IT Salary Trends

A basic rule of economics (and common sense) suggests that salary incentives can help to increase the supply of in-demand workers and balance out a lopsided supply/demand ratio. But that does not appear to be working for many fields, according to salary data gathered by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Research shows that, in fact, some short-supply disciplines are actually losing the interest of college students, despite substantial starting salaries.

For example, NACE’s Fall 2007 Salary Survey report shows computer science graduates earning an average annual starting salary offer of $51,992. However, statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) show that computer science, now accounting for just 3.8 percent of bachelor’s degrees conferred, is losing ground, with an annual growth rate of -0.6 percent.

Management information systems grads received a 4.7 percent increase to their average salary offer, bringing it to $47,407. Computer science grads’ average salary offer is up by 4.5 percent to $53,051. The salaries being offered to computer science graduates from the class of 2007 are the highest reported to NACE in the past seven years.  The increase for information sciences and systems graduates is even greater (5.9 percent), resulting in an average offer of $49,966.

As a value-added service to our clients, Q&A Recruiting offers a free local Salary Survey. This data is specifically compiled for the Dallas/Fort Worth area in the disciplines of information technology accounting, finance, tax,  and human resources. The Q&A Salary Survey is calculated through a combination of information gathered from local job searches and market input from clients and candidates. Click here to request your 2007 DFW Salary Survey.   

Our Survey Results for 2008 will be available soon!

Signs That It's Time for a Job Change

You dread getting out of bed in the morning and you have trouble concentrating at work - you could be one of millions of Americans who need to consider a job change before your "burnout" has serious consquences on your job performance. You also need to be aware of signals that your position may be in jeopardy so you have more control over your options.

Following is a list of eight warning signs that it may be time to update your resume.

Read Complete Story

Source: Fortune.com

Pursuing a Career in IT Management

One of the common questions for IT professionals thinking about the future is whether to pursue a career in management. It’s a good time to consider this option if you’ve been purely technical for a long time. The coming wave of baby boomer retirements will leave plenty of management jobs available.

Management can be a great job and a noble calling, but it isn’t for everyone. Talk to your boss about trying out a small assignment before you make a major commitment. You may find that it’s a great fit, or you may streak back to the keyboard. 

Here are some factors to consider in deciding whether management is really for you.

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Source: ComputerWorld.com

Using Social Networking Sites for References

Job interviewees, beware: Your prospective boss may have called your references before you walk through the door -- and they may not be the contacts you provided.

Professional networking sites such as LinkedIn and Jobster are making it easier for employers to get in touch with people who have worked with job candidates in the past or know them personally. Recruiters say they use such sites -- where people create online profiles and then link to professional colleagues who are also members -- to find mutual connections they can hit up for information. Many hiring managers say they even check to see if they have mutual connections with a candidate on Facebook and MySpace, the popular social-networking sites.

Because online contact lists are typically viewable right on members' profile pages, hiring managers can quickly identify relevant contacts and confidentially message these people through the networking site.

Such reference checking exposes job seekers to certain risks. Many site users routinely connect online to people they have only a glancing relationship with -- say, someone who simply works at the same company -- and there is no guarantee that the references will be favorable.

Read Complete Story 

Source: CareerJournal.com

Local Economy and Employment Trends

The Texas unemployment rate fell to 4.2 percent in August, down significantly from 4.9 percent a year ago. Seasonally adjusted nonagricultural employment in Texas grew by more than 10,000 jobs this month, remaining strong, despite the U.S. economy’s loss of 4,000 jobs this month.

Following stronger than average job growth of 3.4 percent in 2006, year-to-date employment has risen 2.7 percent—near the state's 35-year long-run average, and more than double the U.S. rate. There are almost 230,000 more jobs in Texas as compared to this time last year.

“Our strong Texas economy continues to surpass national trends, ” said Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Chair Diane Rath. “At 4.2 percent, the Texas unemployment rate continues to hover at 30-year record lows and remains well below the national unemployment rate of 4.6 percent.”

Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston are representative of Texas as a whole with 4.0 and 4.1 percent unemployment rates respectively. Both metro areas have decreased their unemployment rates almost 1 percent from this time last year which means that talented candidates are becoming increasingly hard to find.

Professional and Business Services stands at a solid 5.1 percent annual growth rate, bringing more than 60,000 jobs to the Texas economy over the past 12 months. Natural Resources and Mining added 16,500 jobs over the year showing a strong annual growth rate of 8.8 percent. Leisure and Hospitality is representing an annual growth rate of 4.4 percent.

Growth in the health sector should remain strong, as witnessed by the ongoing expansion and pending construction of several medical facilities in Dallas. The Houston economy is fueled by the energy sector and the increase of crude oil prices Houston’s mid- and high-priced housing markets remain some of the strongest in the nation.

Currently there is little evidence that the downturn in mortgage lending and homebuilding is feeding into the broader economy in Texas. Recent financial turmoil has increased uncertainty in the economic outlook and created more headwinds for the economy than expected, but Texas is in good shape to weather the storm.

Sources: Texas Workforce Commission, Dallas Federal Reserve Bank

Dallas.net Users Group

Java Metroplex Users Group

BEA Metroplex Users Group

North Texas PC Users Group

North Texas MS Developer's SIGs

NTLUG - North Texas Linux Users Group

Metro Midrange Systems Association

Dallas Oracle User Group

Dallas / Fort Worth Cisco Users Group

Dallas / Fort Worth UNIX Users Group

Mid-Cities PC Users Group

North Texas SQL Server Users Group

Technology Executives Networking Group (TENG)

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