[jsfg_cinti] The 10 Hottest IT Jobs in Demand

I found this article which may be of interest to all the IT folks in the
group.  If anyone has anything to add, I encourage you to follow up this
posting with your perspective.
 

Bob Winfree

 

 

The 10 Hottest IT Jobs in Demand

 

By Ericka Chickowski

 

Baseline Magazine, April 24, 2008

 

Where is the demand for IT skills right now in 2008?

Even in tough economic times, employees with the right skills will always be
in demand in the IT industry. Baseline analyzed recent employment studies
and interviewed several technology recruiters and industry professionals to
find the hottest IT positions today. Although there is still consistent
demand for the "old-reliable" jobs such as network administration and help
desk positions, these picks reflect the current gaps between supply and
demand.

 

1.  Senior Level Java/J2EE and .NET Developers

Most headhunters agree that finding lead developers with Java/J2EE or .NET
proficiency and management experience can be a tall task in today's market.
"If they're software developers and they have Java/J2EE or any of the .NET
skills, they're very hot right now," says Janet Miller, president of the
recruiting firm Computer Management.

 

2.  Application Development Managers

Dan Martineau of Martineau Recruiting Technology says that the need for
application development managers nips closely at the heels of Java/J2EE
opportunities at the top of search lists from clients. "There is a definite
need for applications development managers with strong technical
backgrounds, specifically within object-oriented and service-oriented
architecture-based applications," he says. In the Robert Half Technology
2008 Salary Guide, lead applications developer was listed as the position
predicted to see the largest increase in salary this year, with an increase
of 7.6 percent.

 

3.  Security Professionals

In spite of increased awareness about IT security in recent years, there is
still a skills gap when it comes to this specialty. In fact, a recent
CompTIA survey found that among all IT skills, security has the biggest
disparity between demand and supply of proficient workers. "Managers we talk
to say that the reason skills are coming up short is because the security
landscape changes so rapidly that it is very difficult for anyone to stay on
top of all of the different threats that are out there," says Steven
Ostrowski, director of corporate communications for CompTIA.

 

4.  Architects of All Stripes

All varieties of architects are in strong demand today, but there is a
special need for those who can help organizations ramp up their burgeoning
service-level architecture deployments, Martineau says. "Architects of all
stripes are big right now, but the hottest ones are applications
architects," says Martineau. According to the  Robert Half Technology 2008
Salary Guide, applications architects are expected this year to see the
second-largest average pay raise among all of the positions it studied, with
an expected bump of 7.5 percent.

 

5.  Talented IT Managers

Pretty much all of the data and anecdotal evidence point to an acute need
for talented IT managers. Businesses seek ideal candidates who not only have
strong technical skills, but also proficiency in communication and business
knowledge. "All of those things that fall into the bucket of what seem to be
'soft skills' is something that most employers-if not all employers-want in
addition to the technical skills that people need to have," Ostrowski says.

A recent survey by Robert Half Technology backed Ostrowski up-more than 41
percent of CIOs questioned said that they are placing a greater emphasis on
knowledge of business fundamentals when considering applicants for IT
positions. These fundamentals are especially important for those in
management, Martineau says. He believes that there is a particular need for
managers who are able to capably lead geographically dispersed teams and who
can effectively manage outsourced labor.

 

6.  Business Technology Professionals

The fact that there even are designated "business technology" roles should
scare IT professionals because, as Martineau puts it, they exist only
because IT isn't doing what is expected of it. "The difference between
business technology and information technology roles is that IT delivers a
particular service-whether it's a shared service or an application or
whatever," he says, "while business technology workers accomplish the hybrid
goals that live between the business and IT. These are strategic roles that
are all about aligning the business needs with IT."

 

7.  Database Administrators and Managers

In its annual salary report, Robert Half Technology recently pinned database
administration and management as one of the key growth niches in IT,
particularly in light of Bureau of Labor Statistics predictions that this
sector will outpace the growth of all other occupations through 2014. This
year Robert Half expects the biggest salary bumps in this category to
benefit data modelers (7 percent) and business intelligence analysts (6.6
percent).

 

8.  Infrastructure Pros with Strong Backgrounds in Virtualization

Most organizations these days are trying to find a way to leverage
virtualization deployments into bottom-line savings. "Virtualization is the
biggest thing going on in the data center right now," Martineau says. "It
allows you to deliver the same number of applications with a quarter of the
servers, saving space, money and power, so people with virtualization skills
are in high demand."

 

9.  Web 2.0 Developers

As business finds more ways to utilize Web 2.0 and service-oriented
architecture (SOA), the need for developers with appropriate skills will
continue to rise, Ostrowski says. "There's a lot of interest in the Web 2.0
type applications and development, so people who have some sort of ability
in that arena certainly have a leg up," he adds.

 

10.  Wireless Networking Experts

Although wireless professionals may not be in very strong demand today, the
need for their skills will soon outstrip the supply, many experts believe.
"Wireless IT skills are going to be critical in the not-too-distant future,"
Ostrowski says. A recent CompTIA survey of more than 3,500 IT managers found
that wireless and radio frequency (RF) mobile technology is the skill set
they expect to increase most in importance over the next five years.

 



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