CIOs Report on Information Technology's Hottest Jobs
Semi-annual Survey Ranks IT Specialties by U.S. Region and Industry
MENLO PARK, Calif., Sept. 19, 2002 -- Chief information officers
(CIOs) have once again rated networking the nation's hottest information
technology (IT) specialty. In the semi-annual Robert Half Technology Hot Jobs
Report, networking was cited by 23 percent of IT executives as the field
experiencing the strongest growth, for the second consecutive year. Help
desk/end-user support was identified as the second most sought-after
specialty, receiving 15 percent of the response. Internet/intranet
development ranked third, with 13 percent of executives singling out this area
of expertise.
The Hot Jobs Report tracks job growth in information technology through a
survey of more than 1,400 CIOs nationwide. The study was developed by Robert
Half Technology and conducted by an independent research firm, which polled
CIOs from a stratified random sample of U.S. companies with 100 or more
employees. Robert Half Technology is a leading specialized consulting
services firm placing IT professionals on a project and full-time basis.
The seven specialty areas experiencing the strongest growth in U.S.
corporate IT departments, as ranked by CIOs, are:
Networking 23%
Help desk/end-user support 15%
Internet/intranet development 13%
Applications development 11%
Data/database management 10%
Project management 5%
Systems analysis 4%
No growth 7%
Other/don't know 12%
100%
"As companies develop wireless networks to support a mobile workforce and
implement new security measures to safeguard corporate data, demand for
skilled networking specialists will remain strong," said Katherine Spencer
Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "Those with skills in
wireless LAN and firewall administration are highly marketable in the current
environment." Job titles most requested within the networking category
include network administrator, security analyst and network engineer.
According to the survey, the need for experienced help desk/end-user
support professionals has also risen -- 15 percent of CIOs selected this
category as their leading area of job growth, up from 9 percent in the
previous report. "As firms increasingly rely on the web to conduct business,
providing user support -- both internal and external -- will remain an
important function within IT departments," Lee said. Desktop support
analysts, technical administrators and computer technicians are most in
demand.
Within the Internet/intranet development category, CIOs said web
designers, web programmers and web developers are most in demand. Lee noted,
"Individuals skilled in XML and JavaScript are helping their firms transition
to web-based services."
Mid-Atlantic States Demand Networking Experts
CIOs in the Mid-Atlantic(1) region expressed the greatest need for
networking professionals. Thirty-one percent of executives in these states
cited networking as the leading area of job growth for their firms, eight
percentage points above the national average. "Expansion within the region's
pharmaceutical and health care industries has resulted in demand for IT
specialists who can assist with network integration and infrastructure
development. As a result, there are opportunities for experienced systems
analysts and network engineers," Lee said.
The West South Central(2) region is experiencing strong demand for help
desk and networking professionals -- each specialty was named by 21 percent of
CIOs in these states as their fastest-growing job category. Help desk
specialists are also highly sought after in the Mountain(3) states, where 18
percent of executives polled indicated significant growth in this area.
Technology executives in the East North Central(4) region are experiencing
stronger demand than any other region for Internet/intranet development
professionals.
Twenty percent of CIOs in these states named this category their leading
area of job growth. Web experts are also in demand in the Mid-Atlantic
region, where 17 percent of executives cited Internet/intranet development as
the fastest-growing IT specialty, after networking.
Professional Services Firms Seek Network Administrators
The professional services industry currently offers networking
professionals the best job prospects -- 28 percent of technology executives
surveyed identified this as their fastest-growing specialty. In the finance
and transportation sectors, demand for help desk/end-user support staff is
particularly strong, according to the survey. Twenty-three percent of CIOs
surveyed from each industry identified this IT specialty as the leading area
of growth within their departments. IT managers in the transportation sector
also reported significant need for Internet/intranet specialists -- 22 percent
of CIOs ranked this as the fastest-growing job category at their firms.
(Charts on accompanying pages provide breakdowns by region and industry.)
With more than 100 locations in North America, Europe and Australia,
Robert Half Technology is a leading provider of IT professionals for
initiatives ranging from e-business development and multiplatform systems
integration to network engineering and technical support. Robert Half
Technology offers online job search services at http://www.roberthalftechnology.com.
ROBERT HALF TECHNOLOGY HOT JOBS REPORT
September 2002
East
United New Mid- South North
States England Atlantic Atlantic Central
Networking 23% 21% 31% 26% 23%
Help Desk/End- User
Support 15% 13% 12% 16% 15%
Internet/Intranet
Development 13% 16% 17% 7% 20%
Applications Development 11% 5% 13% 11% 16%
Data/Database Management 10% 13% 7% 14% 6%
Project Management 5% 5% 2% 3% 7%
Systems Analysis 4% 6% 4% 6% 2%
No Growth 7% 9% 4% 8% 5%
Other/Don't Know 12% 12% 10% 9% 6%
West East West
North South South
Central Central Central Mountain Pacific
Networking 30% 26% 21% 21% 12%
Help Desk/End-User
Support 15% 9% 21% 18% 15%
Internet/Intranet
Development 9% 13% 13% 10% 12%
Applications Development 7% 11% 11% 12% 9%
Data/Database Management 9% 16% 11% 8% 10%
Project Management 8% 7% 3% 7% 7%
Systems Analysis 3% 4% 5% 2% 8%
No Growth 4% 3% 9% 9% 9%
Other/Don't Know 15% 11% 6% 13% 18%
New England: CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT; Mid-Atlantic: NJ, NY, PA;
South Atlantic: DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV; East North Central:
IL, IN, MI, OH, WI; West North Central: IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD; East
South Central: AL, KY, MS, TN; West South Central: AR, LA, OK, TX;
Mountain: AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY; Pacific: AK, CA, HI, OR, WA
Finance,
Ins. and Profess-
United Manufac Real ional
States -turing Estate Retail Services
Networking 23% 22% 21% 20% 28%
Help Desk/End-User
Support 15% 11% 23% 16% 19%
Internet/Intranet
Development 13% 9% 5% 18% 15%
Applications Development 11% 17% 21% 5% 8%
Data/Database Management 10% 11% 7% 10% 8%
Project Management 5% 7% 10% 9% 2%
Systems Analysis 4% 5% 5% 10% 4%
No Growth 7% 7% 4% 4% 6%
Other/Don't Know 12% 11% 4% 8% 10%
Con- Transpor- Whole- Business
struction tation sale Services
Networking 27% 9% 26% 17%
Help Desk/End- User
Support 3% 23% 10% 7%
Internet/Intranet
Development 15% 22% 11% 15%
Applications Development 16% 10% 15% 7%
Data/Database Management 4% 6% 14% 22%
Project Management 13% 3% 1% 8%
Systems Analysis 7% 5% 1% 1%
No Growth 11% 9% 3% 4%
Other/Don't Know 4% 13% 19% 19%
1. Mid-Atlantic: NJ, NY, PA
2. West South Central: AR, LA, OK, TX
3. Mountain: AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY
4. East North Central: IL, IN, MI, OH, WI
SOURCE Robert Half Technology
Web Site: http://www.rhii.com
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