one from a 64-year-old IT professional named Dan Gott:

I really enjoyed your comments about the exasperated IT pros that are unemployed, including your comments about the shrinking pool for qualified job candidates. Let me share my experience since first being exposed to IT back in 1998.

At that time, I was laid off from a high-level job as engineering manager for the First Alert Co. in Aurora, Illinois. I first started at the First Alert Co. as a well-paid consultant and was quickly promoted to engineering manager in less than one year.  Being promoted in such a short time was due to my many accomplishments, willingness to learn and work at the required pace. This was my dream job until it was eliminated due to the company being acquired by the Sunbeam Corp. There I was at 55 years old and thinking there was no future job prospects that could offer me a rewarding career that pays good money.

I started to look at becoming an IT professional after spending so much time working on my computer at home, typing resumes and getting myself organized. I have a strong engineering background. Becoming an IT professional seemed like a good way to go, and it could also be very rewarding in both the technical and financial sense. Everyone I talked to said my age was a big factor, and no one would hire me in the IT business. I could not disagree more, and soon began qualifying myself to become a Microsoft certified MCSE. My first job as a desktop support person paid less than $30k per year. This helped to pay my daily and monthly expenses, along with other sources of income.

Since that time, I have never looked back. I am successfully employed as a senior network engineer making a comfortable living working for one of the largest healthcare providers in the Midwest area. Most IT professionals I come in contact with consider me to be the last of the IT cowboys. I am 64 years old and am probably the oldest guy in the room whenever attending IT-related meetings. A limited group of younger folks I come in contact with at work seem to lack the ability to learn and work at my pace. Many times I associate this with their inability to analyze problems, make good decisions and take calculated risks. Your article is right on in describing an attitude by persons who think they are simply qualified just because they have certifications or credentials.

I always say a successful, good-paying job is like having a good marriage. You have to work at it every day. Communications is the most important aspect to developing a long-term relationship. A willingness to learn and try to improve your skills is very important. I ought to know that better than most folks. My wife and I have been married for 40 years. Soon I will be part of the "Silver Tsunami," except I keep telling my wife I want to re-invent myself and not retire.

My next venture is getting into the medical equipment leasing business. Regarding opportunities, I always look for the window if I can't walk through the door. Perhaps that is why qualified talent does not wait around, and they move on to a greater challenge. I feel IT management is too slow in responding to my personal need to grow at a faster pace.

All I can tell you is that if I was a hiring manager in an IT shop, I know which one of these guys I'd want working for me.