January 6, 2015 ACM CareerNews Welcome to the January 6, 2015 edition of ACM CareerNews, providing twice monthly summaries of articles on career-related topics of interest to students and professionals in the computing field. For instructions on how to unsubscribe from this service, please see below. ACM CareerNews is intended as an objective career news digest for busy IT professionals. Views expressed are not necessarily those of ACM. To send comments, please write to [email protected] HEADLINES AT A GLANCE: Full-Time IT Hiring is Gaining Ground, Finally Top Tech Jobs 2015: Software Engineering and Development 4 Ways Building a Better Brand Attracts Better IT Talent Top 10 Tech Industry Careers For 2015 The Right Training Tech For A Tech Career Big Data: The Key Skills Businesses Need Why Companies Should Start Celebrating Millennials Careers in Tech: Everyone Starts Somewhere and Students Can Start Today Were Looking at Women in Computer Science Incorrectly A New Software Engineering Full-Time IT Hiring is Gaining Ground, Finally Computerworld, December 8 Heading into 2015, the odds of success in the job hunt appear to be improving for IT professionals with in-demand skills. The economy added 321,000 jobs overall in November and IT hiring was part of the upswing. According to Foote Associates, an IT labor analyst and research firm, the number of new IT jobs stood at 17,300 in November, compared to 12,900 in October. Similarly, Janco Associates, a consulting firm that tracks IT hiring, reported a gain of 12,700 IT jobs in November, compared to 6,900 in October. The differences between the Foote and Janco IT employment numbers reflect the categories of U.S. Labor Department data each uses to create their analyses. But both show an uptick and the analysts agree on what the findings show: November was a good month for hiring in general and IT hiring in particular. There are several trends that are underlying the employment gains. When the economy turned down in 2008, many firms shed IT workers, along with many others, and then shifted to consulting firms and contract workers to fill gaps and take on new projects. Firms are now systematically replacing consultants with full-timers as well as expanding their staffs. The IT professionals that employers are most actively seeking fall into several areas. Employers want people with business and technical skills, analysts, architects and software engineers, as opposed to traditional infrastructure jobs. People with specialized skills, such security or data analytics, are also in demand, and thats been a reflected in the willingness of companies to pay premiums for certain types of certifications. In Footes analysis, the monthly IT job gains in November were the second largest of the year, following September, at 22,700 new jobs. Click Here to View Full Article to the top Top Tech Jobs 2015: Software Engineering and Development Silicon Republic, December 9 Software development and software engineering are two of the tech jobs that will be in greatest demand in 2015. Software developers and engineers represent a major part of the recruitment environment in Ireland, but the evolution of both multinationals and domestic businesses means the acute needs and wants of companies is constantly under review, with newer skills needed all the time. Whats key in this field is staying on top of the programming languages in vogue. Development positions with Java, .NET, Python and Ruby on Rails are still the most common jobs on the market. Within the broader categories of software developer and software engineer, IT roles aligned with strong business skills are becoming more and more popular. There is also a growing field of start-ups looking to make it big with mobile apps, with UI and UX almost a pre-requisite across the board. Website creation and management is broader still, with CMS systems and HTML-related maintenance a consistent source of employment. PHP, Perl and Ruby on Rails knowledge is key in this area at creation stage, but CSS and HTML goes far when it comes to front-end employment opportunities. There is also the growing potential for software-based employment opportunities in industries such as med tech, which is seeing a growing introduction of software into devices. Permanent people within software engineering and development are hard to hire. The information technology industry in Ireland has continued to experience a period of growth across all sectors, with competition for strong, experienced candidates remaining high. Demand is outstripping supply in a number of areas and as a result there are pressures on permanent salaries and contractor daily rates. For example, there is significant demand for developers with mobile experience. Salaries in the software development and engineering fields vary significantly depending on experience and the different levels within the profession. Click Here to View Full Article to the top 4 Ways Building a Better Brand Attracts Better IT Talent CIO, December 9 There has been a major shift in the way companies approach their own branding as they work to build a culture and image that will appeal to top talent. They recognize that without a positive brand as an employer, it will be difficult to attract and retain the quality talent a business needs to stay competitive. To build a positive employer brand, its critical to shift your thinking to focus on employee engagement. In turn, employee engagement can lead to a positive image on social media, encourage quality referrals and help to promote a positive brand to other talent in the marketplace. Social media has been a major driver of this shift, as companies realize employees will use platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to detail their experience in the