Fall in I.T jobs for graduates...

As a Computer Science student, I do find this quite worrying:

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Information technology graduate employment tumbled 7.3% from 79.9% to 72.6% in 2001

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The computer industry downturn is blamed for most of the 0.8% rise from 5.5% in 2000 to 6.3% in 2001, according to data collected by universities.

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Full story here - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/2439951.stm (but it deals with jobs after graduating in the UK on the whole)
So I ask, has anyone who has just graduated found difficultly in gaining employment in the I.T sector? Would it be easier to get a part time job with an I.T company during my studies at University, with a view to full time employment after graduation, or do those who currently have jobs in the I.T sector believe that it's possible to waltz into a job after university, provided the grades are there?

Yes, there is a slow down in the IT industry world wide. As I also a student of B.Tech. (IT), this is giving me lot of worries. But, on the contrary, there has been reports in the newspapers that there is going to be a boom time again in the IT industry a the near future. This thing is indicated by the recent upsurge in exports by Indian IT industries and thier increase in revenues.

I can tell you that most of this is due to the stock market crashing.IT company's got hit pretty hard in the US,and that in turn affects the rest of the world.Companys were/and still are going bankrupt left and right.It will all likely change soon though,and the IT industry will need more employees than ever.

To answer your question directly,having the experience of a part time IT job during college will definately make finding a full time job in the industry easier after college.

That is quite bad, after ive finished my A levels im going to study computer science. hopefully employment should go up again. Some one told me that it was quite easy to get a job(employers looking for you before you have even fisished you course) but im not really sure if that is true.

i do agree with u... well thats the reason why the IT industry leaaders look for people with international certifications like ccna(cisco) mous(microsoft) etc...
Sometimes, it doesnt take the smartest set of guys to get employed. it just takes a few who package themselves in a way that their employers would think their smart. Dont worry, the recession will soon be over. In Japan, they need thousands of IT experts. Find a way to get employed by any recruitment agency to be a part of it. It pays good man... There was a forcast that by year 2000 the shortage for IT jobs reached 2milllion. I dont know this year.

Good Luck!!!

Actually, I graduated in may 2001 and it was hard to find a job the worse is that the markets hadn't crashed yet .... and now it's worse but hope is still alive ....
so getting an internship is a definite way to get a foot in and also it allows you to delay (a bit ) your starting date til the conjucture gets much better

I think one item people have neglected to mention is that the IT shortages seem to be in specific arenas. One common subjet people are after is anyone with storage experience. The basic helpdesk and sysadmin work seems to be oversubscribed at present.

I was out of work for 3 months recently but managed to find a job. According to agencies, as soon as a job is advertised they are getting anything from 200-500 CV's. That says to me there is a glut of people at one level.

Unfortunately, it seems that employers are unwilling to train people in the skills they require. I would be more than willing to learn something new, but I have to do it in my own time. Whatever happened to investing in your staff?

i just graduated myself and was able to get a job, but i am lucky. i think that if i couldnt get a job i would take this as an excellent chance to go back to school to get another degree or a masters/doctrate whatever.

Good advice above, a comment on what interax brought up: Most employers expect their IT people to hit the road running, not expect to come on board and finish training. You are correct there is an excess of talent looking for IT jobs in a narrow field. IMHO, a person who is on top of either (or both!) *nix and MS-XP Pro including the new TPC flavor will have to have a suit of armor to keep headhunters from pulling him/her apart. And yes, you have to keep up your training with your own initiative. It's a tough jungle, but whoever sharpens his teeth and claws the most wins. And rest assured the IT industry is about to hit another big wave and if you got your board ready you'll ride in on the pipeline! Anyway, that's how i see it. ;)

I agree with The Old Man's advice. Employers are looking for certifications, fresh experience, and willingness to take a major pay cut. Some employers worry about paying for employees' education because they might leave immediately after getting the degree or certification. Some jobs that used to be done by IT folks are now going to those with more business knowledge. Today's tools are making it easier for them to do the job themselves. Earning degrees and certifications on emerging technologies can help you stay marketable.