The IT Hiring Outlook: Opportunities Still Exist
Today’s economic climate and amid high unemployment
rates, it’s easy to assume difficulties
of finding work in any field. But a closer look
at information technology (IT) hiring reveals
a much brighter picture. By learning about in demand
skills and what employers value most,
you give yourself the best chance to succeed under challenging
conditions.
Many companies are discovering that they can not afford
to postpone IT investments. These positions often
lead to increased security, greater efficiencies and higher
revenues. In fact, seven out of ten chief information officers (CIOs) polled by Robert Half Technology said their
companies will invest in IT initiatives over the next 12 months. Organizations are preparing for growth when conditions
improve. Enhancing their IT infrastructure is a big
part of that process.
This means employers will be looking for talent to support
IT projects. What follows are some key employment
trends you should be aware of to support your job search
or IT hiring initiatives.
Bright Spots in IT Hiring
The third-quarter 2009 Robert Half Technology IT Hiring
Index and Skills Report found that moderate hiring activity
is still taking place. Eight percent of CIOs in the East North Central region plan to add IT staff – unchanged from the
previous quarter. The outlook for those in the West North
Central states, however, is slightly more conservative, with
six percent of CIOs reporting planned IT staff increases.
Those who are expanding their IT departments attribute
the demand largely to rising workloads.
When hiring full-time staff, a majority of CIOs in both
regions plan to recruit IT professionals at the staff level;
so job candidates with up to five years of experience will
be most sought by employers. In addition, nearly a quarter
(24 percent) of CIOs in the East North Central states
plan to hire a mix of full-time and project or contract professionals,
and another 28 percent of executives said they
expect to hire contract workers only. As a result, job candidates
may have more opportunities to work on a project
basis, which provides a chance to evaluate companies as
potential full-time employers.
In the West North Central region, nearly two-thirds
of CIOs polled said they plan to hire part-time employees.
Technology professionals might want to explore employment
opportunities that are not full-time but still allow
them to gain work experience, keep their resumes current
and sharpen their skills.
Areas of Opportunity
More good news for IT professionals comes in the varied
areas of need for hiring companies. Today’s online environment
requires a multi-tiered approach with multiple skill
sets required.
Web Development
Companies continue to increase their online presence and
are investing in Web 2.0 initiatives; such as blogging, podcasting
and interactive Web functionality. In turn, organizations
need skilled Web developers who can seamlessly
integrate these new technologies to improve the utility of
a company’s website, both for employees and customers.
Companies seek Web developers with an IT background
to focus on server or application programming interface
(API) projects, and developers who are design savvy and
have a solid understanding of business strategy.
Developer/Programmer
IT professionals skilled in .NET, SharePoint, Java and PHP
are being sought across many industries. For example,
many companies, large and small, are implementing or
converting existing applications to .NET. Analysts are
needed for new development, maintenance of existing
applications – such as inventory control or reporting systems
– and migration work.
Virtualization
Enterprises seeking to control IT costs, especially in today’s
economy, are embracing the virtualization of servers
and storage. Desktop and application virtualization
also are hot topics. As this trend continues, there will
be a growing need for virtualization-related skills in the
marketplace and competition to secure experienced candidates
will increase. Strong candidates for virtualization
positions include those who bring thorough knowledge
of Windows, UNIX and Linux, and of virtualization software
(VMware, Citrix, XenServer, Microsoft’s Hyper-V)
that enables those operating systems to run side-by-side.
Professionals with extensive hands-on experience in this
area might be scarce, but many workers are able to develop
expertise on the job. IT professionals who bring a
broad base of data center skills are strong candidates for
virtualization roles.
Networking
Cloud computing, Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP)
and Software as a Service (SaaS) have increased the requirements
placed on networks. As a result, network professionals
remain in demand. In fact, CIOs in both the
East North Central and West North Central states said
network administration will be the skill set in greatest
demand in their IT departments during the third quarter.
Many employers seek job candidates with network
administration certifications, such as the Cisco Certified
Network Associate.
Help Desk and Desktop Support
As companies implement new technologies, customerand
end-user-facing roles, such as help desk and desktop
support, remain critical. Help desk and technical support
was cited by CIOs as a job area experiencing the most
growth. In the same survey, desktop support ranked high
among the list of in-demand skills by CIOs surveyed in
the Midwest. Hiring managers are putting significant emphasis
on customer-service skills such as communication
and problem-solving abilities. They also look at a person’s
industry knowledge and experience supporting similarsized
environments.
Industries Expecting Increased Hiring
The IT Hiring Index and Skills Report found that transportation,
communications and utilities will see the
strongest hiring activity in the third quarter, with a net 11
percent projected increase in IT staff. CIOs in this sector
said an increased need for customer/end-user support is
the reason for heightened demand for IT professionals.
The professional services industry and the finance, insurance
and real estate sector also forecast employment
growth above the national average, with CIOs citing rising
workloads as a primary factor for the need for more
IT personnel.
Additionally, greater demand for IT staff is expected in
the healthcare sector. The government-supported move
to electronic medical records is creating a need for professionals
who can manage and implement the conversion
process.
While the IT industry has fared better than most during
the recession, it has also felt the effects of a weaker
economy. Staying abreast of changes in the IT field will
help you understand those positions and industries being
affected most by the downturn – and those that are
proving to be more resilient.
About the Author: Dave Willmer is executive director of Robert Half Technology, a
leading provider of IT professionals for initiatives ranging from
e-business development and multiplatform systems integration
to network security and technical support. The company has
more than 100 locations worldwide and offers online job search
services at www.rht.com.


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