I have been looking for an opportunity for the better part of three months. The biggest problem I see is managment's lack of understanding in the security arena. I can provide two great examples: First, more than one oraganization has said that they want all of their security professionals to be CISSP. (BTW, I am one). Since the position I was interviewing for was managment, I inquired why the requirement. I was told because they needed them. I explained that the SSCP would support them just as well without the managment focus. I was told I just didn't understand and yet they could not explain why analysts needed this cert. The other example is where I matched an organization's requirements for a security managment position with one flaw--I never fired anyone. Why would an organization be worried about how someone is fired? If that is the case, then they should consider HR handling the responsibility. Overall, there are jobs out there, but the employers want the moon and mars too. They fail to understand security's role in business and the vast areas it covers. Furthermore, many of them feeled threatened by those of us who know how to do our jobs and will walk away from us. Until business leaders take the time to educate themselves on security, I believe that we will continue to see many infosec positions unfilled. BTW, thanks for taking the time to post the article James. My two cents for what its worth. InfoSecGuy > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Meritt James <meritt_jamesat_private> > > To: <securityjobsat_private> > > Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 10:39 AM > > Subject: Status Of The IT Talent Pool > > > > > According to a new report by the Information Technology > Association of > > > America, due to the lack of qualified candidates, U.S. > companies will > > > not be able to fill 600,000 IT positions over the next 12 > months. Of > > > course, IT job seekers who consider themselves qualified, > not to mention > > > available, are wondering where all these open jobs are. > "I don't believe > > > there is any dearth of qualified candidates," said one out-of-work > > > programmer who has submitted more than 200 resumes since > April. "I don't > > > think this economy is going to change any time soon." > While ITAA says > > > that there are 600,000 unfilled jobs, it does not say how > many of these > > > jobs are actively being advertised. Analysts believe many > of these jobs > > > are vacant due to economics rather than a lack of talent > - especially > > > since so much talent seems to be out of work. In its > report ITAA says > > > U.S. hiring managers will be looking to fill more than > one million jobs > > > during the next year. Candidates who are well versed in > C++, Oracle, > > > SQL, Java and Windows NT technologies will see the most > demand for their > > > services. Since these technologies have been around for > some time, some > > > analysts believe that finding qualified candidates shouldn't be a > > > problem. Of course, ITAA's report has been released in > time for Congress > > > to consider tinkering with the H-1B visa limit, which is > set to go back > > > to 65,000 in 2003. While it does lobby on several tech > issues, ITAA > > > would like to see the visa limit abolished, giving tech > companies free > > > reign over satisfying their talent needs any way they can. > > > Read more online: Knowledge At Wharton,7/15/02 > > > > > > -- > > > James W. Meritt CISSP, CISA > > > Booz | Allen | Hamilton > > > phone: (410) 684-6566 >
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