IT industry in the AZ area? (Phoenix: mortgage, credit, home)

[mom2gurls]

Question says it all... Whats it looking like for the High Level Managers in the IT industry? I get some bites on consulting jobs...but no matter where you research, I am not sure whats "fair market" in the chandler/AZ/Phoenix area.

I know whats fair in the North East, but to make myself competitive, what would be the average that one could expect to make per hour in a Director of Technology role (annual salary) or Consulting at a Senior Level role?


Are there any jobs to be had, because I see alot posted, not sure if I should apply and what to ask for.

I can do a salary comparison on salary.com and other sites..but would rather here from the locals.

If anyone has a good person to for an exec recruiting firm for the IT industry, that would be great!

Thanks in advance.

[caryberry]

I am retired from the HR/IT industry - with the last three years in the Phoenix market. This is a very sleazy market and the IT recruiters are naturally pitted against each other by company hiring managers. I recruited nationally in the US and SA - never in my life have I seen such slime dogs. That said...

It is difficult to find a job in Phoenix from afar. HR people are VERY hesitant to start the "process" with someone that has not lived in AZ for a bit. Why? Because every winter and spring hoards of "newbies" hit the valley to escape their bad winters only to go running after their first summer. Long distance job hunting does not work well. Additionally, credit and background checks are HUGE stumbling blocks for many people entering the AZ job market.

The IT market is very small here and is easily fed by those bailing from CA. It is very much a good ol' boys network in Phoenix and most good hires are through social connections.

Professionally prepared resumes and cover letters, letters of reference, and detailed project summary synopsis can help get somebody's attention. Do a dedicated job search - tailor your resume for a specific position. This is a very small market - and every HR/recruiter in town has already seen "it". Network,, network, network.

My advice to you is get your resume to companies directly - forget recruiters. Use Dice and other dedicated IT sites to do your salary research. Stay away from anything in banking or mortgage as these jobs are not stable and those company names do not carry well on resumes moving forward. Wages in AZ for IT people are historically very low as the market is normally over-saturated, especially in the present economy.

Good luck!

[musicforme]

caryberry, thanks for your detailed response.

I too work in the IT field as a Project Manager and intend to relocate to Phoenix this summer. I'll continue to work from home for my current employer so I won't be jumping in the job market.

My employer is in the news quite a bit recently with the banking/mortgage mess so there is no telling what my employment future holds.

[caryberry]

Musicforme - Thank you for your kind words. Not sure why you would want to leave TX, especially for AZ in the summertime. But don't give up your current gig! The IT industry is so over-saturated with folks right now, that it is going to take many years through attrition to balance out. AZ is primarily a tourist/retirement state and thus has not grown a business climate such as Dallas or Houston. Best of luck to you! Bring plenty of sunscren!