workplace, both positive and negative. Businesses are beginning to stress employee engagement as a way to help ensure a positive brand perception. Social media gives employees a voice and a powerful reach, so if they dont feel good about their employer, theyll take it out to social media and tarnish the brand. Happier, more engaged employees are more productive, and more likely to refer qualified candidates to your organization. One of the best ways to attract talent is through referrals. When people see that their friends, their family and their social network connections are happy and fulfilled at work, they want to work at that company, too. An employee engagement strategy can also help build a pipeline of up-and-coming talent. Candidates in Generation Y and Generation Z have changed the relationship between employer and employee and are clamoring for a sense of mission, purposeful work and an alignment of values with their workplace. To attract and retain the best and brightest, companies must be explicit about their culture and work to engage employees and foster a positive brand image. Of course, business reasons aside, fostering a culture of engagement and ensuring your employees are happy is simply the right thing to do. At the very core, every business most valuable asset is people and the skills and knowledge they bring with them. Click Here to View Full Article to the top Top 10 Tech Industry Careers For 2015 The Independent (UK), November 18 There are 10 tech industry careers that have the greatest prospects for future development, both in terms of career advancement and salary. In general, a career in the technology sector is varied and rewarding, with great job prospects, personal development opportunities and high-end salaries available for the best candidates. The leading jobs in the tech world include: software engineer, computer systems engineer, Web developer, information security analyst, database administrator, games developer, network engineer, software programmer and IT manager. Requiring good analytical skills and an attention to detail, software engineers combine their knowledge of math, engineering and computer science to design, develop, test and evaluate software. There is a greater demand for good software engineers than ever before, thanks to a growing number of start-ups and increasing tech complexity. There are also many jobs within large government, manufacturing and educational institutions. A computer systems engineer will combine a knowledge of math, science and electronics with creative thinking to devise a workable, fluid computer system that is fast, efficient and productive in areas as diverse as robotics, home automation, biomedical devices and office workplaces. The number of jobs in this field is rising. With companies and organizations large and small continuing to want cutting edge, visually appealing websites, skilled web designers are highly prized. As the number of hacking and data breach cases rises, having an effective defense against cyber attacks is vital. Information Security Analysts are responsible for ensuring networks are watertight. They educate staff to avoid unintended disclosures and keep up to speed with potential external threats. By conducting risk and vulnerability assessments and engaging in defense planning, they utilize analytical and problem-solving skills. Since companies need to handle a lot of data, an effective database system is important. The information has to be safe, regularly backed up, organized for ease-of-use and subject to certain permissions and privileges. Analytical minds familiar with the principles of database design and the main data manipulation languages are required, with successful candidates tending to have a background in computer science, IT, math, electronics or operational research. Finally, a network engineer works on the network infrastructure of an organization, building and configuring strong firewalls, troubleshooting outages and scheduling upgrades. Click Here to View Full Article to the top The Right Training Tech For A Tech Career Information Week, December 10 For aspiring computer programmers, video and online collaboration provide an edge over traditional online training programs. Computer programmers that train using video modules and collaborative video for teamwork will enter the workforce that much more prepared to code effectively in teams than those who study solo. Theyll also benefit from more varied training that feels more interactive and more hands on. While online coding programs that enable people to learn code on their own time can be helpful, they do not offer students everything they need to succeed in the software engineering world. As a result, students headed for a computer programming career need to embrace an online learning model that has a strong emphasis on collaboration. New forms of online video collaboration offer a potential solution for beginning coders who have to work a day job and have weekend commitments. Many of the online coding programs use high-quality video to deliver lessons. Seeing the instructors face leads to better student engagement, for sure, but it doesnt bring with it the experience of working on a team of coders or the opportunity to ask questions and receive complex answers. Teaching modules can incorporate video conferencing tools that not only let students speak with one another in real-time from the comfort of their homes and across geographic boundaries, but also let them share and annotate content and connect with instructors during pre-determined video office hours. Coders relying on online lessons can also benefit from video tools like lecture capture. This feature records presentations as they occur live, preserving nuance and audience