The 9 Hottest IT Skills in 2009
The new year has brought about significant change in the job market. Putting yourself back into the marketplace, no matter the field, can be a daunting prospect, but making yourself as marketable as possible is the key to your continued success... and landing that perfect job more expediently.
These are the top 9 IT skills that will be in demand for 2009, as cited by respondents to Computerworld's annual Forecast survey.
1. Help Desk/Technical Support
Help desk and technical support skills remain in strong demand, particularly for people who offer a blend of deep technical expertise and solid customer-service abilities, says Jill Herrin, president of IT recruiter JDResources Inc. "I have lots of customers who tell me their customer service function is broken and they need people with better communication skills," she says.
"One of the things we're seeing a demand for in this space is what we call a JOAT - a jack-of-all-trades - somebody who can do break/fix work and a bit of desktop support," says Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director at IT staffing firm Robert Half Technology. Demand for well-rounded technicians tends to become more acute when companies are looking to get more work done with fewer people, she says.
| No. | Title | Days | |
| MS2261 | Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Microsoft Windows Desktop Operating Systems | 3 | Schedule |
| MS2262 | Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Applications on a Microsoft Windows Desktop Operating System Platform | 2 | Schedule |
| MS2272 | Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows XP Professional | 5 | Schedule |
| MS5115+5116 | Installing and Configuring Microsoft Windows Vista Applications & Tools Boot Camp | 3 | Schedule |
| A+ | A+ Certifcation | 7 | Schedule |
| MCTS -Vista | MCTS : Windows Vista Cofiguration Boot Camp | 2 | Schedule |
2. Programming/Application Development
Ask any recruiter what the single most sought-after IT skill is at the moment, and the universal response is a three-letter word: SAP.
"The little joke in our industry right now is that if you have 'SAP' on your résumé right now, you have zero unemployment," says Bruce Culbert, CEO of iSymmetry Inc., an IT consulting and recruitment firm with offices in Washington and Alpharetta, Ga.
SAP experts, particularly those who are experienced with a specific module in a certain industry, are commanding $35 to $40 per hour more on average than other types of senior technicians, says Culbert. Demand for SAP skills has remained red hot because a growing number of companies are working toward establishing global instances of the ERP system, says Jill Herrin.
But not far behind is demand for IT professionals with .Net experience, say Herrin and other observers. Some companies that relied on offshore labor to deliver .Net and C# capabilities just a few years ago found that route to be "nonproductive," says Herrin. Now they're looking to fill those jobs in-house, she says.
Rich Schappert, senior director of IT at Casey's General Stores Inc. in Ankeny, Iowa, says he has been filling the retailer's demand for .Net and SQL Server programmers for the past five years by recruiting and training local college students. The company, which operates 1,500-plus stores across the Midwest, has been moving its Cobol-based financial applications into the .Net environment to reduce its mainframe costs. "[It's also] getting tougher to find people who know Cobol," notes Schappert.
| No. | Title | Days | |
| MS2124 | Introduction to C# Programming for the Microsoft.NET Platform | 5 | Schedule |
| MS2310 | Developing MS ASP.NET Web Applications Using MS Visual Studio.NET | 5 | Schedule |
| MS2541 | NEW! Core Data Access with Visual Studio 2005 | 3 | Schedule |
| MS2542 | Advanced Data Access with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 | 2 | Schedule |
| MS2543 | Core Web Application Technologies with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 | 3 | Schedule |
| MS2544 | Advanced Web Application Technology with Mircrosoft Visual Studio 2005 | 2 | Schedule |
| MS2546 | Core Windows Forms Technologies with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 | 3 | Schedule |
| MS2548 | Core Distributed Application Development with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 | 3 | Schedule |
| MS2549 | Adv. Distributed App Dev Lifecycle with Visual Studio Team System | 5 | Schedule |
| MS2555 | Developing MS .NET Applications for Windows (VisualC#.NET) | 5 | Schedule |
| MS4994 | Intro to Programming MS .NET Framework Apps. with VS 2005 | 5 | Schedule |
| MS4995 | Programming MS .NET Framework Using MS Visual Studio 2005 | 5 | Schedule |
| MS6460 | Windows Presentation Foundation | 3 | Schedule |
| MS6461 | Windows Communication Foundation | 3 | Schedule |
| MS6462 | Windows Workflow Foundation | 2 | Schedule |
| MS6463 | ASP.NET 3.5 | 2 | Schedule |
| MS6464 | Visual Studio 2008: ADO.NET 3.5 | 2 | Schedule |
| LP100 | Object Oriented Analysis & Design with UML | 5 | Schedule |
| LP210 | Core Java Programming for OO Developers | 5 | Schedule |
| LP250 | Advanced Java | 4 | Schedule |
| LP485 | Core JavaServer Faces | 4 | Schedule |
| LP505 | Fast Track J2EE With Servlets, JSP, JDBC & EJB; | 5 | Schedule |
| LP900 | Mastering Hibernate | 4 | Schedule |
3. Project Management
Even though many companies are cutting back on IT projects, there's still robust demand for project managers with solid track records, says Spencer Lee. "A differentiator is whether the person can articulate that they've brought a project in on time - or, better yet, under budget - and how they did that," she says.
