The IT field is evolving quickly in 2017 as new technologies move the industry forward. Discover some hiring trends for IT jobs to keep in mind as you seek a position in this industry.
Hot: Workplace Flexibility
Workplace flexibility refers to working from home and on a different schedule than the traditional nine-to-five hours. Flexibility helps firms retain happy employees, an important factor in a highly competitive IT jobs market. Mobile technology and cloud computing let more employees work from home while still reporting to the office every once in a while.
Hot: Flexible Staffing
Companies balance full-time workers with contractors to meet demand. Solopreneurs who want to work remotely have opportunities in tech as they supplement full-timers. This lets companies expand workforces without fully hiring someone, thereby saving money. Gig workers have an advantage when it comes to this trend.
Hot: Soft Skills
Certifications and degrees are nice, but can you communicate, listen, set goals and be a great team player? More and more companies hire someone who can deliver quickly and effectively to beat the competition. Finding the right fit is increasingly important, so make sure you jive with the company culture before interviewing.
Hot: Cybersecurity Jobs
Firms need to protect their vital infrastructure from hacks and data breaches. If you're into cybersecurity, many hiring trends gravitate to this area of expertise in terms of IT jobs. Data breaches and hacks can destroy a company's credibility, so tech firms need top talent to protect their most important data assets.
Cold: Full-Time Remote Work
Companies want to keep their teams on-site because of the benefits of greater collaboration and innovation. IT jobs that offer full-time, telecommute opportunities may disappear from top tech companies for the short term. That doesn't mean the gig economy is going away, it just means it hasn't grown to its full potential just yet in 2017.
Cold: Job Security
Tenure at firms such as Uber, Amazon and Facebook is less than two years. The good news is that this is due to a highly competitive labor market that lures top talent to other companies. Rather than seeing job-hopping as a bad thing, consider it the new normal as you look for your next position.
Cold: Talent Gap
Finding top talent is hard, because the best hires go to the top firms. As many as 60 percent of tech firms say they have a hard time filling IT jobs, so that gives job seekers an advantage. Salaries continue to rise as companies want to hire the best candidates to meet their needs. For entry-level workers, this means there are plenty of smaller firms to start with before working your way up the career ladder.
Cold: Slow Hiring Process
Up to 70 percent of companies plan to invest in the hiring experience. That's because 57 percent of candidates say they are frustrated when not hearing back about a job within a few weeks. Complicating the issue is that tech firms say they take between four and five weeks to hire a new employee.
IT jobs continue to grow and change at a rapid pace. Keep these trends in mind the next time you seek the next opportunity in your career.
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