Houston Job Market for IT Folks

I would have said the houston job market is very good for IT until this recession hit. there's still jobs being listed, but actually hearing back on those jobs is an entirely different story.

 

Plenty of job openings, but the number of people applying for those jobs is extreme.

 

It's rough here. Especially rough since we are on the back end of the recession curve. Getting bad now since oil is doing so poorly.

 

Like the previous poster said, it's tough (especially with the economy lately).

I lucked out with thie Help Desk position and I'm holding on for dear life. I'm grateful every day I'm still working.

If I get laid off, chances are very slim of me finding another job in IT.

Let me put it this way, it's tough.

 

I'm in Dallas, but I follow the Houston area, too. There are jobs out there, but the problem is, the recession has left a ton of people looking for the same position. And sadly, I think it's only going to get worse before it gets better.

 

Same here. Dallas is getting pretty bad for IT jobs, but Houston is even worse.

 

If they are looking to make close to the same amount of money as in California, they can forget it. They will have to take a paycut. My sister's friend moved here from Europe, applied for a job and was able to land one in about 3-4 months in the Galleria area. He got hired around September/October.

He's getting paid well. He's renting an apartment for about $2k/month.

 

Icehouse, there's a story in today's chronicle about the current job market.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6265210.html

Government, health care, IT are still promising despite rising unemployment in other industries

As the Houston area’s unemployment rate surpasses 5.5 percent and many companies cut workers or implement hiring freezes, those in the hunt for work are facing a tough time. Still, experts say, jobs can be found if you know where to look: in government, health care, information technology and retail .

And it helps if the job-seeker is patient, keeps an open mind and is willing to take a pay cut, said Joel Wagher, labor market analyst for Workforce Solutions, which manages area employment services.

“The ones who probably are successful are the ones who are flexible,” he said.

After working in human resources for more than 30 years, Dennis Edge had watched other workers get laid off dozens of times. Sometimes he was the one to break the news.

“I had always been on the other side of the desk,” he said. “A lot goes through your mind.”

Within 30 minutes of getting his notice, he was on the phone and sending e-mails.

Then on Jan. 21, his birthday, Edge, 55, received the good news that a Houston energy company would hire him.

His success is a rare bright spot in today’s labor market.
Turnover creates jobs

As a rule, just more than half of the jobs available are created by turnover, so there will be jobs, Wagher said.

Marie Mikelson, a partner at the Houston recruiting firm ProFound, said accountants are in demand because companies have more federal regulations to follow and tax season is approaching.

She said there has been a decline in the need for information technology, human resources, energy and finance workers.

But Mary Massad, managing director of recruiting services for Houston-based Administaff, said sales, energy and information technology jobs are in demand at the small businesses that Administaff works with.

The picture is bleak for high-level executives.

“I wish I could tell you it’s a robust time to be talking about this,” said Stephen Newton, the Houston-area manager for executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates. “It is not a robust time.”

With so many people in the job pool, the experts said job-seekers must be patient.

Companies are taking longer to hire because there are so many applicants, and those doing the hiring may rethink filling a position at the last minute.

Mikelson said she has seen a few companies go through the process of interviewing several candidates only to decide to leave the position dark.

Two traditional bright spots — health care and government — have lost some of their luster but remain stronger than other segments of the economy.

Methodist Hospital System has about 400 openings to staff its expansions, said Lauren Rykert, senior vice president of human resources for the hospital.

Most of the jobs are for clinical workers, nurses or others who need specialized training, but there are others for support jobs in food service, IT, facilities management and the like.

“We’ve definitely seen an increase in our applicant field,” she said.
The right training

Experienced health-care workers are still having a hard time if they don’t possess the right skills or training.

At a job fair last week at Toyota Center, Paula Sinclair expressed frustration after finding little demand for certified nursing assistants.

“I am in shock,” she said.

The Menninger Clinic had a table at the job fair, but the psychiatric center was looking for registered nurses and mental health specialists.

Most of the tables were occupied by government agencies, especially military and law enforcement. The U.S. Navy, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Army, Texas National Guard and Fort Bend County Emergency Medical Systems were among them. They were drawing interest from people they don’t hear from in better times, said

“Your job becomes finding another job,” he said.