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A Guide to Going High-Tech
by Claude J. Bauer Special to washingtonpost.com Wednesday, April 22, 1998 Not unlike the rest of the nation, the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area is suffering from a chronic shortage of high-tech talent. While the D.C. region is widely thought to be the telecommunications capital of the nation (if not the world, dare we suggest), it also boasts a rapidly growing biotech industry. The recent opening of three computer-chip manufacturing facilities in Virginia has also strengthened the region's ranking in the hardware industry.
What does this mean for you? Lots of job options -- from help-desk worker and computer repair technician to systems analyst, software engineer, electrical engineer, computer programmer and tech consultant. And thanks to the explosive growth of the Internet, opportunities abound for workers who can administer a network, manage a Web server, or design a home page. But first, you might want to double-check that you've got what it takes. What color is your pocket protector? Before you enroll in a technical training course, you should determine whether or not you've got the aptitude for a high-tech career. Here is some advice for embarking down the tech trail. 1. Get yourself tested. While it's true that there is a tremendous demand for high-tech workers, working in this field can be tremendously demanding. Richard Judy, an economist and senior research fellow for the Indianapolis, Ind.-based Hudson Institute and co-author of Workforce 2020, an in-depth study of the American work force, recommends that "before people try to make a switch to [high technology], they should undergo some formal assessment," to determine if they've got the aptitude for a technical career. Scores of workers from all walks of life have discovered through testing that they have a hidden aptitude for computer programming, engineering, or other technical pursuits and have successfully switched careers or added technical course work to enhance their careers. But that's not the case for everyone. You wouldn't want to end up taking pricey training courses that will only lead to a job you will loathe. It's critical to know what skills, aptitudes, and lifestyles are required for different tech jobs and then find your niche. To find your special place in the tech realm, you might want to start with a guide to IT skill standards put together by the Northwest Center for Emerging Technologies at Bellevue Community College, in Bellevue, Wash., and used by the U.S. Department of Labor for its O*Net project, still in development as the replacement for the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. 2. Don't underestimate the competition. Although there is a tremendous worker shortage, the high-tech industry is not wide open. There can be intense competition for technical jobs, and companies are becoming increasingly selective about the workers they hire. "We're very choosy, very picky about who we add to our team," says LeRoy Pingho, vice president of technology and corporate information systems for Fannie Mae, the Washington, D.C.-based mortgage lender. 3. Make sure you're marketable. Technical recruiters, human resources (HR) managers, and technology educators agree that to land an entry-level high-tech job, workers must show strong technical aptitude combined with marketable skills—simply being computer literate isn't enough. In our increasingly high-tech society, "technology literacy among white-collar workers is taken for granted," Judy says. You should start by finding out what skills are in greatest demand. To evaluate your skills against real-world job requirements, you could search the CareerPost job classifieds to see what skills employers are seeking. As of this writing companies in the D.C. area seemed to be most in need of programmers proficient in software systems such as Oracle, C++ and Java. Look for the trends and target your career accordingly. While employment projections for most high-tech job categories show strong increases over the next five years, there are a few spots where the outlook isn't so rosy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the demand for computer and peripheral equipment operators will decline as mainframes are replaced with slimmed-down enterprise servers that operate as part of a client/server environment. In fact, one in 10 computer and peripheral equipment operators works only part-time these days, according to BLS. Paul Villella, managing director for the Tysons Corner, Va., staffing and consulting firm Source Services Corp., counsels, "Most job candidates will go through a technical interview or testing to determine their aptitude," before they're hired. This is especially true throughout the greater Washington area, where many companies are government contractors trying to staff projects that have very specific requirements for particular skills. If your skill set is getting rusty, and you're looking to brush up your skills to meet the market, your employer might help identify the kinds of technology it needs or expects to need in the future. Perhaps a training program at your local community college is all you need to help you acquire those skills. 4. Brush up on your soft skills. In addition to your technical tool kit, high-tech employers are increasingly interested in your interpersonal skills. For many companies, it's no longer acceptable to be a technical guru who doesn't work well with others. In the Washington, D.C. area, for example, much IT work involves consulting, which requires extensive personal interaction with the client and the colleagues on your team. According to Jim Hollister, director of employment for the Rockville, Md.-based Computer Data Systems Inc. (CDSI), employers now look for "diversified" workers who possess technical skills, customer orientation, team attitude and strong communications skills. Go to Still in school? | Career changer? | Liberal arts major?
© Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company |
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