Tough times in the tech sector?

The high-tech sector may lose as many as 180,000 jobs in the U.S. this year, according to a consulting firm called Challenger, Gray & Christmas, which says this may be the worst job year for the technology sector since 2003.

The report, which comes on the heels of Sun Microsystems announcing it would cut 5-6,000 jobs -- tracks companies in the computer, telecom, and electronics industries.

So what does this mean for folks like you who may just be entering the job market? Well, it could be more difficult to find a job in those fields, but highly skilled applicants always have an edge. If you have talents that are hard to outsource, you may be okay.

It's also important to note that not all of these job cuts will come from the actual high-tech workforce. In tough times, the first things to get cut tend to be marketing, administration, middle-management, and other support functions. So the engineers actually doing the work might be okay.

Meanwhile, this is a great time for consultants. While a company may reduce its workforce, it rarely cuts the amount of work that needs to be done. That leaves a lot of work open for temporary workers, contractors, consultants and freelancers, none of whom the company needs to pay benefits.

So yeah, tough times are ahead. But high-tech innovation may be the only thing that can lift us out of a recession, so keep a positive outlook and don't worry. Just stay competitive.