The 1990’s saw the true introduction of computers into the lives of the masses and the introduction of computers (such as the iconic IBM’s) into the workplace, leading the need for IT jobs to soar.  Even after the dot com bust of the early 2000’s the need for IT professionals increased, leading many to believe that this field was going to be one of the more stable, reliable career tracks.  High schools and colleges ramped up their IT programs, and companies, recognizing the need, hired as many IT professionals as they possibly could.

Dan Tynan of InfoWorld took a look at the quickly evolving IT job landscape and took a look at the nine most endangered IT species.  He writes, “It’s no secret that the cloud computing revolution and the infusion of consumer devices into the workplace has wrought massive changes in IT.  Jobs that were once considered secure are suddenly on the verge of extinction,” largely because business users don’t need their IT departments to get the tech that they want for their jobs.

The cost of upgrading technology

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Along with the constant upgrading of anything technology related and the fact that business users don’t feel the need to have their IT departments get the tech that they need, there is the ugly fact of the IT layoffs and “separations,” as well as the outsourcing of many IT jobs to countries where labor is significantly cheaper.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010 saw 7,247 lay-offs and 1,257,134 separations; 2011 saw 6,596 lay-offs and 1,112,710 separations; and 2012 is not looking much better with 2766 lay-offs and 508,749 separations in the first half of 2012, levels only marginally lower than the same period in 2011.

There are unfortunately many negative implications when it comes to the real world and the devaluation of the IT field.  Other than the obvious issue of employees bringing in their own technology to use at work, creating serious issues with security when companies forgo either the entire IT department or cut back on the number of employees in the department they risk falling behind in the trends and advances made in the field.  Outsourcing itself is a negative implication that affects the entire market.  Most Americans have had multiple negative experiences dealing with IT and customer service reps that are now based out of cheaper-to-hire developing nations as India so translating that frustration into more important areas such at IT or IT security and the market suffers.

In a somewhat cheeky round up, Tynan takes a look at the nine most endangered species of the IT world, and here are the top three:

3.  The Red-Bellied Repair Tech (Breakfixus familiarus)

The cheap cost of hardware added to the volume of available cheap mobile devices have made these stalwarts of the tech field obsolete.  No longer are they needed to swap out motherboards or hard drives when it’s just cheaper to replace the entire system than pay the salary.  The possible saving grace for these dwindling employees?  A jump to server maintenance.

2.  The Data Center Dinosaur (Tyrannoserver rex)

These are the employees who are extensive, encyclopedia-like knowledge of a particular hardware, coding language, or development methodology, but who are now better replaced with flexible generalists who know a bit about a much broader range of products and ideas. While in the past these workers were the “Holy Grail” employee revered for their deep knowledge now they are more often found as short-term contractors.

1.  The Brown-Nosed Naysayer  (Negativitus Infinitus)

These are the workers who are preprogrammed to say “No” while holding sway over all things tech.  Vincent Schiavo, the CEO of DeviceLock believes that, “Organizations where the Naysayer still reigns supreme will have a tough time attracting top talent,” and at a time when IT departments are being slashed, top talent is vital.

Staying out of the tar pits

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Professional organizations

While the situation might seem dire, there are ways for IT professionals to maintain their employment.  Joining a professional organization, such as the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP).  Likewise, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems (HIMSS), is an important way to network and keep up to date on new advancements that can help to protect your position within your organization.

The mission of AITP is a simple one:

For over six decades, AITP has championed the human element of the Information Technology profession and remains focused on providing a community of knowledge, education and resources that will empower its members to reach their true potential as an IT business professional.

The mission of HIMSS “Is a cause-based, not-for-profit organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology (IT) and management systems for the betterment of healthcare,” focusing not only on the 44,000 members but also their 570 corporate members and 170 not-for-profit organizations.  Joining associations such as these helps IT professionals to network as well as are an available resource for continuing education that might be required to maintain on top of the field.

Ongoing in-house training

There has been a backlash towards companies that outsource their IT and customer service needs some organizations are getting the message and returning to hiring American workers.  GM is going to be hiring 10,000 IT professionals in a range of specialities from software and messaging engineers to developers and infrastructure architects in locations to be announced housing the employees in “innovation centers.” This reorganization is being led by Randy Mott, former CIO for Hewlett-Packard and Dell, who also spent more than 20 years working for Walmart in a variety of IT-related areas.

Fun designations aside, the plight of the IT worker cannot be minimized.  IT professionals now need to be able to flit between specialities, from network architecture to systems maintenance, where being a specialist used to be coveted, now it is better to be more of a generalist and able to handle a wide variety of IT positions.

Even with organizations such as GM withdrawing from outsourcing and rehiring tens of thousands of IT professionals, the IT employee must work hard and remain on top of their field.  Without careful consideration towards reaching for a job in this field and the acknowledgement that there is no more space available for specialized IT professionals, IT jobseekers are going to find a significant lack of jobs available to them.

Jobs for the future of IT

While IT is a mainstay given our economic propensity for technology, the jobs within this market are ever-evolving.  Stay up with current trends to determine where you should apply your ongoing education, and maintain your readiness for the rapidly-changing world of IT.  CapitalResearch names cloud computing as the top trend expected to continue through 2012, followed by mobile 2.0 and big data.  The consumerization of IT and social media will also drive jobs in the IT market moving forward.