IS THERE A LACK OF AVAILABLE CODING TALENT?

By: Jack C. Stanley, Co-Founder of The Tech Academy

There seem to be conflicting opinions on this matter.

I’ve come across articles stating that by 2020 there will be around one million unfilled coding positions available as well as articles that say the tech-talent shortage is a myth.

As the Co-Founder of The Tech Academy (a code school that works day-in and day-out training developers and then helping them find jobs), I am going to offer my input on this subject here.

What I see is that there is a lack of available coding talent. By all indications, at our current rate of training in the U.S., we will fall short on supplying the needed technical resources.

Recently, I interviewed a college professor who heads the Computer Science department at a prestigious university. He imparted to me that: even if every college in America operated at maximum capacity, there would still be a shortage of trained programmers to fill all programming jobs in the United States.

Here are some facts to consider:

• Wages steadily increase in industries where talent is harder to secure. Meaning, when demand exceeds supply, pay-rate for positions go up in direct proportion. Software developers are paid well, and the rate of pay is trending upward.
• We live in a high-tech society. New phones and devices are regularly coming out. Software updates happen often. Competent programmers are needed to keep up with the workload. The job outlook for software developer positions is projected to increase by 17% over the next seven years – which is much faster than the average for all occupations.
• The majority of the most valuable companies in the world are tech companies! Whereas previously oil, banking or manufacturing have typically dominated this arena, tech companies are now the winners. With their success, comes a need for more personnel.

There’s a wonderful short film (found here ) that explains the situation beautifully.

With all this said, just because someone is a trained computer programmer does not mean they will be employed. Regardless of industry, one must interview for jobs and interview well. Soft skills are comparable in importance to one’s coding abilities. Even if you’re a prodigy software developer, it takes hard work and good communication to land a job.

Typically you’re competing with other applicants. And while you will most likely be given a coding challenge and asked technical questions, you will also need to behave correctly in the interview.

For example: if you show up dressed unprofessionally, if you are rude in your interview, if you interrupt constantly, etc., you will most likely not be hired due to personality issues.

On the other hand, even if you perform well in an interview, don’t be surprised if you’re told, “we found someone who fits the position better”, “you’re not experienced enough” or “you lack adequate coding skills in ___”. It can be tough to hear, but realize there is competition even in a “buyer’s market”. Shrug it off and keep interviewing elsewhere! As another note on this point, (to use two idioms) it’s smart to have several irons in the fire at once and to not put all your eggs in one basket. Apply at many places.

I’ve seen situations wherein a software developer sits at home, sending one resume out a week, collecting unemployment checks and complaining about how there are no available jobs out there. Such individuals need to realize that finding a job should be treated like a job in itself: get up early and work all day sending out resumes, calling places, doing interviews, etc. Just because there are many available web and software development jobs out there, that does not mean they will be handed one on a silver platter. Harsh, but empirically true. It can take hard work and persistence to land a coding job. It actually takes work to land any job – tech or otherwise.

And as far as the statement that there aren’t coding jobs available, check out these sites:

• Dice.com
• Craigslist(the jobs section; specifically “software/qa/dba”, “system/network”, “technical support”, “web/info design” and “internet engineers”.)
• Monster.com
• Indeed

You can also work with a recruiter – there are many staffing agencies that love to place developers.

I could list countless resources for finding jobs but I think if one reviewed those sites they would quickly realize that there are many open I.T. positions. Plus, not all tech jobs are advertised. You can simply Google tech companies in your area and apply for a position at each of them.

Some computer scientists remain unemployed or work in non-tech industries. Why? I don’t know. You’d have to survey them. I’m sure each person has their own reason. But regardless of what you find, it can’t be that there are no available jobs.

I would say that there is a huge demand for software developers but one must be disciplined in getting trained and work hard at their job search. (By the way, there is an awesome resource by Buzzfeed that can help with tech job searches).

In closing, technology is constantly changing. People should continue to educate themselves in coding, stay abreast of the most current versions of things and regularly write code. A coder from ten years ago, that hasn’t programmed since, will find it hard to land a job.

At The Tech Academy, we cover in-demand and modern skills. We also provide a firm foundation in the fundamentals of computer science and technology, so graduates are prepared for the future. Here is a great video illustrating our approach: Tech Academy Enrollment Video.

This is my take on the subject based on experience and research. Feel free to look into this matter for yourself!

About the author: With years of executive and managerial experience, Jack C. Stanley has overseen The Tech Academy since its inception. He owns and operates several successful companies.

His background in teaching and curriculum development contributed greatly to the creation of The Tech Academy’s boot camps. As the Co-Founder and chairman of the school’s Board of Directors, he supervises the day-to-day activities and long-term planning for the school.

The Tech Academy is a technology school that trains students in computer programming and web development. They are the proud recipient of SwitchUp.Org’s and CourseReport.Com’s Best Coding Boot Camp award and were named the “World’s Greatest Code School” by How2Media.

The Tech Academy offers a wide range of services including:

• Coding boot camps
• Customized training classes for companies and groups
• Advanced developer training
• Software development
• Staffing