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Workforce Diversity For Engineering And IT Professionals Magazine, established in 1994, is the first magazine published for the professional, diversified high-tech workforce, which encompasses everyone, including women, members of minority groups, people with disabilities, and non-disabled white males. to advance in the diversified working community.

This magazine reaches engineering or information technology graduate students or professionals nationwide at their home addresses.

If you are an engineering/IT graduate student or professional, Workforce Diversity for Engineering & IT Professionals is available to you FREE!


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 A JOB SEEKER'S MARKET

Julie Stansbury
 
 
IT’S A GOOD TIME TO BE AN ENGINEERING OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL.
 
ROBERTHALF’S SPECIAL REPORT, DEMAND FOR SKILLED TALENT, REVEALS THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR TECHNOLOGY JOBS IS WELL BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. COMPUTER NETWORK ARCHITECTS HAVE THE LOWEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, AT 0.8%, WHILE NETWORK AND COMPUTER ADMINISTRATORS HAVE THE HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, AT 3.2%.
 
THE NEWS IS ALSO WELCOMING WHEN IT COMES TO SALARIES. IN ROBERT HALF’S 2015 SALARY GUIDE, THE TOP FOUR JOBS PROJECTED TO EXPERIENCE THE HIGHEST SALARY GAIN IN THE COMING YEAR ARE MOBILE APPLICATIONS DEVELOPERS (UP 9.5%), DATA ARCHITECTS (UP 7.2%), CHIEF SECURITY OFFICE (UP 7.1%), AND MOBILE DESIGNER (UP 6.8%). MEANWHILE, OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, REPORTS RANDSTAD, SALARIES IN THE UNITED STATES FOR CONTROL ENGINEERS AND POWER ENGINEERS HAVE INCREASED BY 10%, THOSE FOR RF ENGINEERS BY 15%, AND THOSE FOR PROTECTION AND CONTROL ENGINEERS BY 25%.
 
U.S. CIOS REVEAL HIRING PLANS FOR FIRST HALF OF 2015
 
NINETEEN percent of U.S. chief information officers (CIOs) surveyed recently plan to expand their information technology (IT) teams in the first six months of 2015, according to the newly released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report. This is a five-point increase from the previous survey representing the third and fourth quarters of 2014. In addition, 68% of CIOs plan to hire only for open IT roles, 10% expect to put hiring plans on hold, and 3% plan to reduce IT staff levels in the first six months of the new year.
 
“The first half of 2015 will remain a highly competitive hiring market as IT departments expand their teams to address the three drivers for tech employment: mobile, big data, and security,” says John Reed, senior executive director of Robert Half Technology. “Companies recruiting for workers in software development, security, and networking may find it especially challenging to recruit skilled talent.”
 
As for recruiting technology talent, 67% of U.S. CIOs said it is somewhat or very challenging to find skilled IT professionals. This is a six-point increase from the previous survey six months ago. Technology executives believe it is most difficult to find skilled talent in software development (20%), security (15%) and networking (14%).
 
CIOs interviewed by Robert Half Technology continue to have an optimistic business outlook. Eighty-nine percent of CIOs reported being somewhat or very confident about their companies’ growth prospects for the first half of 2015. This figure is unchanged from the prior survey.
 
Nearly a quarter (24%) of U.S. technology executives said they expect their companies’ IT budgets to increase in 2015. Seventy-three percent surveyed plan to expand their investment by up to 20%; 11% anticipate an increase between 21% and 30%, according to the Robert Half Technology survey.
 
According to 63%of CIOs, network administration is among the skill sets in greatest demand within their IT departments. Desktop support followed with 61% of the response and Windows administration at 57%.
 
BREAKING THE GLASS CEILING: FIVE TIPS FOR WOMEN TO ADVANCE THEIR CAREERS IN IT
 
When I graduated in 1983 with a BS in systems analysis, Information Technology was a new and evolving field. I was fascinated by the technical component but I was also interested in business. How do you grow an organization by leveraging technology?
 