participation for students to watch or revisit on video later. Click Here to View Full Article to the top Big Data: The Key Skills Businesses Need The World Economic Forum Blog, November 26 The number of jobs related to Big Data is growing by the day, as more and more companies become aware of the benefits data collection and analysis could have on their profitability. Many new Big Data jobs come with very attractive six figure salaries, and for anyone interested in data and analysis, could provide extremely rewarding careers. Demand is likely to increase exponentially, so getting into the industry in its early days could set you up for a future-proofed career. Its important, though, to gain the key skills that will prepare you for crucial data-centric roles within your organization, including analytical skills, programming skills, mathematical skills and the ability to think creatively. Perhaps the most obvious ability you will need is to be able to make sense of the huge quantities of data that your newly deployed data collection strategy is piling up for you. Analytics involves the ability to determine which data is relevant to the question that you are hoping to answer, and interpreting the data in order to derive those answers. There are no hard and fast rules about what a company should use big data for. It is an emerging science, which means the ability to come up with new methods of gathering, interpreting, analyzing and profiting from a data strategy, is a very valuable skill. The corporate data superstars of the future will be people who can come up with new methods of applying data analytics in innovative ways. Click Here to View Full Article to the top Why Companies Should Start Celebrating Millennials CIO Insight, December 8 Companies need to stop complaining about Millennials and start celebrating them if they plan to attract the next generation of IT talent. This means changing common perceptions of Millennials. In short, companies need to listen to them and rely on them, and then think about ways that that certain negatives can be viewed instead as positives. As Gen Yers continue to make up an increasingly impactful proportion of both customer segments and corporate leadership, their behavior will become the predominant new normal. If companies dont adapt to these new behaviors with enthusiasm now, adapting later on will be much harder. There are two key two steps you should take toward changing your companys cultural perception of Millennials. The first step is to listen to and rely on the Millennials in your company to help sift through noise and overarching generalities about the new generation. As with any customer segment, a multitude of nuances will be overlooked if executives rely on stereotypes. While not being a Millennial allows an executive to observe differences in behavior that may not occur to a Millennial who is not self-aware, it is only when the two perspectives are combined that companies will gain meaningful insight. One group observes the what, and the other can explain the why. The second step is to take all of the Millennials differences and flip the script. Start to identify how the Millennials behavior can be an opportunity rather than a barrier. Start to appreciate and celebrate. For example, the lack of empathy characteristics certainly have some validity and are grounded in peoples perceptions and experience with the Millennials, but treating these stereotypes as blanket truths is dangerous. So, even though its inconvenient to have to reexamine outdated business models, processes, policies and perhaps capital investments, that doesnt mean you shouldnt take steps to enter the new era of business with the Millennials. Click Here to View Full Article to the top Careers in Tech: Everyone Starts Somewhere and Students Can Start Today Venture Beat, December 7 Microsofts corporate vice president of technology and civic engagement suggests that new computer science initiatives like Hour of Code have a huge opportunity to address educational needs. As he also points out, Computer Science Education Week is an important reminder that we need to do more and find ways that we can all come together provide resources for our students that help prepare them for the future. Technology is now applied to almost every industry and part of every career, meaning that computer science drives job growth and innovation. However, many schools lack the resources to adequately prepare students for jobs that are available today and for the workforce of the future – and thats where Hour of Code can make the biggest difference. The Hour of Code movement, which has a goal of reaching 100 million students this year, is an important initiative, not just domestically but also worldwide. The Hour of Code is a way for youth to participate in a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics. This is a great opportunity for parents, teachers and schools to increase access to computer science education for their students and generate excitement for science, technology, engineering and math. Microsoft has been a long-time supporter of the Hour of Code movement and is working with schools throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and across the country to help them participate. Click Here to View Full Article to the top Were Looking at Women in Computer Science Incorrectly Blog @ CACM, December 1 The usual presentation of data about U.S. womens undergraduate degrees in STEM disciplines is based on the percentage of degrees in each field that are awarded to women, but this approach may be flawed. This approach doesnt take into account broader demographic changes that have occurred, such as the growing number of women in the workforce and the higher rates of women graduating with university