Job growth for the tech sector is on a modest, healthy track for 2014. A large recruiting firm study recently reported that during the first half of the year, 16 percent of CIOs in the U.S. are planning to expand their teams--which represents a significant increase from the second half of 2013, when just 11 percent had expansion plans.
What skills will these companies be looking for? You may be surprised to learn that hot, new skills won't be as high in demand as tried-and-true, widely used technologies for upcoming IT positions.
The top tech skills for 2014
While hot technologies have their place, the IT skills that employers want relate to tech with broad user bases--including Microsoft technology, standard database skills, and top mobile platforms.
Below are the top IT skills employers want in 2014:
As the biggest software company in the world, Microsoft commands an impressive demand for IT professionals using their technologies--most businesses rely on some form of Microsoft technology, which puts SharePoint, SQL Server, and .NET on the demand list.
When it comes to programming languages, Java, C#, and PHP are still dominant. In addition to Reed's list, these three languages hold spots in the top 6 on the TIOBE Index for January 2014, a popular programming community that uses multiple variables to calculate rankings.
Mobile technologies continue to increase in popularity, so iOS and Android are no surprise here. LAMP Stack is a current power player in open-source platforms, and virtualization continues to remain an essential function in the IT industry.
Reed also observes that increasing demand for these time-tested skills, combined with talent shortages, is likely to lead to salary increases for IT professionals with experience that matches demand. Some examples include:
The best hot IT skills to combine with traditional experience
Up-and-coming technologies are increasing in popularity, and while these alone aren't as in-demand as more traditional skills, they can give candidates an advantage. Some of the rising stars in new technology include Python, MongoDB, Puppet, Ruby on Rails, HTML5, and Hadoop.
In the near future, HTML5 and Hadoop in particular seem poised to create job growth. Tech professionals in the 2014 job market should expect demand for skills in broad technologies, and a modest yet encouraging overall growth rate for the industry.
If you are looking for technology jobs in the Houston area, contact us today.
Here are just a few of the “hot jobs” Clearpoint is working on this week. Please apply for anything that is a fit for your skills and experience, and as always please feel free to share with your networks.
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