IT allowed me to blend the two. My journey in IT started when I began my career as a programmer at GE Aviation. Now I’m proud to say I’m a veteran of the company, currently acting as CIO at GE Capital Treasury. Although I’m working in an industry traditionally considered male dominated, I’ve been able to advance my career while learning beneficial lessons along the way.
 
“Seeking out” leads to “sought after:” Early in my career I was always looking for new challenges and opportunities within my role. Showing an initiative for wanting to know “what’s next,” combined with a track record of execution, will get you noticed. Over time, as you develop a reputation for seeking out new opportunities within the company, you have more pull. Build trusted relationships with your peers and soon you will find people reaching out to you with new opportunities and assignments that you did not even have on your radar.
 
Network outside of IT: Often times we are too busy or hesitant to reach out to co-workers outside of our direct department. It is important to network within your company, outside of your core IT area, to familiarize yourself with other projects going on. This will allow you to keep your finger on the pulse of all areas of the business and understand what differentiates your company from the rest of the marketplace. You will also find that through internal networking, even in a huge company, your workplace becomes a more familiar and manageable world.
 
Learn from the best: I was lucky enough to work with some tremendously talented and intelligent women throughout my career. Although IT is a traditionally male dominated field, there are many women who have helped pave the way as leaders in technology. Seek out these leaders in your company and observe how they operate. Better yet, ask for coaching and mentoring advice! I’m currently a member of GE’s Women’s Network and participate in several affinity groups and events that help strengthen support for females in the IT field.
 
Be flexible and adapt: It is important to understand that in order to advance in IT, or any industry for that matter, there is always going to be something new around the corner— new technology, pro cesses, customer expectations, and company initiatives. Stay on-top of what’s happening in the IT industry by educating yourself on what the media is reporting, look at what your competitors are doing, and stay connected to the latest technology. Those who constantly absorb information relevant to their industry, and are flexible and adapt to change, will be the ones who advance to the leadership table.
 
Fight for your ideas: Organizations are looking for a constant flow of new ideas to increase efficiency, especially within the IT world. If you have a new process or technology you would like to try, and have the research and examples to back it up, do not be afraid to speak up. By speaking up with new ideas it shows that you are invested in the forward-thinking of the company. Technology changes so fast that you cannot just be along for the ride—you need to show you are driving the car.
 
The Information Technology field may still be predominately male but this should never hinder your motivation and tenacity to learn, engage, and advance your career. With a greater number of women studying math, science, and engineering, the IT industry gender gap will continue to even out to a point where it is no longer a topic of discussion. Until then, learn from these tips and from other female IT leaders who have led the way in your company. One day you may even find yourself being approached by a junior female colleague who would like you to mentor her. Here’s another piece of advice—say yes!
 
MYTASCA COLLEGIATE RECRUITING SOFTWARE OFFERS GEOTARGETING
 
Mytasca software from Campus Media Group allows employment recruiters to locate the exact type of college student in North America that their corporate employer wants to hire. With Geo- Targeting capability by zip code, area of discipline, and degree by school, and other key search criteria, the Mytasca online database is designed to locate the best candidates in a few key strokes.
 
According to Tom Borgerding, founder of Minneapolis-based Campus Media Group, the Mytasca online database leverages the mass amount of data available on college and university students and turns it into a range of easy to use cues for recruiters. All results can be saved as “favorites” under terms like “Contacts, Career Centers, Events, or Institutions” for easy access and reference for each specific search.
 
There are more than 4,500 institutions (representing every college in the U.S.), both online and brick-and- mortar campuses, contained in the database. It is free for educational institutions’ career centers to list their information. Mytasca also combines U.S. government Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) statistics data with university career center data, and includes details such as contact information, recruiting related events, and services at every 2-year and 4-year college and university.
 
Based on nearly four years of research and extensive discussions and feedback with a variety of employers and campus career centers, Mytasca allows every recruiter an objective, fact driven approach and more college career center professionals and their students a personal connection for career opportunities, says Borgerding. For more information, visit: www.Mytasca.com.
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