This edition of Market Metrix focuses on the perseverance of the information technology industry. It’s evident that technology is playing a large role in everything we do at work and at home. As corporations continue to embrace technology and utilize the endless advantages, its no wonder this industry possess a bright future for workers who enter this highly skilled career space. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics project that IT professionals will enjoy the best job prospects, reflecting continuing demand for higher level skills needed to keep up with changes in technology. Recent layoffs from large corporations like Yahoo and Microsoft might suggest that technology cutbacks are eminent; however Beyond.com’s 2008 data indicated consistent career opportunities and projections for this year combined with President Obama's affinity for technology initiatives is reason for optimism.

Geo-Target IT Careers

Industry trend reports aggregated by Beyond.com reveal California, New York, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, and Georgia are strong states to settle for a career in information technology. These six states account for 55% of all information technology job postings in the Beyond.com network for 2008.

A coastal trend was revealed when we looked closer at the leading cities for IT careers. New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles consistently represented the top job posting cities over the past year. No surprises here folks as these cities headquarter many of the countries largest corporations. Catalysts for this strong industry job market are sites TechCareers.com, SanFranciscoGigs.com, NewarkJobs.com, ManhattanJobs.com, and BeyondLosAngeles.com.

Competition for Industry Candidates

News Alert! Skilled professionals are in high demand within the information technology sector. Understanding what titles are most represented will better candidate’s ability hone their skill sets and employers to locate the ideal candidate. The Top 7 IT candidate titles from the past year are:

• Help Desk Specialist
• Computer Programmer
• Computer Operator
• Network Administrator
• Software Engineer
• System Administrator
• Web Developer

According to career professionals in the Beyond.com Network, the top IT skills include hardware, C++, HTML, Java, UNIX, Oracle, Cisco, ASP, XML, and SQL Server. IT professionals should make a point to keep up with industry trends and understand what skills are in demand so they can position their career for growth in the future.

Not Your Grandmothers High School Diploma Anymore!

Unlike our previous Market Metrix featuring the Clerical & Administrative Industry, professionals in IT should consider higher education to land the most rewarding occupations. Our data further proves this theory, as nearly 55% of Beyond.com network candidates possess a 4 year college degree or greater. Concurrently, 42% of candidates have 10 or fewer years of experience. A strong competency for IT skills and career development will provide professionals opportunities to flourish.

As the information technology industry continues to innovative, data shows it will supply career opportunities for years to come.

Source: http://www.employmentmetrix.com/blog/2009/01/the-it-industry-progra...

Follow this blog on twitter: www.twitter.com/EmpMetrix