The training of those in the profession of information technology is a critically important issue. The Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals (2200 East Devon Avenue, Suite 268, Des Plaines, IL 60018) confers the designation Certified Computing Professional (CCP) to those who have at least four years of experience or two years of experience and a college degree. To qualify, individuals must pass a core examination plus exams in two specialty areas, or an exam in one specialty area and two computing languages. Those with less experience may be tested for certification as an Associate Computer Professional (ACP). Certification is not mandatory, but it may give a job seeker a competitive advantage with staffing services.
More and more people will continue to use computers in their place of work and in their homes. So, companies want to hire people who can demonstrate new and different ways to use computers and the software that goes in the computer. There will continue to be a demand for programmers who can figure out how to put different types of software to work. If you can do that, you can make a lot of money as a professional technical temp.
Another opportunity for the professional technical temp who works in information technology is through networking computers so they can communicate with each other. This area will grow because many companies will merge and become global and want to communicate quickly. What better way than through networks that are linked?
The number and quality of applicants for programmer jobs have increased, so employers have become more selective. Graduates of two year programs in data processing and people with less than a two year degree or its equivalent in work experience are facing especially strong competition for programming jobs. Getting experience as a temp while attending college is a good way to be more placeable in the job market after completing your education.
Competition for entry level positions by recent college graduates or technical school graduates will provide an opportunity for the professional technical temp, because temping is an excellent way for the recent graduate to gain experience. In fact, if you are an information technology student and have no work experience in your profession, why not sign up with a staffing service now and work part time to gain experience? Take the example of Nancy, a senior in college. Nancy was within months of graduation with a degree in computer science. She had no work experience. As she attended career days at her college, she was interviewed by several companies for jobs, but the jobs she wanted always went to those with experience. Finally, Nancy caught on.
She signed up with a staffing service and started working four hours a night as a professional technical temp on a job where she tested computer software games. She worked part time right up through graduation. The staffing service told her the business where she was working as a professional technical temp wanted to put her on a temp to hire job. The business and Nancy agreed to try each other out for a period of three months. At the end of the three months Nancy decided she did not want a full time job at that particular company. She was able to qualify for a job she had previously applied for and had failed to get because of her lack of experience. Thanks to her temp job, Nancy acquired the skills and work experience to get the job she really wanted.
Consider working part time as a professional technical temp while completing your studies for a degree. Many staffing services will design jobs around your class schedule. These services may even offer you a full time job as a professional technical temp complete with benefits after you graduate. These types of positions can offer worldwide travel, should that be the type of job you are looking for. Other jobs for the recent college graduate that a staffing service can offer are those that are temp to hire. That means a business will try you out and you can try the business out for a period of weeks or months until you both are sure this is (or is not) the job you want. Temping is an excellent way to gain experience in the job market you can try out jobs while you are also attending school.
Salary Suggestions for the Computer/Information Technology Temp
According to the most recent survey of the bureau of labor Statistics, median earnings of programmers who work full time are about $38,400 a year. The middle 50% earned between about $30,000 and $49,200 a year. The lowest 10% earned less than $22,000, and the highest 10%, more than $60,600.
According to Robert Half International, Inc., one of the nation's largest staffing services, starting salaries in large establishments for 1994 ranged from $29,500 to $36,500 for programmers; $36,000 to $47,000 for programmer analysts; and $44,000 to $54,000 for systems analysts. Starting salaries in small establishments ranged from $25,000 to $34,000 for programmers and from $30,000 to $40,000 for programmer analysts.
Again, the pay for the professional technical temp who is skilled in information technology depends upon availability of those experts and the number of professional and technical jobs that need to be filled. If there is a demand for your skills, you can command a higher salary than if there is no request for your skills. One can factor an hourly salary based on an annual salary. Some staffing services may pay you more than the average annual salary of those in information technology and offer you no benefits in the belief that by receiving more pay, you can pick up the cost of the benefits. Other services will pay you by the project. Still others will offer you an annual salary with benefits. Again, you have to decide what type of pay structure is most appealing to you.
