I admit to frequently harboring unrealistic expectations. With that in mind, here's my early take on why hiring managers are having a hard time finding good tech workers in the United States. IT careers require an understanding that the purpose of commercial computer systems is to serve people. Not to serve one another, not to serve database rows or HTTP packets, but to make people glad they're using their computers instead of grappling with the latest work-around. I'm concerned that we're drifting from that target, that we're treating newcomers as interchangeable cogs with narrowly defined skills. This present-day mind-set sanctions learning the trade by skipping apprenticeship and leaping straight into coding or certification, as if rote knowledge were all that's required to excel. Basic competence is valued above creativity, imagination, and communication skills.
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