Mike the Usurper wrote:
For Decius's response, I am very worried that this downturn will be just as bad if not worse than the dot bomb in IT. The vast majority of IT work is done to support other people using computer resources to do whatever work they do, from finance to scheduling garbage collection routes. Without them, what do the companies need the IT guys for?

I didn't say that IT will be unaffected by the downturn. I said it would be easier for IT people than it was last time.

In the previous crisis you had a large number of technology focused businesses, be them web companies or telecoms, going out of business, which effected all of their employees and directly effected their suppliers. That means a massive contraction in technology jobs was at the epicenter of the crisis.

What you're talking about is just general economic contraction, not IT focused contraction. IT people will be less necessary in exactly the same proportion that janitors are less necessary and accountants are less necessary and project managers are less necessary.

This downturn will be hard for everybody, but it won't be harder on IT professionals than other kinds of professionals. Many technology companies are reducing staff in-order to reduce their costs so they can operate longer on less cash or fewer client orders, but they aren't going out of business.

RE: The Six-Figure-Job Hunt - TIME