The 3 Most Needed Non-Technical Skills

Along the lines of my last blog post "The 8 Most Needed Technical Skills by CIOs", here is a worthy article that addresses the increasingly important non-technical skillset that IT workers ought to be striving to attain:

• Communication
• Business Savvy
• Management

In the article, according to Andy Klein, professor and associate director of business programs at DeVry, "Traditionally what happens to IT people and engineers is oftentimes they get stuck in what we call the back office,” Klein said. “What happens is they’ve got a relatively narrow set of important technical skills. But unless they have a broader management perspective, it’s very hard for them to get ahead."

The 8 Most Needed Technical Skills by CIOs

The eight technical skills most often cited by CIOs as being most needed within their IT departments:

• Windows administration: 73%
• Network administration: 70%
• Database management: 60%
• Firewall administration: 55%
• Wireless network management: 52%
• Business intelligence: 34%
• ERP implementation: 22%
• Microsoft .Net development: 22%

Source: Robert Half Technology's 2008 Salary Guide, from an August 2007 survey of 1,400 CIOs; multiple responses allowed.

This information was taken from the article "Career Watch: Job-Hunting Edition" on ComputerWorld.com

Philly Seeking Recipe for Entrepreneurial Success in IT

According to an article just published by Dice.com, the Philadelphia area has "all of the ingredients to have the most successful region in the country," said Richard Caruso, chairman of Integra LifeSciences Corp. in Plainsboro, N.J. "We're lacking the recipe."

The article goes on to say that "future tech job growth could depend on a new effort to fund business ideas coming out of academia." With such strong acedemic institututions in the area, there's no lacking brainpower. It appears, we just need to tap into something deeper...our entrepreneurial spirit. Any takers?

Metrics - Philly IT Jobs

As of Sunday October 28, 2007, these major career websites had the following number of IT jobs posted: (Prior 4 weeks moving average in parantheses)

Dice.com: Philadelphia Metro 3,215 (3,187), +SAP 516 (456), +Microsoft 471 (492)
CareerBuilder: Philadelphia Metro 1,629 (1,716), +SAP 130 (99), +Microsoft 447 (493)
Monster: Philadelphia Metro 2,210(2,079), +SAP 368 (298), +Microsoft 474 (483)
HotJobs: Philadelphia Metro 1,211 (1,221), +SAP 238 (250), +Microsoft 143 (157)

IT Job Cuts Down and IT Certs Earn Workers Less

An article in ComputerWorld referencing newly released studies by Foote Partners, LLC, and Challenger, Gray & Christmas, says that IT job cuts are down from numbers reported this quarter in 2006, while certified IT workers are now earning less than non-certified IT workers, which is a first.

3Q Wage Growth in IT Strong Again

The Yoh Index of Technology Wages reported a 5.79% improvement in September, when compared to the same months in 2006. According to Jim Lanzalotto, Vice President of Strategy & Marketing for Yoh, “Wage growth is strong, demand is increasing due to rapid advancements in technologies, and all leading indicators point to increased hiring in coming months." Yoh publishes its "Yoh Index of Technology Wages" each quarter.

Metrics - Philly IT Jobs

As of Sunday October 21, 2007, these major career websites had the following number of IT jobs posted: (Prior 4 weeks moving average in parantheses)

Dice.com: Philadelphia Metro 3,121 (3,201), +SAP 472 (457), +Microsoft 499 (485)
CareerBuilder: Philadelphia Metro 1,706 (1,753), +SAP 86 (101), +Microsoft 486 (499)
Monster: Philadelphia Metro 2,161 (2,006), +SAP 348 (261), +Microsoft 482 (485)
HotJobs: Philadelphia Metro 1,246 (1,226), +SAP 234 (261), +Microsoft 148 (163)

Metrics - Philly IT Jobs

As of Monday October 15, 2007, these major career websites had the following number of IT jobs posted: (Prior 4 weeks moving average in parantheses)

Dice.com: Philadelphia Metro 3,199 (3,225), +SAP 456 (477), +Microsoft 493 (488)
CareerBuilder: Philadelphia Metro 1,716 (1,758), +SAP 108 (95), +Microsoft 498 (499)
Monster: Philadelphia Metro 2,134 (1,958), +SAP 327 (233), +Microsoft 482 (489)
HotJobs: Philadelphia Metro 1,209 (1,240), +SAP 248 (266), +Microsoft 159 (165)

Camden "...creating a high-tech cluster of businesses with high-paying jobs."

Just across the river, our sister city of Camden is incubating what we all hope will be a honeypot of high-paying IT jobs. The five-story tower of chrome and glass buzzing with activity two blocks from the Delaware River is the Waterfront Technology Center. It's been open for about 2 years now, is 60% occupied, and when fully leased, will accomodate nearly 400 workers. With rent, utilities, Internet access and other office expenses in the tech center running about 50 percent to 75 percent less than market value, its supporters (Rutgers and Drexel universities and state and federal governments) intend to nurture struggling startup companies with the hope that they expand nearby, creating more inner-city jobs.

More IT Workers to be Hired in 4Q 2007

Each quarter, the staffing firm Robert Half International surveys 200 CIOs in the Philadelphia region for their respective outlook on IT hiring. In their most recent survey, a net 7% increase in the number of CIOs who intend to be hiring workers in the 4th quarter was reported. Good news!

Innovation Philadelphia - New and Improved Online Presence

Innovation Philadelphia is an organization working hard to grow the technology and knowledge-based creative industry sectors of the Philadelphia economy. IP has recently re-launched it's website (http://www.innovationphiladelphia.com/) and re-designed its logo to exemplify "the strategic priorities Innovation Philadelphia announced with the launch of the organization's new mission and initiatives in April 2007." The new website "is focused on three initiatives which incorporates Innovation Philadelphia's mission to grow and increase jobs in the for-profit Creative Economy industries, attract and retain young professionals between the ages of 25-34 and to generate and gather innovative ideas that will define the Philadelphia region's economic future."

Read more about it here: http://sev.prnewswire.com/computer-electronics/20071003/DC0385003102007-1.html

Metrics - Philly IT Jobs

As of Monday October 8, 2007, these major career websites had the following number of IT jobs posted: (Prior 4 weeks moving average in parantheses)

Dice.com: Philadelphia Metro 3,173 (3,220), +SAP 442 (499), +Microsoft 482 (491)
CareerBuilder: Philadelphia Metro 1,689 (1,744), +SAP 103 (90), +Microsoft 492 (492)
Monster: Philadelphia Metro 2,166 (1,892), +SAP 308 (204), +Microsoft 500 (488)
HotJobs: Philadelphia Metro 1,194 (1,257), +SAP 249 (267), +Microsoft 155 (169)

Metrics - Philly IT Jobs

As of Wednesday October 3, 2007, these major career websites had the following number of IT jobs posted: (Prior 4 weeks moving average in parantheses)

Dice.com: Philadelphia Metro 3,254 (3,209), +SAP 451 (520), +Microsoft 492 (497)
CareerBuilder: Philadelphia Metro 1,754 (1,679), +SAP 97 (85), +Microsoft 497 (471)
Monster: Philadelphia Metro 1,853 (1,902), +SAP 209 (199), +Microsoft 469 (493)
HotJobs: Philadelphia Metro 1,233 (1,272), +SAP 268 (267), +Microsoft 164 (173)