Tech Scene and Employement (Phoenix, Glendale: fit in, employment, school)

[Chitownjedi]

Hello all,

I am currently wondering how is the employee market for the phoenix area and surround burbs for Information Technology?

I have not seen much in regards to Arizona being considered a place that the scene is advancing or creating lots of opportunity at the rate that would entice?

Basically, I am currently in Chicago and have been looking at a few places in Texas, however I have family that has moved to Arizona last year and they are singing its praises. I love the natural beauty of Arizona, and it has my favorite and most amazing Wonder "Grand Canyon"

I would love to relocate there however, it appears that the economy and cost of living would significantly lower what me and my wife bring in, and if there isn't a fast growing tech scene I feel that I may sacrifice too much, even though I would definitely enjoy the opportunity to live there.

Any one with an idea of the tech scene? I've checked job boards and postings and they are literally hundreds of positions when I am use to seeing thousands open in Chicago Land and Texas metros.

I am currently interested in Glendale or Chandler, and would be available to move in November. I will visit if it's still in my top 3 by august-september. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks

[ajonesaz]

The tech sector here is booming, should be very easy to find employment depending on your field. Its all going to be in Chandler and Scottsdale. I don't think you will find much in Glendale.

Companies like Intel are so big they usually do not need job postings. They are probably our biggest tech employer. I think they employee like 15,000 people in Chandler.

[daveyjones978]

Originally Posted by ajonesaz

The tech sector here is booming, should be very easy to find employment depending on your field. Its all going to be in Chandler and Scottsdale. I don't think you will find much in Glendale.

Companies like Intel are so big they usually do not need job postings. They are probably our biggest tech employer. I think they employee like 15,000 people in Chandler.

Microsoft also has a fairly large location in Tempe...they had a huge presence at the superbowl, etc. this year.

[43north87west]

Lots of action out here. It depends on your field, obviously, but there seems to be a lot of work across the board in any field with some demand.

[Chitownjedi]

Good to hear...

I have exposure across the board from Engineering, Networking,Servers Administration, Programming, & IT Management, but I am focusing currently on specializing in Network Security right now and Linux as I like it the most. I will take a look in those area's and I'm glad the scene is growing. That means at worse I might be able to contribute by looking into starting my own service provider if everything lines up.

[cherrylimeade]

Originally Posted by ajonesaz

The tech sector here is booming, should be very easy to find employment depending on your field. Its all going to be in Chandler and Scottsdale. I don't think you will find much in Glendale.

Companies like Intel are so big they usually do not need job postings. They are probably our biggest tech employer. I think they employee like 15,000 people in Chandler.

Interesting... Can anyone recommend some companies with jobs on the web side of things that don't post jobs on the job boards? We've been checking out Indeed, Dice, etc., but if there are companies we should be checking out directly (I'm in user experience, he's a BA), appreciate any suggestions.

[Gritzen]

Originally Posted by Chitownjedi

Good to hear...

I have exposure across the board from Engineering, Networking,Servers Administration, Programming, & IT Management, but I am focusing currently on specializing in Network Security right now and Linux as I like it the most. I will take a look in those area's and I'm glad the scene is growing. That means at worse I might be able to contribute by looking into starting my own service provider if everything lines up.

You got a wide range of skills there so I think you will be able to find a good fit in no time. Myself I am two years out of school and through my bachelors and work I have always focused on programming and web design but I am already getting a little tired of it and would like a change of pace but having the BS in CS isn't giving me too many options. It seems companies want heavy duty experience in most fields which doesn't allow much room for crossover, that is always why I am so amazed when I meet someone who has worked in so many sectors of IT. Anyhow, good luck!

[The_Cadillac_Lawyer]

Virtually zero unemployment in the tech field. Jobs are hit or miss, whereas recruiters think you're a kid fresh out of college with no experience offering petty wages. More specific fields, server administration, networking, etc you can write your own ticket. I generally unsubscribe from all email job solicitations that pay under $80K

[Chitownjedi]

This is great information, I thank you all for your input!

[musicforme]

I would also add that the Phoenix IT market is quite a bit smaller than some of the other larger metro areas.

Once you get here, you won't be many LinkedIn connections apart from other people in the valley. Burning bridges here can follow you here more than other parts of the country. Earning a reputation here can help (or hurt) you in the long run if you decide to move between employers over time.