CIOs Report on Information Technology's Hottest JobsSemi-annual Survey Ranks IT Specialties by U.S. Region and IndustryMENLO 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 |