degrees. For years, the by-discipline view of the data has been used to support claims of improvement in womens participation in these fields. Unfortunately, this perspective serves to inflate the extent of the improvement, and the actual situation of women in STEM fields has changed less than commonly believed. The by-discipline view can also suggest research questions about gender in STEM that turn out to be somewhat misguided. By combining National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data for 1966-2012, we can construct the typical by-discipline view of women in STEM, with its indication of progress over time. During the time period examined, each disciplinary area saw an increase in the proportion of degrees that were awarded to women. This view of the data does not, however, tell a completely accurate story. During the same time period, 1966-2012, there has been a seismic shift in the makeup of the undergraduate college-going population. First, that population has grown considerably, nearly tripling in size from 1966 to 2012. Second, the gender demographics changed quite dramatically. In 1966 the graduating pool was 42.6% women; in 2012, the pool was 57.4% women. With a change of this magnitude we would expect to see a larger number of women in every field, and it is easy to mischaracterize the resulting effects. Consequently, a different form of analysis is necessary to accurately gauge the extent of change in womens participation in the STEM disciplines. We can use a by-gender analysis in order to derive an accurate picture of the situation. The by-gender analysis will serve as a check against the inflated sense of progress that results from using only a by-discipline analysis, and the by-gender analysis can facilitate a more accurate identification of trends and research directions, helping us avoid spurious research efforts that are not supported by actual data. For example, analysis shows that men earned degrees at 5.7 times womens rate in the engineering disciplines, and at 6 times womens rate in computer science. This type of finding would not appear in a strict by-discipline analysis. Click Here to View Full Article to the top A New Software Engineering ACM Queue, November 29 The software community needs to go about the task of re-thinking software engineering, envisioning it as a combination of craftsmanship and theory. The reason is that todays software engineering is not really an engineering discipline at all, but rather, a set of practices largely adopted from other engineering disciplines, including project management, design and process control. What is needed, says the article, is a new concept for software engineering built on the experience of software craftsmen, capturing their understanding of craftsmanship in a foundation that can then be used to educate and support a new generation of practitioners. One prospect is the SEMAT (Software Engineering Method and Theory) initiative, which has developed a kernel for software engineering. In the end, the new paradigm of software engineering, while building on the current paradigm of software craftsmanship, must move beyond it. The reason for this re-thinking of software engineering is that a strict craftsmanship approach to building software can take you only so far, primarily because of the time and costs involved. Whats needed is a true engineering approach. Those steeped in the old school of software engineering have to start thinking about the true engineering of software, rather than just applying practices largely adapted from other engineering disciplines. Those in the software craftsmanship and agile communities need to see the development of a true engineering discipline as a necessary evolution from their craft discipline. Construction engineering serves as an example of how a true engineering discipline combines craftsmanship with an applied theoretical foundation. The understanding captured in such an accepted foundation is used to educate entrants into the discipline. It then provides them with a basis for methodically analyzing and addressing engineering problems, even when those problems are outside the experience of the engineers. The SEMAT (Software Engineering Method and Theory) initiative is an international effort. As the name indicates, SEMAT is focusing both on supporting the craft (methods) and on building foundational understanding (theory). This is still a work in progress, but the essence of a new software engineering is becoming clear. The first tangible result of the SEMAT initiative is a kernel for software engineering. This kernel can be thought of as the minimal set of things that are universal to all software development endeavors. The kernel consists of three parts: a means for measuring the progress and health of an endeavor; a categorization of the activities necessary to advance the progress of an endeavor; and a set of competencies necessary to carry out such activities. The SEMAT kernel defines seven dimensions for measuring progress, known as alphas. The seven dimensions are: opportunity, stakeholders, requirements, software system, work, team, and way of working. Click Here to View Full Article to the top To unsubscribe from the ACM CareerNews Early Alert Service, enter your email. Or please log in with your ACM Web Account username and password at: https://myacm.acm.org and follow the Listservs link. You can change the email where you receive our CareerNews postings, leave, or rejoin the list at any time through myACM. You are subscribed with [email protected]. [Past Issues] Copyright © 2015, ACM, Inc. 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Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 19:00:02 +0000
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