Fwd: [happenlink] Linux skills are hot in an improving IT hiring front

[Fabio FZero]

I subscribe to a few jobs RSS feeds, since there's always someone
looking for something. I also have to hire people myself sometimes, so
it's good to have a feel of the market.

The trends I'm seeing so far are:

- Android & iOS development;
- Virtual server cluster administration (not only Amazon, but VPSs in general);
- Front-end (UI/UX) web development (this has been hot for a while actually);
- Web development with Ruby, Python and (to a lesser extent) PHP for
consumer-facing apps;
- Web development in boring old Java and .Net for enterprise apps
(booooring... but still pays fairly well).

I'd say that the single hottest one right now is mobile development.
Have you guys seen the number of Android tablets and phones that will
be launched this year? There are some pretty cool and cheap gadgets on
the way, and everybody will want to put their apps on them. While iOS
is still the leading platform for mobile apps right now, the barriers
to entry for Android are much lower - and if you know your way around
Linux and Java, you're halfway there already.

- FZ

On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 22:25, Colin McGregor <colin.mc151-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> Got this off a job hunting mailing list that I am on... Interesting stuff...
>
> Colin McGregor
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Jim & Joy Pacella [snip]
> Date: Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 9:07 PM
> Subject: [happenlink] Linux skills are hot in an improving IT hiring front
> To: HappenLink <happenlink-hHKSG33TihgD7/nhltJ10Q at public.gmane.org>
>
> Linux skills are hot in an improving IT hiring front
>
> Challenger, Gray & Christmas reports that employers announced plans to cut
> only 46,825 IT jobs during 2010--a full 73 per cent fewer than the 174,629
> technology job cuts in 2009
>
> By: katherine noyes
>
> PC World (U.S.) (26 Jan 2011)
>
> IT professionals enjoyed a dramatically improved hiring landscape in 2010,
> marked in particular by the fewest job cuts in a year since 2000.
>
> That's according to global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas,
> which on Monday reported that employers announced plans to cut only 46,825
> IT jobs during 2010--a full 73 percent fewer than the 174,629 technology job
> cuts in 2009.
>
> That 73 percent decline also exceeds by far the 59 percent decrease in
> overall job cuts across all industries, which fell from 1,288,033 in 2009 to
> 529,973 in 2010, the firm reported.
>
> Thank You, Smartphone and Tablets
>
> "Many industries are still struggling, even as the economy recovers; the
> technology sector does not appear to be in this camp, however," said John A.
> Challenger, the consultancy's CEO. "These firms are definitely on the
> leading edge of the recovery, as companies across the country and around the
> globe begin to upgrade and reinvest in their technology."
>
> The popularity of smartphones and tablets, in particular, is helping to
> drive growth in electronics, telecom and computers, Challenger noted.
>
> Indeed, Forrester Research predicts that 2011 IT spending will increase 7.5
> percent in the U.S. and 7.1 percent globally, Challenger, Gray & Christmas
> noted, while employment research firm Dice expects IT hiring to increase
> this year.
>
> 'Looking for Linux Talent'
>
> What's particularly exciting for those with an interest in Linux, however,
> is that skills in the open source operating system are in particular demand,
> according to Dice.
>
> Not only are job postings on the IT and engineering site up 40 percent
> generally compared with last year, but postings seeking Linux knowledge have
> increased a full 47 percent over last year, the Linux Foundation reports.
> Windows-related postings, by comparison, have increased by only 40 percent.
>
> "The number of Linux-based projects is rapidly increasing all over this
> industry," Intel's Linux and Open Source Technologist Dirk Hohndel told the
> Linux Foundation. "More and more devices and systems and services are built
> based on Linux, and therefore, more and more manufacturers and vendors are
> looking for Linux talent."
>
> Linux professionals also tend to get a significant salary premium of as much
> as 10 percent over other IT workers, Dice reported last year.
>
> An Employee's Market
>
> We've already seen evidence piling up that large enterprises are
> increasingly turning to Linux for mission-critical applications. We've also
> seen that a lack of Linux skills is frequently cited as the key stumbling
> block preventing businesses from using Linux even more.
>
> Put those two facts together, and it's not surprising to see a surge in
> demand for Linux skills.
>
> For SMBs, this could mean that it will be tougher than ever to find the
> skilled Linux workers you need--and that you'll have to pay them more when
> you find them. It may be a good time to bolster your in-house Linux skills
> instead through educational offerings like the online Master's Program in
> Free Software and Free Standards, as I noted last fall.
>
> Advice for IT Professionals
>
> For Linux professionals, on the other hand, the outlook for this year could
> be very rosy indeed. Among the recommendations from the Linux Foundation's
> panel of experts were the following:
>
> Participate in the open source community -- let your code be seen, and
> attend relevant events.
>
> Demonstrate how you've helped a business with Linux or open source software.
>
> Don't generalize too far -- pick a niche you love and focus on it.
>
> Keep learning. The Linux Foundation offers a variety of courses in embedded
> and kernel-level Linux development, for example.
>
> Copyright C 2011
>
> ITworldcanada.com
>
> Jim Pacella
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
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