Will cloud computing eliminate system administrator jobs?
Dear Deb:
I am a 54 year old systems administrator and I see the writing on the wall. Will cloud computing eliminate my job? What can I do about it? My kids are in college and I can’t afford to retire for at least 12 more years!
Will, Kansas City, MO
Dear Will,
At least you are aware of the changes happening around you. Many clients I help are unaware and those are the folks that should be worried. The purpose of a corporation is to make money. That is done by growing revenue and reducing costs. So, virtualization and consolidation are important. CTOs come and go based on their ability to reduce the cost of technology operations. One consequence is that fewer employees may be needed in your department. Based on your level of experience, you are probably at a higher pay rate, and probably more vulnerable. On the flipside, as new technologies are adopted on a larger scale, thousands of new jobs are created. Some experts state unemployment in the IT sector are lower than average because of the influx of cloud opportunities. Candidates with the right skill set are in demand.
The secret to survival in your industry is the same as it has always been. You must stay on top of current technologies. Get up to speed on products and services from Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Salesforce.com. Another strategy is to build your skills in a specialized area such as system security. Leverage soft skills you may have to shift your career into project management or process analysis. Whatever you do, you need to start building your skills now. The jobs are out there, but you will need to adapt to survive.
For more information, read this article from the San Francisco Gate or this one from CIOInsight.com.
If you have a question for Deb, please email debra@careersdonewrite.com. The Ask Deb column appears every Friday on our blog at the Careers Done Write website.