January 02, 2013
Despite the slow economic growth in 2012, the Information Technology sector was one of the few bright spots for hiring. More specifically, IT hiring was particularly good in a few specific areas. According to a study reported on InfoWorld, IT contract hires have grown alongside permanent positions as companies look for specific in-demand skills for projects. As for specific skills, Mobile development and cloud-related skills were important for job-seekers in 2012. So what is the hiring outlook for 2013? What will be in-demand this year? Here are some predictions for the new year:
1. IT Will Have More to Spend
One thing we know for certain is that IT’s budget will be increasing in 2013. According to IDC, worldwide IT spending will exceed $2.1 trillion, up 5.7 percent from 2012. What’s more, a lot of this new budget will be spent on hiring. Seventeen percent of CIOs said they plan to expand their IT departments in the first quarter of 2013, which is nearly double the number (9 percent) who were planning increases in the fourth quarter of 2012, reports Robert Half Technology. The biggest driver of growth will be the increasing demand of mobile applications for smartphones and tablets as mobile devices continue to penetrate the consumer market.
2. Database Administrators and Software Developers will be in-demand
Both positions were listed as two of the best jobs in 2012 on U.S. News, and for good reason. Both Database Administrators and Software Developers were in strong demand in 2012 and that looks to continue in 2013. Software developers building apps and network systems are expected to be the No. 1 most in-demand employee nationwide during 2013, based on a new report by CareerBuilder. DBA’s will also continue their momentum from 2012 into the new year. Both positions are not only projected to have agood year in 2013: software development jobs will increase by 30 percent and DBA jobs will increase by 31 percent through 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
3. Agile Developers Will be even more in-demand
If you’re a Software Developer you should already be happy about your job prospects; if you have experience in Agile Development, your phone should be ringing off the hook with recruiters. IT departments are starving for Agile Developers. According to jobs site CareerBuilder.com, there are 4.59 Agile job postings for every job-seeking Agile Developer. It gets even better if you live in certain states. Minnesota, California, New York, and Utah are states with the highest demand for Agile Developers.
4. IT Contracting and Outsourcing Will Continue to Play a Major Role
Like we mentioned in our previous blog post about IT contracting, contractors are being used more than ever, and that trend is looking to continue in 2013. The economy’s recovery has lead to optimistic forecasts for businesses; but it’s a cautious optimism. Due to the significant investment required to hire and train full-time employees, many are using these contractors to bring projects to completion. Even companies with the capital to invest in full-time staff are struggling to fill much-needed positions. In the meantime, contractors will be ready and available to get the work done. According to staffing industry analysts, over 25 percent of companies are expected to increase their use of contract workers next year.
What are your predictions for 2013? Tell us what you think this year will mean for IT in the comments section!
Posted By: James Sweeney