Silicon Valley Job Market

A former client who moved to Oregon during the 2001-2003 recession in the Bay Area asked me the following question:

Funny you should mention the pick-up in demand for tech writers in the Bay Area. Someone I know who lives down there mentioned to me the up-tick in tech hiring in general just today. What's your sense of the over-all outlook for tech hiring (and tech writers in the bargain)?'

Here is my response:

For experienced people with the "right" background the hiring is good....employers are picky but the job market is back to normal but not late '90's normal....'80's normal. Its not a bubble nor a job seekers job market....but its solid, growing and not-recessionary.

What does this mean for tech job market generally? Since Silicon Valley suffered the deepest trough after the giddiest heights of employment growth during the Great Internet and Telecom Bubble, it continues to be a harbinger of things to come. Outsourcing will continue to put pressure on salaries for the most commoditized positions.  Keeping skills sharp and experience up to date will be a necessity. And the best opportunities will be in start-up companies and larger companies adapting to new technologies.