[jsfg_cinti] Re: The 10 Hottest IT Jobs in Demand

Dear Bob,
Please allow me to respond by observing that the IT job market seems much 
improved since 2000 when IT employment went through a significant decline which 
was attributed, in part, to the bursting of the "Dot Com Bubble".  Here is a 
link to a recent article that is relevant to that point:

------------ Begin Excerpt ---------------
http://www.cioinsight.com/c/a/Workplace/Computer-Jobs-Hit-Record-High/?kc=EWWHNEMNL071008STR1
or
http://is.gd/13RP

Computer Jobs Hit Record High
By Eric Chabrow
2008-07-07

Unemployment among computer-related jobs hovers near historic lows as the U.S. 
information technology workforce tops 4 million for the first time.
...

------------ End Excerpt ---------------

Also, despite the doomsaying of some politicians, the overall employment 
picture looks pretty good right now.  For example, unemployment is currently at 
just 5.5 percent (and was under 5 percent as recently as this past February).  
See the actual data at URL:

http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.us.htm
or
http://is.gd/13RR

This is a relatively low level of unemployment by historical levels (it was 
about 8 percent as recently as 1993).

Also the average wage continue to increase.  Just look at the data from the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics at:

AVERAGE HOURLY EARNINGS
http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?series_id=CES0500000008&data_tool=XGtable
or
http://is.gd/13RT

where you will see that the average wage is at an all-time high.  

Finally, the economy continues to grow, though slowly.  For data on growth rate 
for the U.S. economy see URL:

http://indexmundi.com/united_states/gdp_real_growth_rate.html
or
http://is.gd/13Th

Of course, there are sectors of the economy (housing, energy costs) which are 
having difficulties, but so far this has not resulted in recession -- only a 
slowing of growth.


I understand that to those who are out of a job right now it seems like
the Great Depression.  I know this because I have been there just like
every other JSFG member.  But the economy is growing
and this is good news for our unemployed brethren because it improves
their probability of finding a job.  Better slow growth than negative
growth.


So, while job hunting is always hard work, this is not too bad a time to be 
looking for work. Especially in the IT world.  Good luck to my fellow JSFG 
members who are seeking employment.  Remember to:

 "THINK POSITIVE!"

Regards,
Lance


--- On Fri, 7/25/08, Bob Winfree <rpwinfree@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Bob Winfree <rpwinfree@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [jsfg_cinti] The 10 Hottest IT Jobs in Demand
To: "'JSFG Listserv'" <jsfg_cinti@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Friday, July 25, 2008, 8:24 AM

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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