IT job hunters should try banking, software and telecoms

THE IT JOB MARKET did not do as badly as many had predicted this year and next year will be much better, according to the UK's IT Job Board.

It has undertaken its latest survey asking IT professionals to offer their thoughts on the year ahead. After adding up all the figures and dividing by its shoe size, the board has reached the conclusion that banking, software and telecoms will be the key sectors for those seeking IT work in 2010.

Nearly half of survey respondents highlighted that banking would be the principal sector for IT job growth, in spite of the problems it has faced in 2009. About 42 per cent believed it would be software and IT services, and 41 per cent thought telecoms would be a good area.

Peter Healey, sales director at The IT Job Board, said the finance sector will really pick up next year. Banking was the first to be hit during the recession, but it will also be the first to recover, and it will offer a lot of opportunity in terms of IT recruitment. When it came to the jobs in demand for 2010, one third thought it would be project manager roles, while the same number opted for business analyst jobs.

Healey said 2010 will see many more project management roles coming through, as companies embark on new IT projects. And, testing and development roles, which were heavily affected in 2009, will also increase next year.

The Vole's .NET will be the main skill in demand. More than 29 per cent opted for skills in SAP while 26 per cent chose Java. Another 26 per cent believed it would be web development roles.

Healey believes that IT pros should look to adopt skills in the web services arena as the industry gets to grips with social and business networking.

There is an indication that demand for contract workers will increase. More than 58 per cent advised that contract jobs would be in greater demand during 2010, compared to permanent positions.

Healey claims that in the latter part of 2009 there was a shift from permanent to contract roles, where companies sought greater flexibility. He believes this trend will continue in the first quarter of 2010. µ