Is the Information Technology job market saturated?
Asked by Tech
I am about to start an information technology degree program. I am not sure if I should do a general degree. I am afraid that too many people are qualified in general IT that it'll be difficult to get a job. On the other hand, I am interested in medicine and computers. But I wonder if such a specific major (medical informatics) will limit the number of possible employers. Should I go general or do medical informatics?

Best Answer:
Go with the medical specialty - growing industry General IT people are a dime a dozen - maybe not even worth that much LOL
20+ year IT veteran
Answered by Slam Zone Radio

Yes, general IT is saturated. You always want to go "specialty" But, be aware of the risk - you have to commit to lifelong, continuous learning and improving. In IT just like in medicine, the tech changes constantly so you have to keep current.
Answered by scott.braden

I would specialize. If you can become an expert, there is big money in it. You can still gain skills that can be applied to general IT. I agree with the other poster that you should be prepared to retool every few years.
Answered by rlc_60504

Wow, so I'm the only dissenting voice. My answer is: It depends on the region you want to work, and your standard of living. For my area (Texas), it's not saturated, and someone with a general IT related degree can fairly easily break into the field. Also, I fail to see why specializing in a medical IT would be a big benefit. Modern IT degrees usually cover the newer security regulations, and the ability to break into a niche field may be much more difficult. So my advice is, if you want to try breaking into the trade as a Sr. IT person competing with skilled folks, and demanding an equal pay, then best of luck, get a specialty degree. If you just want to start in the trade and can live with a lower salary range, then go with a general IT degree.
Answered by Josh H

I was in the same boat that you are getting ready to get into so I hope this helps you. I wanted to break in to the I.T. industry so I went to college for Network and Communications (general I.T. bachelors degree) and after I graduated all I could find was a job at a helpdesk answering phones to help employees with computer issues. I hated it because I am a hands-on person but the company had a great reputation for advancing helpdesk employees into specialist positions so I held in there for 2 years only to be laid off last year because management wanted to save money by offshoring and outsourcing the helpdesk and desktop services (PC repair) departments. It is important to note that the network engineers and I.T. specialists of the company were not impressed with my college degree, most found it humorous because they started their careers out of high school with the helpdesk or desktop services until they were made junior engineers where they worked on getting their MCSE or equivalent certifications and advanced quickly afterwards. I think the days of advancing from entry level general I.T. positions to specialist positions are gone unless you are lucky or know someone who is willing to get you started. ***I have a couple of I.T. certifications but am having a difficult time finding a position that will allow me to utilize them because if you look at the current job postings they want a minimum 5 years OTJ experience with the certifications. If I were given your choices before I went to college (knowing what I know now) I would choose "medical informatics" because (1) there seems to be a greater need for them and (2) you are a specialist in the medical industry. I.T. in general business pulls you in many directions and you never know when you will no longer be needed thus laid off. ***If any readers want to offer me advise after this question closes feel free to email me.
Answered by Caesar Nero