Internet Security vs. Software Development

[Critical]

I want to get some knowledge and information on these concentrations from people who are in the profession to see how they are doing in the current economy.

Software Developing
-Contractor companies, easy to find work? great experience?
-Working with one company, room to expand? fair pay compared to contracting?

Internet Security
-Would like to know how your company views Internet Security, in demand field? competitive?

Feel free to post stories of experiences, I would like to hear.

Thanks. ;)

[mazdavirgin]

I need to know you educational background to comment properly. If you don't have a degree from a University you really should forget about any serious software development roles. Otherwise yes the industry is still fine and there are still shops out there hiring. The pay is better than average but still nothing compared to oil and gas.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by Critical
Internet Security
-Would like to know how your company views Internet Security, in demand field? competitive?

Feel free to post stories of experiences, I would like to hear.

Thanks. ;)

I am in the Network Security side of things and have been working in IT for about 12 years now.

The company I work for takes network security very seriously. The team I work with spends a great deal of time working with other groups to always ensure the integrity of the network is strong and intact.

I think it is a very in-demand field. However it is in demand because there are few that can really hold their own in the area. Network security isn't something you start with. Most people in the field have been Network Analysts or Administrators for years prior and have honed their skills accordingly. Just because someone knows how to configure a basic firewall doesn't necessarily make then a viable candidate for a network security job.

It is a fairly competitive area as well. You constantly have to stay on top of new technologies, security philosophies and new exploits. Otherwise you will find yourself behind in a very short period of time.

[Critical]

Excellent replies thank you.

sputnik, any experience with your company hiring recent grads? Rare? Common?

[sputnik]

Originally posted by Critical
Excellent replies thank you.

sputnik, any experience with your company hiring recent grads? Rare? Common?

Never.

Unless of course you take a more junior role as a network analyst or something.

Network security is something you can't just go to school for. You need 5-10 years of experience in networking first.

[Mibz]

Yeah, if you want to do security I suggest you get a strong networking background first and then specialize from there.

[Critical]

Thats exactly what I was trying to find out. What kind of position would one get with a degree in IS? Would you recommend an internship or summer student program to get good connections with the company?

[Thomas Gabriel]

If you have the right skills, you will make WAY more money as a software developer. At my company, our developer staff is half consultants. The lowest rate is $100/hour. There are people making $200/hour. I have heard of IT consultants (architect types) billing 1 mil in a year. The salaried developers aren't paid as highly, but still a very good amount.

Saying that, I doubt you'll get job if you graduate with no skills other than what you learned in university. Look at some jobs on workopolis. If you don't have all the required skills, you won't get the job. There aren't any jobs that say just "C++ or Java." There will be a long list of technologies you need to know. You'll likely need to know a lot about data architecture as well.

The guys in infrastructure (security) are SAIT grads and start at about 40k/year. Comparing infrastructure to software development is similar to comparing a technician to an engineer. There's nothing wrong with being a technician, but just know you won't be paid as much because you've had to accumulate a fraction of the knowledge of an engineer.