Over the last two years, businesses have learned to live with less and pay less when it comes to their IT departments. It's left many in the field wondering whether they made the right career choice. On closer inspection, however, it's clear there are opportunities. Hiring is happening -- but selectively. The trick is to know what to bring to the table.
When the pulse of the global economy slowed -- or, as some would have it, virtually flat lined -- in 2009, IT felt it. Even though IT serves as the heart of global business, the indispensable systems without which companies simply wouldn't work, layoffs and cutbacks still wracked the industry.
More than a few IT professionals found themselves questioning their career choice in a workforce not that far removed from the tough times that followed the burst tech bubble earlier in the decade -- a past all too present for many.
The economy may be recovering now, however tentatively, but some continue to ask whether IT is a field worth sticking with -- or going into. No company can do without it, perhaps, but businesses have learned to live with less, and to pay less, by outsourcing jobs to one or another outpost of the global economy.
That's part of the picture, certainly. But only part. Anyone with the right skills can still thrive in IT. The key is to strategically assemble a resume fine-tuned to what companies need right now. Every successful job search is rooted in knowing what's in demand. Staying current on employment trends can make a beneficial difference for a resume that may be deep and impressive but otherwise gets lost in a pile of others with similar qualifications. A winning CV will be as targeted and relevant as possible to the needs of whoever is hiring.
So what's hot?
Outlook on Security
No area in IT is more in demand than security. Insight into the cutting edge of security means job security. Hackers continue to discover new ways to breach companies' defenses, including an increasing incidence of break-ins that occur from within a business' own staff.
Unfortunately for companies -- but fortunately for IT specialists -- protecting data will be a growth industry for years to come. Also, as networking gets more complex, vulnerability rises too, as evermore intricately linked parts create the potential for gaps the unscrupulous can exploit.
Security knowledge and ethical hacking certifications are smart, if not indispensable, additions to any IT resume right now.
Programming/Application Development
As new projects go on line, programming/application development skills also rank high on the list of what companies need. Green lights demand staff able to drive the most cutting edge vehicles in tech, developers with ability to work with .Net, Java and Sharepoint, for example, along with staff fluent in programming languages like Ruby on Rails and Ajax.
These are not necessarily areas likely to lead to high-volume hiring, but they are the kind of specific knowledge that can make an applicant immediately stand out, accelerating the hiring process.
Cloud Computing
Another rapidly growing IT area for job seekers is cloud computing. Understanding virtualization, the creation and/or overseeing of cloud computer systems themselves, and automation technologies charged with monitoring, securing and making sure companies are fully compliant with new dictates of the cloud are up-to-the-minute paths to building the more economy-proof resume.
