36% Yes
64% No
The big question: The Big Question is an initiative between
Computer Weekly and recruitment consultancy PSD. Each week we put
the Big Question to top IT professionals to get their take on a
current talking point.
Sixty four per cent of IT professionals would not recommend a
career in IT to their children, with many arguing that the pace of
technology change and the lack of recognition given to IT count
against it when compared with other career paths.
This week’s Big Question poll suggests a high level of
disaffection among IT professionals – a finding borne out by
studies showing high levels of turnover among management-level IT
staff.
Research in June by the Chartered Management Institute found
that staff turnover in the IT sector had risen to 10.7% from 5% in
the previous year. This was higher than in other sectors despite
average IT salaries rising 6.3% to 45,000.
One senior IT worker polled for the Big Question complained that
job satisfaction was a problem because IT was routinely expected to
deliver but was not thanked for what it did. “My experience is that
when you complete a project or task successfully, that gets
ignored, but when you don’t you are hauled over the coals,” he
said.
Others expressed concern that as IT was often engaged in
automating manual tasks, there might come a point when the volume
of available work starts to shrink, which made the profession
difficult to recommend as a long-term option.
Some were more positive, however. Mike Burd, a helpdesk analyst,
said he would recommend IT to his children without reservation.
“There is a genuine career path in IT, offering diversity and
development. You will never be ahead of the game since things
change so fast, but you will always be developing your
knowledge.”
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