Hottest IT job skills for 2011

" Janco predicts there will be more churn in IT staff as CIOs accelerate their move to more flexible staffing models. CIOs are outsourcing more technical work, including managed IP services just as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and VPNs. They are hiring more contractors for desktop and security services, and they are putting more applications just as remote backup in the cloud," the report said.

The result is that CIOs are eager to retrain or replace people with aging or less relevant skills, nevertheless are having trouble finding those with the right business-oriented skills, cloud-computing skills and other high-demand specialties.

IT recruitment giant Robert Half Research's latest IT Hiring Index – a survey of 1,400 CIOs – estimates a net 7 percent increase in the number of companies creating new positions in IT. The survey showed 9 percent of CIOs expect to add positions, during 2 percent expect to cut them.

In this case the report shows a loss of 43,700 jobs in the Telecommunications sector while the previous 12 months, compared to growth of 48,500 jobs in Computer System Design and Related Services.

The shift from skills consistent with telecom departments and toward more sysadmin-related jobs is probably a reflection on the push by many companies to outsource the complicated tech to which they can't add much value, and expand virtualization, cloud computing and web-related projects.

It probably doesn't hurt that Computer System Design would as well cover anyone hired to implement or support mobile-computing projects using tablets, smartphones or other BYOT hardware.

Janco and RHI differ a bit on the list of jobs in highest demand, probably due to their differing focus. RHI's main business is recruiting and hiring contract or full-time workers for specific companies.

Combination of analysis

Janco's is a combination of analysis, consulting and technology, focusing more on the business end result of IT projects, not exclusively who it hired to carry them out.

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