COMP 1302: Computer Science II

The supply of students majoring in computer-related fields is not keeping up with the demand for computer specialists. If a recent survey of Silicon Valley teenagers in grades 8 through 11 is correct, the demand for computer professionals may continue to outpace the supply. Among the study's findings:

• Although almost all students had access to computers, only a little more than 30 percent expressed interest in high-tech careers.
• Most students who were not interested in high-tech jobs said the work seemed boring or intimidating.
• More than 40 percent of boys had considered careers in computer-related fields, but only a little more than 20 percent of girls expressed a similar interest.

In the United States, a major shortage of IT workers exists. The United States Congress has responded to this worker shortage through the H-IB Visa program that lifts the annual cap on the number of foreign workers who can enter the country to fill these jobs. Many argue that the expansion of the H-1B Visa program is crucial to the future development of the economy in the United States. They contend that some of the world's better high-tech employees come from places other than the United States, so legislation should expand the H-1B Visa program. Others maintain that this is a method for American companies to bring in low-cost labor and drive down salaries of American workers.

When people think of jobs in the computer field, they often assume the jobs are in large cities on the east or west coast - New York, Washington, San Diego, San Francisco, and so on. Many high-tech firms do call these cities home, but jobs in the computer industry also can be found elsewhere. Today, many smaller cities in the heartland of the United States have leapt on the high-tech train. Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a population of about 393,000, hosts 380 high-tech firms that employ 54,000 people, in industries ranging from the Internet to telecommunications. Omaha, Nebraska, boasts of 4,000 high-tech companies that supply work for 50,000 of the city's 390,000 population, concentrating in telecommunications and data processing.

Employees in the computer software industry develop, manufacture, and support a wide range of software.

Some companies specialize in a particular type of software while others have multiple products. Growth in the computer software industry is astounding. In 1982, Lotus was an eight-person software company with a whimsical name and a personal computer spreadsheet called Lotus 1-2-3. Seven years later, Lotus Development Corporation was employing almost 3,000 people and making more than $500 million a year in revenues.

Microsoft has become the world's largest software company in a little over two decades. Microsoft's vice president of human resources claims the company has "20,000 overachievers," and each month he reviews 15,000 resumes to hire 200 more.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, starting salary offers for computer programmers averaged $49,928 per year in 2007. According to Robert Half Technology, a firm providing specialized staffing services, average annual starting salaries in 2007 ranged from $55,250 to $90,250 for applications development programmers/analysts, and from $60,250 to $94,750 for software developers. Average starting salaries for mainframe systems programmers ranged from $52,250 to $70,750.

An ad for interns at Thunder Data Systems. Check out the benefits! - Thunder Data Systems

Life at Google. Google is Fortune Magazine's top company to work for in their top 100. The company gives stock options to 99% of employees. (They also employees offer free lunch and dinner) - Google

Microsoft is one of the very few companies that pays 100% of their employees' health-care premiums. - Microsoft