Job market today
According to the latest news, most companies are confident about the economy recovery and begin hiring. The top priority is on Information Technology (IT) as it is the key factor in global competitiveness. If you are studying Software Engineering, Computer Science, or Information System Management then you may want to know that the job market for these areas is looking very good in the next few years as the demand is far exceed the supply.
Of course, not just graduates are looking for jobs but experienced workers who were laid-off due to the financial crisis are also looking too. To get the job you want, you must be prepared and know what skills are in high demand. As companies beginning to hire, they will be focusing mostly on people who can support their immediate needs such as networking management, network security, desktop supports, software development, and database administration. Most jobs will also require college degrees as a minimum.
Because today more companies are using the internet, demands on networks will continue to grow. Companies also are relying more on information systems managers to keep their systems operate smoothly, they need to incorporate new technologies so the demand on this ISM skill will be high. IT is no longer just a product but also a service to internal users so having the knowledge of IT services such as Demand management, Change management, Capacity management and Problem management is essential to get a good offer. Because more information are exchanged via the internet, network security is critical skill in protecting company's data and information. With the increase in malwares, viruses, and organized crimes hackers, network security is one of the highest demand jobs in the industry today. Although most security jobs require experiences but some companies would hire graduates with strong background in networks and operating system then send them to additional trainings. Desktop support was the next most in-demand skill. This job provides support to users as technology change quickly with many new software and updates. One of the key skill sets in this category include Windows administration as Microsoft's products are widely used worldwide. As companies have to “customized” software products to fit their need, software development is also in high demand. Most companies will require candidate to have programming languages skill in C, C++, C# or Java. Beside programming languages, candidate must also have knowledge about software lifecycle, some development methods and advance concepts. Another high demand skill is Database administration. This job focuses on maintain and develop database systems that companies use for storing, analyzing, and retrieving data. A knowledge of different databases such as Microsoft's SQL Server, Oracle, and Sybase are desirable.
As the global need is high but the supply is low, many companies will either have to outsource works to another countries or hiring people from another countries to come and work for them. Having a foreign language skill is becoming a requirement in getting a good paying job. The best language would be English as it is being used in many places. The technology market is changing quickly so even you already have skills, you still need to identify any gaps in your skill set and find ways to fill them. As students you may want to explore some temporary works to gain industry experiences. This is a best way to build new skills, new knowledge because some companies are willing to offer free training to part time workers.
My advice is students should find any part time jobs that are related to their training because having work some experiences is better than no experiences. The job market always change as business conditions change so the best positioned will always go to those who continuously sharpen their skills, improve their knowledge, and keep themselves fully aware of what is going on in the global market.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