Project management is one of the areas "that endure all economies and climates, where companies are constantly looking for people who understand the project and the systems development life cycles and make sure the project goals are closely aligned with the business objectives," says Harvey Koeppel, executive director of the Center for CIO Leadership in New York.
Employers also need people with project management certificates, even at the vice president level, according to some headhunters. As of late July, The Computing Technology Industry Association had awarded 20% more Project+ certifications than in the previous year, says Gretchen Koch, director of skills development programs at CompTIA.
| No. | Title | Days | |
| PM101 | Project Management Fundamentals | 3 | Schedule |
| PMIT01 | Information Technology Project Management Concepts | 3 | Schedule |
| PM102 | Project Schedule Management | 2 | Schedule |
| PM103 | Project Scope Management | 2 | Schedule |
| PM104 | Project Communications Management | 2 | Schedule |
| PM105 | Project Risk Management | 2 | Schedule |
| PMIT09 | IT Project Portfolio Management | 2 | Schedule |
| SEU133 | Project Management Evening Certificate Program | 16 eves | Schedule |
| SEU995 | Project Management Bootcamp | 5 | Schedule |
4. Networking
The ongoing convergence of voice, e-mail, video, instant messaging and other communications systems will continue to create demand for networking specialists with implementation experience. For example, Scholastic Inc. in New York posted a job opening in November for a network convergence manager to help it create a virtual call center using voice over IP, says Saad Ayub, senior vice president and CIO at the children's education company.
Those types of projects often require new skills as well. In 2008, for example, CRST International Inc. moved from a frame-relay network to AT&T's Multiprotocol Label Switching network and installed Cisco's VoIP system. As part of that project, the Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based transportation company trained some of its IT staffers to become Cisco Certified Voice Professionals, says Steve Hannah, vice president of IT.
Network convergence projects will also heighten demand for workers with network security and data privacy acumen, Koeppel says, adding that "it's not just pure [network] backbone and infrastructure skills" that are being sought by employers.
| No. | Title | Days | |
| MS2261 | Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Microsoft Windows Desktop Operating Systems | 3 | Schedule |
| MS2262 | Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Applications on a Microsoft Windows Desktop Operating System Platform | 2 | Schedule |
| MS2272 | Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Windows XP Professional | 5 | Schedule |
| MS2273 | Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment | 5 | Schedule |
| MS2273BL | Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment (MODL) | 5 | Schedule |
| MS2274 | Managing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment | 5 | Schedule |
| MS2275 | Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment | 3 | Schedule |
| MS2276 | Implementing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure: Network Hosts | 2 | Schedule |
| MS2277 | Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining Win 2003 Server Network Infrastructure: Network Services | 5 | Schedule |
| MS2278 | Planning and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure | 5 | Schedule |
| MS2279 | Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Win2003 Server Active Directory Infrastructure | 5 | Schedule |
| MS2282 | Designing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure | 5 | Schedule |
| MS2285 | Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional | 2 | Schedule |
| MS2287 | Managing Your Infrastructure Using Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 | 3 | Schedule |
| MS2289 | Deploying Business Desktops with Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2003 | 3 | Schedule |
| MS2433 | Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition and Microsoft Windows Script Host Essentials | 3 | Schedule |
| MS2439 | Scripting Using Microsoft Windows Management Instrumentation | 2 | Schedule |
| MS2576 | Implementing and Administering Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 | 3 | Schedule |
| MS2786 | Designing a Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Infrastructure | 2 | Schedule |
| MS2830 | Designing Security for Microsoft Networks | 3 | Schedule |
| 50028 | Managing System Center Operations Manager 2007 (formerly MOM) | 5 | Schedule |
| MS5047 | Introduction to Installing and Managing Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 | 3 | Schedule |
