Tech Companies are Hiring

“Do what you love” has been the advice embedded in American commencement speeches for decades. Now, however, it’s “do STEM’’ — Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Matthew Brosious, Co-Founder of FreightCenter.com

“We have the brains, we have the educational capability and I’m pretty sure students want a job when they graduate high school and college. We do not have to go overseas to find our talent,” says decorated Army Ranger and entrepreneur Matthew Brosious, co-founder of FreightCenter.com. The third-party logistics company and freight software technology provider does for freight shipping what Expedia does for travel.

Brosious’ company is hiring and, for students and people interested in new careers, what it’s seeking in job candidates offers valuable insights. Continue Reading

The Coolest Course Requirements of an IT Security Degree

Every company and organization has a need for IT security:  unless they are somehow still in the Jurassic Age and not using computerized systems. This field deals with securing networks and protecting data from intrusive attacks. Those who pursue an Information Security Master’s Degree will be prepared to head a security team of technologists who create systems to ensure the security of all things IT-related. This field goes beyond a standard Information Technology degree and specifically focuses on security. The course load for this degree has some unique and interesting classes. Continue Reading

Career Lessons That Professionals from Other Fields Can Teach You

Erin Palmer

One of the hardest things that college students face is trying to figure out what they want to do for a career. One of the hardest things that recent graduates face is finding the right job to jumpstart their careers. A side effect of this pressure can be a narrow field of vision. Once you’ve chosen a major and began working towards a particular career path, it is easy to become single-minded.

Just because you are working towards a particular career or area of study doesn’t mean that you should remain within that silo for career guidance. Marketing majors can still learn from the finance industry. Healthcare professionals can benefit from the wisdom of people who work in hospitality. No matter what your career path consists of, there are lessons you can learn from other industries. Continue Reading

Six Figure Jobs You May not Know About

You may be surprised to learn which jobs are paying the big bucks these days.

Although many people associate six-figure salaries with executive positions, those with a knack for technology and creative thinking can earn handsome compensation, too. According to research from Robert Half Technology and The Creative Group, salaries often top $100,000 for roles such as information architects, data security analysts and user experience (UX) designers. The generous compensation levels are due to high demand for these professionals as organizations strive to enhance their digital presence and boost investments in information technology (IT) infrastructure.

“These highly specialized positions help companies implement essential projects, such as improving and securing the firm’s online presence across platforms, or gathering and analyzing business data,” said John Reed, senior executive director of Robert Half Technology and The Creative Group. “Employers are willing to pay well for these roles because they allow organizations to take advantage of new technologies and gain a competitive edge.” Continue Reading

CIOs Expect Small IT Hiring Increase in Third Quarter of 2012

While there may be some job losses in IT, CIOs expect hiring in this field to remain steady.

Most chief information officers (CIOs) plan to maintain their current IT staffing levels in the third quarter of 2012, according to the just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report. In the latest quarterly survey, 5 percent of CIOs interviewed said they expect to expand their IT departments, and 4 percent anticipate cutbacks, for a net 1 percent projected increase in hiring activity. Eighty-nine percent of those surveyed plan no change in personnel levels, up four points from the second quarter.

In the same study, 76 percent of technology executives said they are somewhat or very optimistic about their companies’ growth prospects in the next three months, and 82 percent feel confident in their firms’ third-quarter investment in IT projects. Continue Reading

IT Hiring Expected in 2nd Quarter of 2012; Tips for College Grads Who Want IT Jobs

IT job seekers should expect to see more jobs created in the second quarter of 2012.  That is good news for college graduates in this career field.  Here is more information on IT hiring in the near term, as well as what college graduates can do to improve their chances of getting a job in the sector. Continue Reading

How Returning Veterans Can Add Value for Tech Employers

Technology employers may want to consider returning veterans as candidates to fill their needs.

With the Iraq War over and the Afghanistan conflict winding down, military veterans face the transition back into civilian life. The industry posed to benefit most from the veterans’ skill set is the tech sector.

Many tech bloggers and industry professionals think veterans are actually the perfect hire in technology fields because they have strong technologic backgrounds in some of the industry’s hottest needs, including: Continue Reading

Survey of CIOs Reveals Strangest Help Desk Requests

If you plan to work the help desk as part of an IT department for a company or organization, don’t be surprised to receive some interesting requests.

“Can you help me fix my toilet?” Believe it or not, the person who asked this question was calling his company’s IT help desk, not the plumber. It’s just one of the unusual requests chief information officers (CIOs) said they or their support staff have received, according to a new Robert Half Technology survey. These types of inquiries aren’t all that bizarre for help desk professionals, and they demonstrate it often takes patience, as well as technical know-how, to assist colleagues at work. Continue Reading

300 Jobs Coming to New Technology Center in New Orleans

New IT jobs are coming to New Orleans.

How do you keep a big company nimble? One answer is innovation and the mining of big data. “In our company right now we are investing heavily in developing software to make our things have bigger brains,” GE Chief Marketing Officer Beth Comstock said at the American Competitiveness summit held in Washington, DC, last week. “There’s too much value at stake for us to leave it behind. The sharing of data is going to lead us to some great insights.” Continue Reading

Survey: Professional-Level Hiring Expected to Increase in First Quarter of 2012; Executives See Rise in Recruiting Challenges

Employers expect to increase hiring for professional-level positions in the first quarter, but they have concerns about finding qualified candidates for these roles, a new Robert Half survey shows. A net 10 percent of executives interviewed for the Robert Half Professional Employment Report plan to add full-time staff in the first three months of the year, up three points from the fourth-quarter forecast. However, the number of respondents who report recruiting challenges also is on the rise: 67 percent of executives said it is at least somewhat challenging to find skilled employees today, up from 59 percent last quarter and 42 percent in the third quarter.

Eighty-seven percent of respondents said they are at least somewhat confident in their organizations’ ability to grow in the first quarter. Continue Reading