Video: Hot IT skills in demand at Stafflink going into2014

It’s isn’t easy to find available people with the hot IT skills our clients are looking for, but it’s not impossible.

It’s not a new problem and it’s getting worse. It stalls projects and increases the cost of development.

We are continuing to face a shortage of people with certain IT skills that businesses need to stay competitive, and hiring these people is expensive.

News from the front line of the talent war

As an IT staffing company, Stafflink is on the front line of the talent shortage. Our clients are a cross-section of the business community ranging from international financial institutions to innovative tech companies, to government agencies and large educational institutions. They come to us for help with hiring the most difficult-to-find IT specialists.

Helping companies connect with IT talent

My mission is to connect leading-edge employers and local tech ninjas. That’s why I’m giving you search strings to help you find these elusive people.

If you are one of the people with hot IT skills, please connect with us on our LinkedIn page, or send us your resume.
If you’re hiring IT staff, we can help

Who are the most in-demand IT pros?

They are programmers like my friend Ahmad Nassri who recently published this post: The Hottest Skill That Got People Hired in 2013 is Programming

Nassri is right on. Programmers are hot. Here’s a short video about the top skills that are in demand by the clients of Stafflink Solutions right now.

Video: Hot IT Skills in Demand at Stafflink in 2014

6 hottest IT skills in demand

Big Data Specialists with Hadoop
Python Developers
DevOps Engineers
Web Developers with RoR (Ruby on Rails)
Android Mobile Developers
iOS Objective-C Mobile Developers

3 hottest areas of specialization

mCommerce Engineers
Cloud Specialists
Security Specialists

Search strings to find programmers with hot IT skills

In this section, I’ll give you a little background on each skill set with sample Boolean search strings to help you mine the web for people with these skills.

Using the search strings

To take a search string for a spin:

Copy the search string (Ctrl-V).
Open a search engine like Google, DuckDuckGo or Bing.
Paste the search string into the search box (Ctrl-V).
Click search or press Enter.
To customize the search results, try different keywords, and search again.

Important note: If you get job postings instead of resumes, make sure that you’re using the minus signs in -job -jobs at the end of your search string. To make sure that you have actual minus signs and not dashes, replace the minus signs manually using your keyboard.

To learn more about how these Boolean search strings work and to get our Boolean Search Secrets ebook, visit our Boolean Search Secrets page.

#1 – Big Data Specialists with Hadoop

With the continuous collection of massive amounts of data through e-commerce and social media, the demand for big data experts is growing bigger every day. Hadoop is an open-source software framework created by the Apache Software Foundation to help businesses of all sizes manage big data.

Search string starter to find Big Data pros:

((intitle:(resume OR cv OR vitae) OR (inurl:(resume OR cv OR vitae)) “(big data)(Hadoop)” (Toronto OR TO) -job -jobs

#2 – Python

Python is one of the most beloved and popular programming languages. It has a reputation for being relatively easy to read and learn. If you’re a competent programmer in other languages, you can probably get up to speed with Python in a few weeks.

Python is a great compliment to JavaScript. Adding Python, Objective-C or Java expertise to your JavaScript experience could double your earning power.

Want to add Python to your repertoire? Learn Python online for free at Code Academy. Or check out PyCon 2014 in Montreal this August.

Search string starter to find Python developers:

link:stackoverflow.com python django html5 javascript (develop* OR program*) canada -job -jobs

#3 – DevOps Engineer

We’re seeing strong demand for DevOps pros. If you’re wondering, “What the heck is DepOps?”, no worries. It’s fairly new term (coined in 2009) that causes lots of confusion.

Essentially DevOps is a software development method that speeds up production by promoting better communication between the technology operations and software engineering departments. Agile methodologies, open-source and cloud technologies are typically part of the DevOps job.

Search string starter to find DevOps engineers:

(intitle:resume OR inurl:resume OR intitle:cv OR inurl:cv OR intitle:viate OR inurl:vitae) "devops" (toronto OR 416 OR 905 OR 647 OR 289) -job -jobs

#4 – Web Developers with Ruby on Rails (RoR)

Ruby on Rails is an open-source web application framework that runs on the Ruby programming language. Ruby is another popular programming language that is relatively easy to add to your repertoire. It’s readable, extensible and highly in demand on the job market.

Search string starter:

(intitle:resume OR inurl:resume OR intitle:cv OR inurl:cv OR intitle:viate OR inurl:vitae) "ruby on rails" AND "developer" AND (toronto OR 416 OR 905 OR 647 OR 289) -job -jobs

#5 – Android Mobile Developers

It’s the most widely used mobile platform in the world so naturally Android developers are a hot commodity. It works with a bunch of yummy user interfaces like Kitkat, Gingerbread, Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich. Java and XML are a good foundation for Android development.

See: Recruiters Guide to Hiring Mobile Developers

Search string starter to find Android developers:

site:plus.google.com (“android” AND "java") inurl:about “lives in Toronto”

#6 – iOS Developers (Objective-C)

iOS is the operating system for Apple mobile devices. Objective-C is the primary programming language used to build native apps for Apple mobile devices.

Search string starter to find iOS developers:

site:linkedin.com ("iOS" OR "objective-c") ~developer -jobs -job Toronto ("waterloo" OR "university of toronto")

Most in-demand IT specializations

Mobile commerce (mCommerce), cloud, and security are closely related fields with many overlapping skill sets. As a programmer, if you can add experience in any of these verticals along with programming and project management expertise, then you’ll be very well set up to become one of the most highly paid programmers. See also, How to Earn 100K as an IT Programmer

mCommerce

Mobile commerce is projected to quadruple in the next five years. Companies like Square, Interac, SecureKey are always looking for people with specific skills around e-payment technologies. EMV or chip technology is in hot demand.

Cloud and Security specialists

BYOD (bring your own device) is a security nightmare for businesses. Employees are carrying around mobile devices that they use for work and are easily lost, stolen or hacked. The security risk of BYOD is compounded by the growing trend to work remotely and the emergence of the Cloud.

Cloud engineers are needed to help companies set up secure Cloud solutions. Security specialists are needed to ensure that mCommerce and Cloud solutions have strong defences to block intrusions, prevent leaks and quickly respond to breaches.

Need help finding programmers with hot IT skills?

Big Data, Python, DevOps, Ruby on Rails, Android and Objective-C are the skills that we’re seeing the most demand for here at Stafflink.

If you want help with hiring IT staff, send us your job requirements. I’ll get back to ASAP to answer all of your questions about availability, pay rates and our services.