| MS5049 | Managing Messaging Security using Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 | 1 | Schedule |
| MS5050 | Recovering Messaging Servers and Databases using Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 | 1 | Schedule |
| MS5051 | Monitoring and Troubleshooting Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 | 2 | Schedule |
| MS5053 | Designing a Messaging Infrastructure Using Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 | 3 | Schedule |
| MS5054 | Designing a High Availability Messaging Solution Using Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 | 2 | Schedule |
| MS5058 | Deploying Microsoft Office 2007 Professional Plus | 2 | Schedule |
| MS5060 | Implementing Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 | 2 | Schedule |
| MS5061 | Implementing Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 | 3 | Schedule |
| MS5105 | Deploying Microsoft Windows Vista Business Desktops | 2 | Schedule |
| MS5115 | Installing and Configuring the Windows Vista Operating System | 3 | Schedule |
| MS5116 | Configuring Windows Vista Application and Tools | 2 | Schedule |
| MS5118 | Maintaining and Troubleshooting Windows Vista Computers | 3 | Schedule |
| MS6231 | Maintaining a Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Database | 5 | Schedule |
| MS6232 | Implementing a Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Database | 5 | Schedule |
| MS6234 | Implementing and Maintaining Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services | 3 | Schedule |
| MS6235 | Implementing and Maintaining Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Integration Services | 3 | Schedule |
| MS6236 | Implementing and Maintaining Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services | 3 | Schedule |
| MS6416 | Updating your Network Infrastructure and Active Directory Technology Skills to Windows Server 2008 | 5 | Schedule |
| MS6417 | Updating your Applications Infrastructure Technology Skills to Windows Server 2008 | 3 | Schedule |
| MS6418 | Deploying Windows Server 2008 | 3 | Schedule |
| MS6420 | Fundamentals of a Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure and Application Platform | 5 | Schedule |
| MS6421 | Configuring and Troubleshooting a Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure | 5 | Schedule |
| MS6423 | Implementing and Managing Windows Server 2008 Clustering | 3 | Schedule |
| MS6424 | Fundamentals of Microsoft Server 2008 Active Directory | 3 | Schedule |
| MS6425 | Configuring Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Domain Services | 5 | Schedule |
| MS6426 | Configuring Identity and Access Solutions with Windows Server 2008 Active Directory | 3 | Schedule |
| MS6427 | Configuring and Troubleshooting Internet Information Services in Windows Server 2008 | 3 | Schedule |
| MS6428 | Configuring and Troubleshooting Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services | 2 | Schedule |
| MS6429 | Configuring and Managing Windows Media Services for Windows Server 2008 | | Schedule |
| MS6430 | Managing and Maintaining Windows Server 2008 Servers | 5 | Schedule |
| MS6435 | Designing a Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure | 5 | Schedule |
| MS6436 | Designing a Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Infrastructure and Services | 5 | Schedule |
| MS6437 | Designing a Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure | 3 | Schedule |
| MS6451 | Planning, Deploying and Managing Microsoft Systems Center Configuration (formerly SMS) Manager 2007 | 5 | Schedule |
| A+ | A+ Certification | 7 | Schedule |
| RH033 | Red Hat Linux Essentials | 5 | Schedule |
| RH133 | Red Hat Linux System Administration and RHCT Exam | 4 | Schedule |
| RH253 | Red Hat Linux Networking and Security Administration | 4 | Schedule |
| RH300 | RHCE Rapid Track Course and Exam | 5 | Schedule |
| RH401 | Enterprise Deployment, VIrtualization and Systems Management | 4 | Schedule |
| RH436 | Red Hat Enterprise Clustering and Storage Management | 4 | Schedule |
5. Business Intelligence
Now more than ever, corporate executives want to be able to analyze customer and sales data in order to make informed decisions about business strategies. That's driving demand for business intelligence specialists across the board, including people with data mining, data warehousing and data management skills.
At Aspen Skiing Co., which operates four ski resorts in western Colorado, company officials will be making year-over-year comparisons on customer spending, including analyses of spending habits during the previous recession, says CIO Paul Major. "We're going to have to get very granular with our analytics," he says.
