While we continue to argue back and forth on whether or not Mainframe is dead, there's no denying that there are some fantastic career opportunities when it comes to COBOL and Mainframe development. Don't believe me? Do a search on Indeed.com and see how many listings pop up. The talent shortage coming from the wake of aging developers exiting the workforce is a growing problem for Enterprise organizations. If you're considering a career in development or want to move into a different area in your organization, there are a few industries that place a high value on mainframe programming.
Here are our top picks for programming opportunities:
The financial industry.
Big banks are one of the biggest industries still embracing Mainframe development. While these banks may eventually move to a more agile framework, the talent gap is already an issue for many banks.
What are some examples of the available positions?
- Senior Software Engineer Developer - Fidelity.
- Principal Application Developer - Fifth Third Bank.
- Mainframe COBOL/CICS Applications Developer - JP Morgan Chase.
Government Organizations and Universities.
Many government organizations and universities are still using Mainframe and have modernized it for their needs. The opportunity in this area is huge. One expert even estimated that half of the 1000 Social Security Administration's COBOL-skilled programmers will be eligible to retire by 2015.
Here are some opportunities we found:
- Mainframe Developer - State of Wisconsin.
- Applications Developer - City of Sacramento, California
- Senior Software Developer - University of Texas at Austin.
Other Large Enterprise Organizations.
It's not just healthcare, finance and government that are still reliant on the mainframe. Enterprise organizations of all shapes and sizes are still using Mainframe for their applications. Among these organizatons are:
If you're having trouble accessing those links, or the above jobs have been filled, take a look at this list of organizations that use mainframe development and their location and industy listings.
The Mainframe celebrated it's 50th anniversary this year, but just because it is an old platform doesn't mean that it's obsolete. Check out this article we wrote recently on why mainframe isn't dead.
The opportunity in this area is still very viable for developers. It's time to explore your options and get started with COBOL and Mainframe education.
