K. Brian Kelley (8/15/2014)

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I don't want my kids to go into IT.

While some work places are great, I see the following too often:

- Long hours are expected of IT workers with no reasonable compensation offered back.

- IT is often thought of as a cost center, not a profit center, and its people are treated worse than the business units.

- IT's expertise on technology is often cast aside because someone read a magazine article while folks wouldn't consider doing this to an accountant or an engineer.

- IT's long hours tend to be nights and weekends, which hamper family life.

- IT's needs, because it is often though of as a cost center, are put as secondary to business' needs. This is even the case when were talking infrastructure upgrades/projects that keep business running. Of course, when those needs aren't met and something from business fails, IT is blamed.

I know this isn't true of all environments. However, it's true enough that it's worrisome about how good a career field will this be in the next 5-10 years?