Meanwhile, there's steady demand for IT professionals with experience using vendor-specific BI tools from companies such as Business Objects and Cognos, says Spencer Lee. But the toughest people to find in this area are those who can help business managers understand the type of data they're trying to analyze and how to interpret the results, she says. "What's difficult," she adds, "is to find someone who's the full-meal deal."
| No. | Title | Days | |
| MS2778 | Writing Queries Using Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Transact-SQL | 3 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS2779 | Implementing a Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Database | 5 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS2780 | Maintaining A Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Database | 5 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS2784 | Tuning & Optimizing Queries Using MS SQL Server 2005 - NEW | 3 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS2785 | Implementing and Maintaining a Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Database | 5 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS2786 | Designing MS SQL Server 2005 Infrastructure & Services | 2 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS2787 | Designing Security for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 | 2 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS2788 | Designing High Availability Database Solutions Using SQL Server 2005 | 3 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS2790 | Troubleshooting and Optimizing Database Servers Using SQL Server 2005 | 2 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS2791 | Implementing & Maintaining Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services | 3 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS2792 | Implementing and Maintaining MS SQL Server 2005 Integration Services | 3 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS2793 | Implementing & Maintaining Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services | 3 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS2794 | Designing a Bus. Intelligence Sol. for the Ent. Using MS SQL Server 2005 | 2 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS2795 | Designing an ETL Sol. Architecture Using MS SQL Server 2005 Int. Svcs | 3 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS2796 | Design. an Analysis Sol. Architecture - MS SQL Server 2005 Analysis Svcs | 3 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS2797 | Design a Reporting Sol, Architecture - MS SQL Server 2005 Reporting Svcs | 2 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS6158 | Updating Your SQL 2005 Skills to SQL Server 2008 | 3 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS6231 | Maintaining a Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Database | 5 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS6234 | Implementing & Maintaining SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services | 3 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS6235 | Implementing & Maintaining SQL Sever 2008 Integration Svcs. | 3 Day(s) | Schedule |
| MS6236 | Imiplementing & Maintaining SQL Server 2008 Reporting Svcs. | 3 Day(s) | Schedule |
6. Security
When it comes to demand for certain types of security professionals, those with SAP security experience "are probably the hottest of the hot right now," says Herrin.
But interest in security professionals remains strong across the board. "Companies can't ignore security requirements, even in tough economic times," says Stephen Pickett, CIO at Penske Corp. and past president of the Society for Information Management.
There's also strong interest in people with network and wireless security skills, as well as those with Certified Information Systems Security Professional accreditation.
| No. | Title | Days | |
| MS2276 | Implementing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure: Network Hosts | 2 | Schedule |
| MS2282 | Designing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure | 5 | Schedule |
| MS2787 | Designing Security for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 | 2 | Schedule |
| MS2823 | Implementing and Administering Security in a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network | 5 | Schedule |
| MS2830 | Designing Security for Microsoft Networks | 3 | Schedule |
| 5049 | Managing Messaging Security using Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 | 1 | Schedule |
| DLCISSP | CISSP® | 5 | Schedule |
| CTSEC | Security+ (2007) | 5 | Schedule |
7. Web 2.0
While many companies are just starting to noodle with corporate implementations of social networking applications such as MySpace and Facebook, "more and more companies are trying to reach their customers via the Web," says Pickett.
Demand for Web 2.0 skills is also driven by the continuing expansion of business-to-business connections. For instance, Children's Hospital and Health System in Milwaukee recently created a portal for roughly half of its physicians who work remotely. The system provides them with access to summary medical data on patients, says Mike Jones, vice president and CIO.
Dreamweaver - Coming June 2009
In Design - Coming June 2009
Photoshop - Coming June 2009
8. Data Center
Most of the glass-house buzz is about server and storage virtualization projects that help organizations lower their energy costs and shrink their data center footprints.
But few companies are recruiting specifically for data center skills. Instead, they're retraining existing staff in VMware and other virtualization technologies. For instance, Aspen Skiing is considering virtualizing up to 40% of its servers in 2009, says Major. To achieve that, Aspen Skiing plans to rely on VMware and EMC to provide staff with the necessary training.
VMware - Coming July 2009
Microsoft HyperV- Coming July 2009
9. Telecommunications
VoIP and projects involving unified communications continue to drive demand for blended telecommunications and networking skills, particularly among small to midsize businesses that are just beginning to deploy these systems, says Spencer Lee. Interest in Wi-Fi, WiMax, Bluetooth and related skills is also growing, says Koeppel, "Particularly as cities look to WiMax as a feature to attract businesses."
Coming Q3 2009
Whatever your IT learning needs, St. Edward’s Professional Education Center has a solution for you. You can click here for a free online skills assessment, call us at 512-346-8110 or email an Account Manager for more information.
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