Willingness to learn on and off line may differentiate IT job seekers

On January 30, Tribune Media Services' Kristyn Schiavone published an article that highlights some of the current trends in the world of IT that have been mentioned by everyone from small business owners to the President of the United States in recent weeks. However, her story brought a more nuanced touch, as it relied on the expertise of Michael Dsupin, a CEO of an IT staffing firm, who talked about how the industry is struggling to find qualified workers.

According to Dsupin, due to the fact that in the mid-2000s many IT graduates experienced problems gaining employment, this in turn caused the subsequent classes of college students to pursue other fields. As a result, despite the large amount of available positions in the field, the source indicates that only 15,000 individuals will graduate with an IT degree in 2012, which is down from the 24,000 observed in 2001.

However, because of this shortage, professionals who are willing to take extra steps to obtain the necessary skills and demonstrate them in real-world settings may be able to take advantage of a lower barrier of entry in the potentially lucrative field.

"Technology isn't necessarily all about the degree," Dsupin told the report. "A lot of the learning is on the job, because you're experiencing real problems that are coming up. It's not a perfect science."

As a result, Dsupin suggested that individuals who want to enter the IT field stay current with technology trends and take initiative. For example, he highlighted the benefits of internships, as they could allow aspiring tech professionals a chance to demonstrate their love of IT and willingness to learn to potential employers.

To best prepare themselves for these internships, however, job seekers may want to take online courses so that they can obtain Oracle certifications or other forms of accreditation that could help them get their foot in the door.

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