Are things improving or getting worse? You tell us. We are curious to know how things have changed since this website used to be owned by Bellevue college till today where it currently stands online. Are you better off in 2013 then you were in 2008? How has technology changed your life?
Recent news reports indicate positive trends in the IT industry for new job opportunities; even more encouraging is that this appears to be nation-wide trend. There are several factors that point to a healthier information and computer technology industry, which appears to be strengthening monthly.
California, in particular, seems to be leading the way in this trend. Several companies have added to their workforce in recent times, with nearly 100,000 new jobs created in three months. This rate of growth exceeds the estimates of most economic experts, with many reporting that it definitely appears to be the technology industry that is driving the general growth in jobs in this state.
The positive trends should be an optimistic indicator for IT professionals, showing that the industry is recovering and even growing again. What often happens after an economic downturn is that employers tend to be cautious about hiring more workers, often opting for working lean for a while. When they relax this position and start to hire new workers again, it is an encouraging indication that confidence is returning. A word of caution here though; a more extended growth period is required before it can be said that the technology industry has fully recovered.
There is more good news for the industry with growth being seen in developed technologies such as cloud and managed services. New models are showing that the trend to leaner organizations is being followed here as well, in addition to increased support options and other services being made available to customers. Providers of these advanced technologies are seeing improved profitability as well as openings for additional workers.
Trained professionals especially, are in greater demand. People who have gained certification in conjunction with advanced education in managed services technology have a definite advantage when positions are advertized. Sales professionals with experience in a more consultative sales approach are being favored over the more traditional product-based sales personnel. There is definitely scope here for workers to get themselves trained up so that they are more appealing to employers.
The emphasis is definitely on skills and certification and, in line with the policy of running a leaner organization; those who possess these are the ones being keenly sought. Companies see the benefit in paying higher than average salaries to get the brightest candidates on board. They are being considered a valuable investment for the future.
So it seems that cloud computing and managed services are leading the way in the growth in the information technology jobs market and are making the most significant contribution to increased job creation and availability. Some companies appear to be reducing their numbers of internal technicians and turning to outside service providers instead. This trend has lead to a growth in the number of IT service providers, a trend that is making these services available to a wider range of companies.
It seems the experts agree – it is the cloud computing and managed services sectors that are leading the growth in jobs in the IT industry.
