Tech jobs
The tech job market keeps heating up, but not for everybody
October 25, 2012: 9:03 AM ETWhile demand for some IT skills is soaring, finding a tech job isn't always easy. A Silicon Valley recruiter explains what employers want now.
FORTUNE -- At first glance, you might think that anyone with up-to-date IT skills and a few years of work experience has it made in the shade. Unemployment among this group has dropped from 4.2% in the third quarter of last year to 3.3% now, according to the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics cited in a new report by tech job site Dice.com, and the jobless rate in some specialized fields is even lower -- a scant 2.3% for software developers, for instance.
Tech consulting alone has seen 10 straight quarters of job growth, with more than 56,000 new positions created so far in 2012, about 17,000 of them in September. At the same time, pay is rising. Base salaries are expected to climb by an average of 5.3% in the year ahead, according to the latest salary guide from researchers at staffing firm Robert Half International. Mobile app developers will get the biggest raises, at around 9%. Network engineers (especially wireless), data modelers, and portal administrators will see higher-than-average pay hikes, too.
So skilled IT professionals should have no trouble finding jobs, or changing jobs, right? Well, not exactly. For one thing, computer and electronics manufacturers have continued to cut headcount, as they have for the past few years, with about 10,000 layoffs announced so far in 2012. All that extra talent adds to the competition for available openings.
MORE: The 25 best medium-size companies to work for
Another fly in the ointment is that so many companies are moving to the cloud that they no longer need as many people in-house. "The landscape is really changing. A few years ago, every company needed its own webmaster, systems administrator, and IT manager, for example," says Michael Morell. "Now, many of those functions are moving to cloud hosts like Amazon and Rackspace. If you're an infrastructure person, there are just fewer opportunities."
Morell is managing partner at Riviera Partners, a San Francisco-based IT recruiting firm whose client list includes Twitter, LinkedIn (LNKD), Groupon (GRPN), Dropbox, Pinterest, and Zappos. He notes that, when it comes to finding a tech job, geography is destiny. More
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Your next job: Electronic medical records professional
As your health history moves from the file cabinet to the hard drive, technicians are needed to make the switch.
By Alex Konrad, reporter
FORTUNE -- Why it's hot: Just two years ago, about one in five hospitals used electronic health records (EHR). Thanks to an incentive program from the government, the number is growing fast: More than 3,600 hospitals (about 72%) received payments to transition to EHR as of the MORE
Sep 18, 2012 5:00 AM ET -
Can you snag a tech job with training alone?
Maybe. But despite a plethora of government-funded training programs and lots of job openings in IT, getting hired isn't easy.
By Anne Fisher, contributor
FORTUNE -- Dear Annie: Since being pink-slipped from my job as a construction manager almost three years ago, I've been making ends meet with a string of low-skilled jobs that don't really use my abilities and aren't leading anywhere. I keep hearing that there are a lot of MORE
Jan 26, 2012 10:02 AM ET -
Your next job: Head of digital strategy
FORTUNE -- Why it's hot: Simply having a Facebook and Google (GOOG) ad plan is not enough. Now the digital strategy leader must find, manage, and champion what's new -- before everyone else does.
What you'll do: You'll have to truly integrate digital into your company. That means influence on the business side and an obsession with the future. Then you must help your colleagues understand -- and use -- what's new.
What you need: A MORE
Nov 15, 2011 5:00 AM ET -
Want to attract top tech talent? Offer telecommuting
IT professionals love to work from home, so much so that some are willing to take a pay cut in exchange for this particular perk, according to a recent study.
By Anne Fisher, contributor
As competition for highly skilled and creative tech employees heats up, many companies are overlooking a perk that could help them snag top hires: The chance to work away from the office.
That's the conclusion of a new analysis MORE
Apr 19, 2011 12:04 PM ETPosted in: Tech jobs, Telecommuting -
Finally, signs of life in the tech job market
IT layoffs have dropped to their lowest level in a decade, and demand for techies is expected to jump 32% by 2018. It matters where you live: Some cities can't get enough software engineers right now.
By Anne Fisher, contributor
Dear Annie: Please settle an argument. I am a freshman in college, trying to choose a major, and I really want to go with computer science, which fascinates me. The problem MORE
Feb 14, 2011 12:18 PM ET -
Where the tech jobs are now
At least 400,000 tech jobs are going begging, even in this market, writes Fortune's Anne Fisher in her July 21 Ask Annie column. If you're a current or former techie, how does the job market look from where you stand? If you're an employer, are you having trouble finding applicants with the skills you're seeking? Job hunters in other fields, have you ever considered making the switch to an IT MORE
Anne Fisher, contributor - Jul 21, 2009 10:53 AM ET
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