IT pros weigh in on the industry’s talent shortage

Does the IT industry really have a talent and skills shortage?

That was the question of the hour for panelists during a Nov. 20 panel at Live 360! Tech Con in Orlando. The panel, moderated by TriCon Elite Consulting Principal Consultant Dave Kawula, included Veeam Software Technologist Karinne Bessette, Azure Innovators Founder John O’Neill Sr., TriCon Elite Consulting Principal Consultant Émile Cabot, and Cloud Mechanix Managing Director Aidan Finn.

The IT skills shortage has been an ongoing topic of discussion. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates computer and IT jobs will have an average of 317,700 new open roles each year between 2024 and 2034, and experts say talent shortages in areas like AI and cybersecurity will stand in the way of companies looking to hire.

Where do babies IT talent shortages come from? When asked if there’s really a skills shortage, Bessette told the audience that the problem is a side effect of employers not understanding what makes someone a “good” fit for a vacant IT job.

“If you go into any other industry out there and hire in an industry, you’re not going to hire a doctor to be a lawyer, but IT is very different,” Bessette said, adding that the tech industry differs from others because someone in the field for 15 years may not necessarily be as good for a role as someone with less or more varied experience.

“I’d rather hire that guy that has more diverse skill sets and understands how to learn the technology, rather than someone who says, ‘I have a college degree in AI,’” she said.

Unrealistic thinking from companies when hiring is a pervasive issue for AI roles, according to O’Neill.

“I go into organizations and I talk to them about AI, and they’re like, ‘Well, we want AI to replace the need for this position or this position,’ and I’m like, ‘So, you want a nail gun to replace the need for a carpenter?’” O’Neill said.

Cabot told IT Brew on the sidelines of the conference that the ongoing talent shortage is also driven by a lack of education around core concepts, such as DNS and Active Directory.

“DNS runs the internet,” Cabot said. “It is the most important component of everything that we do in this connected world, and we’ve forgotten to teach people how to build that from a student perspective.”

On the bright side. Regardless of a perceived or actual talent shortage, Kawula said there’s still room for professionals to have a viable career in the IT industry.

“If you’re a seasoned IT professional, and you happen to be transitioning for a variety of reasons right now, there are opportunities that are out there,” Kawula said. “You just have to stick with it.”

“And if you are brand new, be excited. There are opportunities,” O’Neill added.