Embrace
Your Inner-Geek
Why
more companies will be hiring IT professionals in the
New Year
By
George Fiala
Since
the IT bubble burst, many organizations have been making
do with their existing IT staff or hiring contract individuals
"as needed" to solve their IT needs. Still,
these are merely stopgap measures to solve problems
requiring permanent staffing solutions in the face of
heavier workloads and employee departures.
Not
surprisingly, there has recently been a huge resurgence
of full-time hiring in the IT sector - and we expect
it to continue well into 2006.
Why
the change?
Not
only are new projects coming down the pipeline but old
projects once relegated to the back burner have been
reprioritized to the front. Many organizations that
previously lacked the funding for their IT initiatives
are now investing to see them through.
With
all this activity, will salaries once again climb to
the same "before the bubble burst" level?
Don't bet your iMac G5 processors on it. Average salaries
are still less than what they were five years ago and
IT companies are still looking to keep their costs down
and watch their bottom lines.
But
the talent market s one of supply and demand. As demand
increases, salaries will once again climb - and smart
companies are already paying a premium for A-level talent.
If you're a well-qualified IT professional, you're already
very much in demand.
Is
there a new market?
The
market certainly has a new mindset - hiring is "in"
and IT companies that previously let people go are now
looking to go on hiring sprees. However, these companies
now want individuals with very specific skills and experience.
Here's
a partial list of some top skills employers are expecting
their IT hires to have:
-
Security
certifications (like CISSP)
- AJAX,
MONO, RUBY, JAVA (and its variants)
- WiFi,
WiLAN, ability to configure access points and create
ghost networks
- Background
in BI, information gathering and research
- Knowledge
of new U.S., Canadian and International reporting and
regulating environments
Key
to success? Stay current.
Having
the right skills is one thing, but being able to apply
them to solving current issues in the IT industry is another.
More than anyone else in any other industry, IT professionals
have to update their resumes "on the fly," given
the dynamic nature of current technology and how quickly
it can change and evolve overnight. Based on surveys and
discussions with our clients, some of the hot button issues
in 2006 are:
- Network
security - a mission-critical
issue at best of times, and even more so today.
- Capital
expenditures - companies are
finding they can no longer afford to hold off on replacing
(desktop) systems and software. They're reviewing Open
Source alternatives to gain and maintain an edge over
their competition.
- Development
of Web applications - the Web has become an
integral part of business and firms are looking for
ways to improve collaboration, customer service, customization,
efficiency and management with this powerful technology.
(This article was written using "Writely,"
an online word processor.)
- Business
intelligence -
companies are recruiting IT staff who can help them
collect, store, analyze and provide access to critical
business data.
- Wireless
communication - IT
professionals are required to support users of tablet
computers, portable e-mail devices, smart phones and
other wireless tools.
- Regulatory
requirements - the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
galvanized public and private firms to reassess its
information systems for vulnerabilities and strive for
safe internal control over financial reporting. Other
regulations affecting the IT industry include the Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA),
the USA Patriot Act and the Graham-Leach-Billey Act.
If
you're an IT professional with "get a new job"
on your list of New Years resolutions then 2006 couldn't
have come faster for you. The landscape has definitely
changed in the IT industry and it looks as if even greener
pastures are ahead. Embrace your inner-geek, indeed!
-
George Fiala brings a solid knowledge of the IT industry
to IQ PARTNERS, along with his strong background in assessment
and testing and keen comprehension of the industry's subtle
and not-so-subtle changes. [full
bio...]
| IQ
Insight is published by IQ
PARTNERS Inc.
IQ
PARTNERS helps intelligent companies hire better,
hire less and retain more. Our services include
Executive Search & Recruitment, Qualification
& Assessment, Employee Retention, Career Management
and Contract HR Services. We specialize in Marketing,
Communications, Media, Technology, Legal and Financial
Services, and operate at the mid-to-senior management
level. IQ PARTNERS has offices in Toronto and
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