subject: It Jobs Industry And Trends [print this page] With hindsight, the growth of the IT industry has been remarkable. We have gone from computers being for business use and a niche in the general consumer market, to almost ubiquitous presence of computers, smartphones and tablets for the average Joe. The IT industry has become one of the most reliable industries with IT jobs becoming increasingly sought after.
Recent data from the Council of Economic Advisors (CES) shows that, despite a drastic fall in 2007, IT is one of the few industries (alongside marketing, computer software and insurance) that in 2011 had equalled or exceeded its employment level in 2007. When taken in perspective of the fall it had in 2007, this showcases an incredible rate of growth to surpass the employment level it had in the wake of a devastating recession.
Alongside this, during the recession it was found that the Internet was an industry with some of the largest growth in terms of job gains, making it somewhat recession proof. Indeed, the CES report shows that the Internet grew by 24.6 per cent.
This growth signifies our reliance on technology today. Not only do most people own a computer, but we all browse the web, many households have multiple computers, especially those with children that want their own laptops. Our need for technology means that roles like software development are increasing because we rely on our gadgets for an ever-increasing array of tasks and we want immediate access to our data across all our devices, from our PC to tablet to phone.
All this means that not only does the hardware need to be faster, prettier and more portable, but the software needs to be easy, intuitive and optimised for battery life and speed. With such important and sensitive data on our machines, people need to be hired to develop data storage and backup facilities, networking so we can share documents with other computers on the same network. In addition to that, IT covers such things as semiconductor design and production, and the development of the mainframes and servers that our hobby blogs are hosted on. The recession may have impacted a lot of things negatively, but it didnt detract from our need for good technology.
Of course, in addition to that is the fact that IT as an industry is not only huge, but it also affects all other sectors. The reliance on technology extends to the hospitality industry that uses electronic payments, the retail sector that relies on computers for data logging and stock checks, businesses that need video conferencing to people around the globe, and so on.
Data compiled by Indeed shows that since March 2011, job postings for IT jobs have increased by 19 per cent, and clicks on IT jobs have increased 45 per cent. This shows two things: more information technology jobs are becoming available, and increasing numbers of people are trying to work in the sector, with the jobs ranging from everything from data administrator through to graphic designer.
Such is the range and importance of IT jobs that it remains one industry that analysts expect good growth for in 2012. The recruitment website Monster published its 2012 Technology Jobs Outlook and it states that government mandates will boost technology hiring. From looking at developments in business, we can safely see that the recent and urgent move to cloud computing, mobile application development and software deployment will mean increased job openings in the IT industry as a whole to push businesses and consumers in that direction. The boom in social media adoption has led to a surge in new related companies, such as Pinterest, which also means job opportunities for those who are technologically savvy.
As with any industry, the IT industry has had its ups and downs, but having now established itself as one of the most important and long-term sectors, it looks set to experience a further hiring boom in the coming years.
