Banking, Software and Telecoms Will be the Hot Sectors or IT Pros in 2010

The IT Job Board Reflects on 2009, and Makes its Predictions for IT Recruitment in 2010

LONDON, December 16 - 2009 has impacted every industry, but the IT sector has proven itself to
be more robust than most.

The IT Job Board, www.theitjobboard.co.uk, has undertaken its
latest survey[1], asking IT professionals to offer their thoughts on the year
ahead. It seems that banking, software and telecoms will be the key sectors
for those seeking IT work in 2010.

Key sectors

Nearly half (48 percent) of survey respondents highlighted that banking
would be the principal sector, in spite of the problems it has faced in 2009.
42 percent believed it would be software and IT services, and 41 percent
opted for telecoms.

Commenting on these findings, Peter Healey, sales director at The IT Job
Board, said: "I believe that next year the finance sector will really pick
up. Banking was the first to be hit during the recession, but it will also be
the first to recover, and it will offer a lot of opportunity in terms of IT
recruitment."

Jobs in demand

When it came to the jobs in demand for 2010, one third (34 percent)
thought it would be project manager roles, the same figure opted for business
analyst jobs. Reinforcing this, Healey commented:

"2010 will see a great deal more project management roles coming through,
as companies embark on new IT projects. And, testing and development roles,
which were heavily affected in 2009, will also increase next year."

Skills in demand

.net will be the main skill in demand, according to almost one third (31
percent) of the IT pros questioned. 29 percent opted for skills in SAP, 26
percent - Java, and 26 percent believed it would be web development roles.

Healey believes that IT pros should look to adopt skills in the web
services arena, and advised: "As we continue to get to grips with social and
business networking, Web 2.0 skills will be critical, for example .net and
Java."

Contract vs Permanent

58 percent advised that contract jobs would be in greater demand during
2010, compared to permanent positions. Healey corroborated this, by stating
that the latter part of 2009 saw a shift from permanent to contract roles,
where companies sought greater flexibility. He believes this trend will
continue in the first quarter of 2010.

He added: "IT is now a fundamental part of business, and companies cannot
afford to cut it. In recent months, The IT Job Board has experienced a real
uplift in the number of vacancies being advertised on the site. I believe the
sector is through the worst.

"Job boards should be looking to support candidates through offering as
wide a choice as possible. They also need to take the lead with recruiters,
encouraging them to be as transparent and proactive as possible, when it
comes to advertising to candidates."

Notes to editors

About The IT Job Board:

The IT Job Board group of companies was set up in April 2002
in recognition that recruitment in the IT sector was increasingly dominated
by the internet.

Online technology enables sophisticated targeting - for
example by skill, region or experience - of www.theitjobboard.co.uk's
database of 800,000 IT professionals. The IT Job Board always tries to get
closer to candidates either via planned content campaigns, or through the use
of social networks.

The site also offers employers services such as branded job
postings, a featured employer zone, targeted email campaigns and guidance on
advertising copy. The managed campaign service filters responses to provide
companies with a shortlist of applicants most suitable for the advertised
position.

www.theitjobboard.co.uk's clients include Deloitte,
Centrica, HMGCC and The Metropolitan Police.

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[1] 129 IT candidates surveyed on 2010 predictions, December 2009

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