Odin Says ...

On Montreal’s IT Labor Market

Jun 28, 2007

The difficult days are over.  Montreal’s technology sector is back, alive and kicking.  IT, e-business and internet services have replaced the previous telecom blitz.  If you hold a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or MIS, and have a couple years of IT experience under your belt, chances are you are a hot commodity in today’s job market.  Apparently, there are not enough qualified IT professionals in Montreal to fill all available positions.

Several companies have been on the lookout to fill many positions, such as CGI, CSC, Electronic Arts, Fido Solutions, Hatch, IBM, Tenrox and Ubisoft.  Some of these have had a tough time filling key positions, and have been requesting candidates from educational institutions such as Herzing College.

With all that said, depending on your qualifications, the picture is not as rosy as it seems.  Most openings are in technical support, a role that university graduates might be overqualified for.  These positions usually require candidates that are bilingual and that know software platforms inside and out, so graduates with a technical diploma are better equipped and more suited to fill these positions than university graduates.  Another essential skill is professional and courteous engagement with people, since support, service and troubleshooting are at the core of these jobs.  Salaries offered for these jobs range between $27k and $35k.

In other words, university graduates are still going to have a hard time landing that first job upon graduation.  A quick look on Monster, Jobboom and Workopolis shows that the vast majority of openings require at least 2 years of solid experience.  Recent graduates can expect to spend several months up to a year before signing a contract.  The problem with university curriculums, unlike vocational colleges, is that (1) they are not tailored to reflect the current job market situation and (2) they do not teach very specific skills, technologies or software platforms.

To sum up, if you are a recent university graduate looking for a job in IT, your best bet is to either contemplate relocating to Ontario or the USA, or bite the bullet and start your career in technical support, with the hope that you can manage to get promoted internally if you prove yourself in a few years.