LebGeeks

shekib82

Member

Current Job Market for Software development in Lebanon

Is it me, or has the job market shrunk significantly int he last few years? What are you guys finding?

rolf

Member

Re: Current Job Market for Software development in Lebanon

It's maybe the supply of developer that has increased as well, effectively reducing your chances.
I don't think that the software development industry in Beirut has reached "critical mass" (yet?).

jsaade

Member

Re: Current Job Market for Software development in Lebanon

You will always find a company hiring an iOS, Android, .Net, PHP or front-end developers.
The problem is finding good talent.

shekib82

Member

Re: Current Job Market for Software development in Lebanon

Well I am not looking for myself right now. But it is important to have enough demand for our skills to keep salaries rising. One nightmare for us third worlders is that we get reduced to the India wage.

And about that supply, I have seen some of the new arrivals and they can't code jack shit. A lot of them just get into it because they have seen that it is easy money. But they don't have the least amount of skill.

All this said, I feel the demand is down due to the political situation. I remember an example of a company a few years back trying to expand and become and outsource provider for an american company. but at the last minute the americans backed out because of a change in policies in this country. this was like 3 or 4 years ago.

rolf

Member

Re: Current Job Market for Software development in Lebanon

If you want to find a job with hipster, new startups, ruby and node.js seem to be some of the fancy technologies now.
PHP has very noticeably taken the backseat in these environment. It is still very present in some more conventional companies and companies having much legacy code invested into.
Also frameworks (think Laravel, not Joomla!) seem to be here to stay. But of course, again, it depends. There is no one size fits all, not in modern software development anyway.

Well I am not looking for myself right now. But it is important to have enough demand for our skills to keep salaries rising. One nightmare for us third worlders is that we get reduced to the India wage.

and treated like a replaceable, throwable dumb mule, no matter how good you are at your work. Been there.

And about that supply, I have seen some of the new arrivals and they can't code jack shit. A lot of them just get into it because they have seen that it is easy money. But they don't have the least amount of skill.

As a continuation of what I said above, some (a lot?) of companies are like this (the "manager" would not have a very high standard either but would sleep at the office and be close to the boss) and are counting on desperate recruits (fresh graduates for example) to keep their crap together somehow. Once they start developing self esteem and ask for a better salary or/and work environment they are pushed towards the door.

It's a sad situation but fortunately there are some companies in Lebanon with decent standards, surely. No?

All this said, I feel the demand is down due to the political situation.

"The fish rots from the head", quite often (technically fish do not rot from the head, but it's just a saying).

Last edited by rolf (July 1 2015)

eliminator

Member

Re: Current Job Market for Software development in Lebanon

Is it me, or has the job market shrunk significantly int he last few years? What are you guys finding?

I'll give you a statistical answer based on the job offers' emails I get from the Alumni (AULFG2):
- In 2015 (So far till June) they sent out only 6 jobs for computer engineers, 2 software dev and 4 IT/Support/Network
- In 2014 (By the same date) they had sent out 24 jobs for computer engineers
.
.
.
- In 2010 when I graduated (around June) I know it was way more because I personally visited 25 companies (60-70% from the list of jobs they sent in 2010) searching for a decent salary.

So yeah the market is going down for the Software Dev in Lebanon.

Aside, if you look at it in a different way, software is relatively dead (for the small client). i.e with all the tools available and the "wizards" a person with a slight computer knowledge can make his own software/webpage. So the small client is automatically served by these tools. And the businesses who need a huge complicated software (that takes several years of development), why would they invest doing it in a country ravaged by instability.

rolf

Member

Re: Current Job Market for Software development in Lebanon

Aside, if you look at it in a different way, software is relatively dead (for the small client). i.e with all the tools available and the "wizards" a person with a slight computer knowledge can make his own software/webpage. So the small client is automatically served by these tools. And the businesses who need a huge complicated software (that takes several years of development), why would they invest doing it in a country ravaged by instability.

I think your assesment is simplistic. I have been freelancing for years for lebanese customers and many small companies are happy paying $1000-$2000 for a professionally and custom developed, quality website with someone you can call for support and questions, as opposed to something put together through one of the tools you are talking about. Yet these tools seem to be making progress and there is a market for them. Yet I'm not sure we are competing. I am not really chasing people who have a budget of $100.

Anyway, incidentally, freelance work has also gone down for me in the last years. I thought it had something to do with me being outside of the country (most of the time) but I'm not so sure anymore, now.

user

Member

Re: Current Job Market for Software development in Lebanon

The safest bet when it comes to skill it seems html and css. Because regardless of whether the company uses node js, ruby, php, .net. They will always need a good html developer.

As far as money and finding a job goes, the better your skills are, the better your chances.

Guitaret

Member

Re: Current Job Market for Software development in Lebanon

Re-opening an old thread since I am not liking my current job:

How is the current job market in Lebanon for software-related careers? (Engineers, Managers, account managers, programmers...)

People in my network involved in hiring say that finding good people to hire is still a challenge like before but on the other hand, some experienced people I know are struggling to get a job with good pay.

Please answer if you are experienced and have been applying/doing interviews/interviewing in the last 2 months.

Thank you

rolf

Member

Re: Current Job Market for Software development in Lebanon

I keep getting job suggestions in my email from https://lb.neuvoo.com
They seem legit.