🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <870086t.702698756@aucs> 870086t@aucs.acadiau.ca (Shannon Tremblay) writes:
> .............            ..............          ...................
>In the article it is suggested that there is currently a shortage of software
>workers that could reach over 14000 by 1995.
>
>It goes on to suggest that 12000 to 14000 more jobs will be available to people
>in the software industry by 1995.
>
>****
>
>MY QUESTION IS THIS
>
>As a graduating student with a BCS and 16 months of Co-op experience behind
>me and no job waiting for me at present;  I question the accuracy of these
>statements.  I know of a number of students here on campus, also graduating
>that are asking the same questions.
>If there is a shortage of workers, then WHY can we not get jobs.
>
As a practitioner with 2 years of telecommunications and 15+ years 
of hardware and software experience (I am 40) I feel that there 
is always scarcity of good, knowledgeable, cheap engineers and 
computer scientists :-)

I graduated in a period very similar to the present one, during a recession
(after the Kippur War and the consequent oil embargo). There were projections
of an engineering shortage of 150,000 units in 5 years...However, nobody
wanted to hire a new grad and everybody was looking for 5 years of experience
at a new grad's salary :-) Eventualy, for those of us who remained in 
engineering, enduring a couple of though years, the microprocessor boom came
and we came in high demand.

Not knowing anything about micros, I accepted a job paid 25% below the going
new grad rate (like having a M.A.Sc., two years of RF experience, and accepting
$24,000/year today). In two years I was at the same level of my manager
(12 years older than me).

To make long story short, the employers's point of view is that there is a
shortage of competent, knowledgeable, experienced, etc. professionals
at $32,000/year. In a sense they are right: if one has 5 years of UNIX and
C, 2 or 3 years of multitasking and real-time, 2 or 3 years of data comms,
one does not want to be paid $32,000-35,000/years. Thus, there is a 
shortage ...:-)

Employers want a favorable supply & demand situation.