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IT Salaries are Expected to take a 5.3 Percent Jump

A company’s ability to recruit and keep a team of skilled information technology employees is becoming a top priority throughout the industry. Those companies unable to secure the qualified IT professionals that they need to support their businesses risk the efficiency of their operations, which can keep them from exploring new and exciting initiatives.

Right now, demand is exceeding the supply of qualified candidates to fill the many information technology jobs that are out there. This is according to a study conducted by the Robert Half Technology 2013 Salary Guide. That is very good news for the many IT professionals looking for their first IT job or those sitting at their current job wishing they could move on to something bigger and better.

Pay Scales Will Keep Going Up

In order for companies to improve their odds of securing the best IT employees out there, they are now ramping up their pay scales. They know that money attracts the best talent. While some companies realized this fact a long time ago, some have been somewhat slower on the uptake, but they are catching up and it is resulting in an industry-wide trend.

This trend has led Robert Half Technology to come up with an industry-wide number that reflects the jump in pay and that number is 5.3 percent.

This number reflects the starting pay that an information technology professional can expect. What’s more is that Robert Half surveyed chief information officers and it is expected that in 2014 it will be determined that the information technology industry will be the one in 2013 that saw the greatest boost in average starting salary. From here, the pay scale is going to continue to rise with the demand for talent.

High in Demand Jobs

There are some jobs that are expected to grow in demand. They include:

  1. Mobile application developing

The number of mobile Internet users is expected to grow by 16.6 percent by 2015, according to IDC. This is going to result in more companies wanting to expand their mobile presence and build mobile websites and applications that will expand their reach. The starting pay for mobile applications developers can expect to start out between $92,750 and $133,500, which is an increase of 9 percent over 2012.

  1. Business intelligence analysis

Companies are looking to get more from the data that they generate and gather so that they can use it in decision-making processes. However, turning raw data into info that can be used to advance their businesses requires a certain set of skills. Big data is used to identify the big picture. Without a big picture, a business may not entirely know what is going on.

  1. Wireless network engineering

It is estimated that the number of mobile devices that are connected to the Internet exceed the number of people on the planet. This is because most people use more than one or two devices with some people using both mobile phones and tablets. This has increased the demand for people who can build and maintain the vast wireless networks that keep information flowing. From this point, it is expected to increase and so s the salary, which now starts between $85,500 and $117,000. That is a 7.9 percent increase over 2012.

As the needs of consumers and businesses continue to evolve technologically, more information technology positions are going to open up. As the demand grows, the salaries are expected to increase so that businesses can stay on top of their game.

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Job Hopping Becomes a Trend in the IT Industry

Just two decades ago, people were expected to stay at the same job for many years, regardless of the field they were working in. When the IT field experienced an explosion in the 1990s, it started to make less sense to stay with one company for twenty or thirty years and retire from there, especially when you could jump from Company A to Company B and make thousands of dollars more per year.
As jobs in the IT field have grown and the pay has grown with it, more IT professionals job hop and it is something that is perfectly acceptable. In fact, the fastest way to move up the chain is to switch jobs in order to gain the most experience. In order to do this, there are some things that IT workers must keep in mind:
1. Be selective in where you jump to
While job hopping is almost always about money and added experience, it is best to not jump to the competitor of your current company unless there is good reason. You could be suspected of taking confidential information to them, especially if you are applying for the same level position. If you apply for a higher position, then it will make much more sense to the company you are leaving.
2. Jump forward and not sideways
For some reason, there are some companies in the IT world that are less likely to promote employees from within. Furthermore, someone who has held the same title for years may be considered unskilled since they have not yet moved up or they haven’t acquired new skills with that company. If you’re going to take the jump, jump forward. For instance, it makes more sense for an engineer to apply for a senior engineer position. If you are a manager, apply for a senior manager position at the other company. Even if you are moving simply because the working conditions at your current employee are intolerable, you don’t want to jump sideways; you want to apply for a position that is a step up.
3. Do not hop too much
Hopping is expected in the IT industry nowadays. What they don’t expect is for someone to jump once a year or less. It is not surprising when someone jumps every 18 to 24 months. If you have only been in the field for five years and there are 7 or 8 companies on your resume’, it is important to have a good explanation; otherwise the message to the employer is not one of dependability.
4. Learn something new at every job
Learn something new at every IT position you hold. Learning something new means one more skill on your resume’ that can land you a higher paying job in the future.
5. Don’t jump to a sinking ship
Companies appear and then disappear sometimes. It can sometimes be difficult to tell if a company is doing well or not, so it is best to check their history before hopping over to them. You don’t want to get the job and then be on an unpredictable job search because you were laid off.
So no longer is job hopping considered a bad thing. When your resume’ shows advancement every time you hop, then more companies will want to take advantage of your IT skills.

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