+Jeff Cave - I feel your pain, sort of. I'm a Junior Software (Web) Developer, versed in several languages, and am finding it hard to get "back in the game". I can't believe how many employers are trying to hire programmers at $10/hr. The problem isn't so much a skills gap as it is a disconnect between the skills being taught in schools, those in use, and what employers are now willing to pay for people with those skills.
To give you an idea of how preposterous this is, a recent posting that I came across wanted this (paraphrasing as I don't remember word for word):
" Job Title: Junior Software Developer
Requirements: 3+ years experience in PHP, JavaScript/JQuery, MySQL, Python. 10+ years experience with the Linux command line (preferably CentOS) as a systems administrator. Minimum Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, prefer Master's or PhD. Expert level Java and C++ Object Oriented Design skills...
Compensation: $12 an hour. "
Um, if I had a Bachelor's degree, I wouldn't accept $12/hr, and there's no way in hell I'd accept that if I had a Master's or PhD in Computer Science.
+Jan Aynes - Yeah, it's pretty ridiculous. Unfortunately, for that wage, I wouldn't be able to pay rent, much less eat, keep utilities on, put gas in the car to make it to work, etc. Factor in a family of four and it's worse.
Right now, employers have the population by the balls and there isn't much we can do about it as everyone has to survive somehow.
To come back around to the point of the article... I have seen it in other industries as well. The farmer I was working for as a labourer last year, is constantly complaining that he can't get anyone to work for him. Yet, he pays minimum wage, and makes no gaurantees that he will have hours for you.
Is it any wonder he can't find good employees?
In the end he applied for a government grant to hire temporary labourers from Jamaica and laid me off. I ended up working for his competitor who pays a dollar more per hour, and has people begging to work for him during harvest.
Funny how his competitor has his pick of the best employees.
+Brian Tomlinson that is exactly the kind of job description I've been seeing: Junior with 10 years experience in diverse industries (totally 30 years) and multiple degrees.... Errr...
Junior? 10 years as a project manager? ... Does not add up!
+Jeff Cave - I was using the Software Industry as an example of "Yep, it's happening in other places too." I wasn't trying to derail. But, yeah, it's pretty much everywhere now. There are some companies doing so well that they can afford to pay the "reasonable market price" for workers, then their are others that are doing well enough, but aren't willing to invest in those wages.
I think part of the problem is short-sightedness and the mentality of "what about now?" that is so prevalent in all industries. Employers aren't seeing the long-term benefits of the investments made today in their employees, they see only this week's or this month's figures and make no account of the year to date or projected growth based on their employee investments.
+Brian Tomlinson no derailing... I'm a Web App/Business System developer as well, that's where this conversation started. Just think my farm labourer story demonstrates that it occurs both in educated and uneducated fields. The article discussed how highly trained individuals aren't getting paid, but it holds true with untrained labour as well.
+Jeff Cave - Most definitely! It's hard to get a decent living wage at all, much less when the hiring manager says something to the effect of "Why would we pay X for someone to load up the machine, input the settings, and then push a button when we could pay Y for the same thing?" Forgetting the fact that loading up the machine with heavy materials all day is hard, that inputting the settings requires problem solving, pushing the button requires a certification, and removing the final product safely requires heavy lifting, the ability to organize, and depending on the environment, is dangerous. But hey! It's an unskilled job hardly worth the $10/hr anyways, so they should be grateful!
I am always open to contract options.
To give you an idea of how preposterous this is, a recent posting that I came across wanted this (paraphrasing as I don't remember word for word):
"
Job Title: Junior Software Developer
Requirements:
3+ years experience in PHP, JavaScript/JQuery, MySQL, Python. 10+ years experience with the Linux command line (preferably CentOS) as a systems administrator. Minimum Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, prefer Master's or PhD. Expert level Java and C++ Object Oriented Design skills...
Compensation: $12 an hour.
"
Um, if I had a Bachelor's degree, I wouldn't accept $12/hr, and there's no way in hell I'd accept that if I had a Master's or PhD in Computer Science.
Right now, employers have the population by the balls and there isn't much we can do about it as everyone has to survive somehow.
Is it any wonder he can't find good employees?
In the end he applied for a government grant to hire temporary labourers from Jamaica and laid me off. I ended up working for his competitor who pays a dollar more per hour, and has people begging to work for him during harvest.
Funny how his competitor has his pick of the best employees.
Junior? 10 years as a project manager? ... Does not add up!
I think part of the problem is short-sightedness and the mentality of "what about now?" that is so prevalent in all industries. Employers aren't seeing the long-term benefits of the investments made today in their employees, they see only this week's or this month's figures and make no account of the year to date or projected growth based on their employee investments.
/snark