Another obstacle to gaining IT employment is that most employers do not value computer hobbyists who have done lots of work with computers in their free time (IT graduates still lack practical experience, 10 August).

These people often have lots of practical skills in servicing computers, designing web sites and working on open-source software projects. They are also more resourceful and better at looking outside the box than most people who just gain their knowledge about computers through institutionalised education. But a high proportion of employers only want people who have gained their skills in a commercial environment.

A friend of mine decided to teach himself web site design and ended up developing sites for two local organisations as voluntary work. In a job interview at an IT firm, the interviewer asked him, “Did you do this in a commercial environment?” Self-education and voluntary work meant nothing to this interviewer; he was more interested in corporate bureaucracy such as managing deadlines and budgets. Consequently, my friend did not get the job.

RS