What is the state of the present Information Technology field? Is is true that there is a real IT identity crisis in the present world today? Do Information Technology professionals understand where they fit in the organization today? How can IT professionals maintain their marketability despite the outsourcing industry?

The IT identity crisis pertains to the problems of Information Technology workers with regards to offshore outsourcing, which is the cause of the displacement of some IT professionals in the industry. Leading industries and small businesses have resorted to the internet to hire programmers who can do the job for lesser pay, thus leaving most professionals either jobless or misplaced in their area of competence. Another reason for this is the ever-changing technology in which programmers of specific expertise are being called for to do specific jobs. Most programmers now think of offshore outsourcing, external service providers, automation, as threats. Instead of being too defensive, they must focus on the needs of the organizations now, update to the latest developments and be competent to do any job that is in the market. By building emotional security within yourself, IT professionals are able to present their qualifications to employers confidently. Identity crisis lies on one's not being sure of his/her abilities, thus, the feel to be threatened. Another thing that contributes to the 'identity crisis' feeling of the IT professionals, is the fact that this profession pertains to working in cyberspace in which netizens (regular users of the internet) don't have known identity to present to each other. Besides, netizens are only a minority of our fellow citizens. However, I do believe that the IT industry is not in having an identity crisis but rather, maturing and improving as the days go by.

Sources/References:

Identity Crisis
Technology workers mull the impact of offshore outsourcing and struggle to find a unified voice
http://informationweek.com/management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=15000146&pgno=1&queryText=

Is there an identity crisis in IT?
Do IT folks understand where they fit in the organization these days?
http://www.networkworld.com/research/2006/071006-tech-identity-crisis-side1.html?page=1

Internet Culture
http://www.brandeis.edu/pubs/jove/HTML/V6/iculture.html

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