Addressing the data center talent shortage by raising awareness of the industry and helping break down barriers
A critical talent shortage exists in tech, and the predictions show it worsening within the next three years, with expectations that a third of the industry is supposed to gray out by 2025. In order to solve the major gender parity and diversity issues, and address the million other initiatives that are needed in the industry, it’s important to make sure people know exactly what the industry is.
Carrie Goetz, Principal/CTO, StrategITcom, recently sat down with the Nomad Futurist podcast co-hosts, Phillip Koblence and Nabeel Mahmood, to discuss her timely and exciting new book — Jumpstart Your Career in Data Centers.
As a pioneering woman in technology, data center champion, and advocate for diversity, Carrie wrote this book to address the entire tech ecosystem and bring awareness to anyone that could become part of this industry, from trades to the C-Suite.
“Instead of highlighting each individual job, I tried to talk about how each individual part fits into the ecosystem…I wanted something that ties it all together…not just from a colo perspective but all the way through where we look at coding and project management, all of the other skills that make this industry work,” said Goetz.
An important aspect of the book is highlighting that there are multiple onramps into the industry, and they don’t all require a degree. Goetz believes we need to meet people at their level of passion, not try to squelch it and force it into something else. In other words, it’s time we celebrate all contributing positions regardless of the required college status. During this episode, Goetz offers some smart advice, suggesting that people should try working in the industry to make sure they enjoy it, before pursuing a degree:
“If you’re a veteran or you’re starting out in the industry, you could start one of those jobs and these multi-billion-dollar companies have tuition reimbursement. If you want to go on and get your degree, go on and get it without student debt.”
If you are new to the industry and want to hit the ground running, a student and want to figure out the depth and breadth here, and trades and vets looking at what the opportunities are, this book is a great place to start.
Listen to the full podcast episode here: https://www.nomadfuturist.com/jumppstart-your-career/
Learn more about Carrie Goetz here: https://carriegoetz.com/
25% of the proceeds from the sale of Jumpstart Your Career in Data Centers is being generously donated to the Nomad Futurist Foundation. Learn more here: http://nomadfuturist.org/jump-start/
