Is IT Training Worth IT Anymore?

I was looking through the job search sites the other day and realized that I need to get back to school. It appears that everything that I studied 10 years ago is basically out-of-date and useless. I'm not surprised, the computer industry has always been a dynamic one, changing and morphing with every new hardware and software update, this is what makes it exciting and frustrating. Gone are the days of automatic employment. Regardless of how smart you think you are, there is always someone smarter, applying for the same jobs as you. If this sounds scary, then I've done my job, you should be afraid and use fear leverage in seeking out a career. Remember, it's best to get informed now rather than later. There are many college graduates heading straight into unemployment and their parents basement so choosing a career wisely is half the battle of education, regardless of what your out-of-touch guidance or career councilor may tell you.

That said, I asked myself whether it's even worth training for a career in this industry anymore. It seems that by the time you graduate, what you've learned is obsolete, and now you are faced with a never ending continuous education. This isn't like learning a trade or some other basic business course where things are relatively unchanged, the IT industry is a continuously changing, and you need to know if it's worth getting IT Training. If you've got your heart set in IT, then you need to ask yourself some serious questions.

The key to getting into the IT industry is get in with what's in demand today and tomorrow. You need to adapt to what the industry is demanding, and not expect the industry to adapt to you. So before you put your hard earned money into someone elses hands I suggest doing a thorough search through job search websites to get an idea on what hiring company's are looking for. Once you've got a clear understanding on what is in demand, go out and learn a little about those in demand skills. Figure out what other prerequisite skills are needed in order to learn this new skill, find out what the history and future of this new skill is. Learn who the competitors are. Find out which skills people are talking about. Which company's are hiring and what the pay-bracket is. You need to fully research everything there is to know about your chosen career, everything.

If this seems like a lot of work, then ask yourself what the consequences are of not getting all the specifics on your chosen field and finding yourself in the unemployment queue. The choice is clear, so make an educated decision on your IT Training, otherwise you may find yourself frustrated and unemployed.