Dive Brief:
- Large enterprises, with more than 5,000 employees, are seeking cybersecurity above any other skills, according to a Spiceworks 2019 State of IT Careers survey of 1,000 international respondents from varying industries.
- Mid-sized organizations, with 500 to 999 employees, are more inclined to seek DevOps experts while small businesses are looking to invest heavily in hardware and infrastructure roles.
- More than one-quarter of IT professionals are looking to leave their current employer, with the majority, 62%, seeking a higher salary, though the median salary is about $70,000. Slightly more than half of professionals looking for new work want more opportunities to advance their skills.
Dive Insight:
Overall, nearly one-third of companies plan to hire IT staff next year, according to the report. One-quarter of women tech professionals expect a promotion in 2019, compared to only 14% of men, according to the report. However, about 4% more men expect a raise.
Cybersecurity remains the top demand for enterprises. Companies were inundated with global cyberattacks in 2017 and faced with decades-old chip vulnerabilities in 2018. Trauma from both security hazards have prompted companies to elevate their current security posture, including security talent.
Experts agree that the onus of security does not lie solely on the shoulders of the CISO; it extends to the rest of the company. But cultivating a robust security culture for the rest of the company most likely comes after cementing a solid internal security team.
There were more than 300,000 open cybersecurity jobs in April 2017 and March 2018. "It's a desire problem," said Stephanie Balaouras, VP and research director at Forrester, at an event in Washington in September. Companies are recruiting from half the population, she said, largely ignoring other avenues for talent acquisition.
Schools and companies like Google are trying to fill the pipelines with potential candidates but "it's too late." By the time the cybersecurity talent pipeline has been filled over the next decade or so, the industry will have moved onto other skill needs.
There's a need to recruit from nontraditional backgrounds, train people from trades and look for candidates with critical thinking skills that don't come from a four-year degree.
