Growing Demand for Linux Skills
When Joseph L. Guallar-Esteve was laid off from IBM (NYSE: IBM) in the summer of 2001, he thought it would take months to find another job in technology. After all, he had seen some of his friends remain unemployed for nearly a year before finding work.
But Guallar-Esteve had an edge: He knew Linux .
The free open-source software is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to Microsoft's Windows for running large computer networks and desktop PCs. That surging demand is good news for technology workers familiar with Linux.
Guallar-Esteve, who taught himself Linux, landed a new job at Raleigh-based Red Hat (Nasdaq: RHAT) , the world's largest Linux distributor, in a little over a month. After about a year there, he got a call from another technology company in Greenville, offering him a similar position making more money. He accepted.
Big corporations, schools and government agencies are embracing Linux open-source software because it is cheaper, more flexible and considered more reliable. For example, viruses are less of a problem, both because of how the code is written and because Linux is a less popular target for virus writers.
