Report on Job and Hiring Trends for Computer and Information Technology

by Bob Oliva, Magner Center for Careers and Internships, Brooklyn College, CUNY

 

1 - United States Bureau of Labor Statistics –  HIRING TRENDS/JOB OUTLOOK

 

10 Fastest Growing Occupations for College Grads

National Employment Matrix code and title

Employment

 

Number

Percent

2004

2014

Network systems and data communications analysts

231

357

54.6

Physician assistants

62

93

50

Computer software engineers, applications

460

682

48.4

Physical therapist assistants

59

85

44

Dental hygienists

158

226

43

Computer software engineers, systems software

340

486

43.0

Network and computer systems administrators

278

385

38.4

Database administrators

104

144

38.2

Physical therapists

155

211

37

Forensic science technicians

10

13

36

 

Occupations with the Most New Jobs: Bachelor's Degrees

Occupation

2004

2014

Change

Elementary school teachers, except special education

1,457

1,722

265

Accountants and auditors

1,176

1,440

264

Computer software engineers, applications

460

682

222

Computer systems analysts

487

640

153

Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education

1,024

1,172

148

Computer software engineers, systems software

340

486

146

Network systems and data communications analysts

231

357

126

Network and computer systems administrators

278

385

107

Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education

628

714

86

Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists

182

237

55

SOURCE: United States Bureau of Labor Statistics

 

2 – Job Outlook from Various Sources

 

n       Employers plan to target business, engineering and computer-related degrees at both the bachelor's and master's degree level in 2005-06. Of the top 10 degrees in demand, Computer Science ranked 6th, Information sciences and systems 7th and Computer Engineering 9th

Source: http://www.jobweb.com/joboutlook/2006/default.htm

n        IT auditors, Lead application developers. Network security administrators, Business systems analysts and Data analysts/report writers are among the positions in greatest demand.

Source: http://www.careerjournal.com/salaryhiring/industries/computers/20060228-cw.html

n       The job outlook is brightest for those skilled in the application of technology. While jobs in categories like programming have declined since 2000, according to the Labor Department, the need for information technology experts has not. In fact, jobs that involve tailoring information technology to specific industries or companies, like software engineers who make applications and specialized systems, have grown.

Source: http://spot.colorado.edu/~lookabau/Documents/ATechieAbsolutely.pdf

 

3 – Anecdotal Evidence

 

MARKETABLE AND DESIRED SKILLS

n       Hiring managers want individuals who have a deep understanding of the issues, challenges and tools specific to their business and who can contribute immediately to the company's success.  They seek technology professionals with well-developed interpersonal, or soft, skills.

n       Gartner Inc. predicts that by 2010, six out of 10 IT professionals will assume business-facing roles and be required to demonstrate their understanding of the business's core processes, customer base, regulatory environment, culture and constraints. Already this trend is visible, and hiring managers expect candidates to have knowledge of business fundamentals and be able to translate business requirements into deliverables.

Source: http://www.careerjournal.com/salaryhiring/industries/computers/20060228-cw.html

 

n       “The kinds of positions being created now are higher-level business analyst positions, or management and strategy roles that require interpersonal skills and the ability to work directly with people” 

Source: http://seeker.dice.com/common/servlet/CommonController?op=9&rel_code=1102&pg=http://www.dice.com/content/seekert/IT_specialty/IT_specialty.html

 

n       Regarding graduates of computer science programs: They're good at what he calls out-of-the-box thinking but weaker on fundamental business skills such as teamwork and project design. "Many universities teach people how to program, but they don't teach them how to work in projects," "They don't teach them how to design."

n       U.S. colleges and universities generally do a good job of providing technical skills and an improving job of teaching students how to communicate and collaborate. But teaching students how computers help businesses be more effective is something most computer-science programs must improve.

n       There's growing pressure on schools to provide computer-science majors with an understanding of how information systems have an impact on an organization. It's not just business but how computers help researchers find new drugs, designers make sleeker cars, or police solve a crime. "The one thing that's more important now than before is having an understanding of the application's domain,"

n       University computer-science programs need to educate people who are adaptable and able to handle a wide range of business-technology challenges. "We want employees with broader set of skills, as opposed to a large number of people doing .Net or Java development," "How many people do we need to crank out C++ code if we use rewritten components?"

Source: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=29100069

 

n       Expanding their expertise beyond computer programming is crucial to future job

n       "If you have only technical knowledge, you are vulnerable," "But if you can combine business or scientific knowledge with technical savvy, there are a lot of opportunities.

n       On campuses today, the newest technologists have to become renaissance geeks. They have to understand computing, but they also typically need deep knowledge of some other field, from biology to business, Wall Street to Hollywood. And they tend to focus less on the tools of technology than on how technology is used in the search for scientific breakthroughs, the development of new products and services, or the way work is done.

Source: http://spot.colorado.edu/~lookabau/Documents/ATechieAbsolutely.pdf

 

n       Computing-related jobs are no longer an isolated component of American industries; IT underpins every function of the business community—market research, product design, finance, strategic planning, environmental issues—every aspect of doing and leading. They require people who have strong technical knowledge but who also can work and contribute in a much broader realm.." The leaders of Microsoft, Google and other companies have made their point clear: Give us more well-trained, well-rounded computer scientists!

Source: http://www.cio.com/archive/120105/keynote.html?action=print