Friday, July 07, 2006

Boston Market -- Third Quarter, 2006

The Monster Employment Index hit another all-time high in June -- its eighth new high in the last 12 months -- indicating strong job demand. "Higher demand for white-collar occupations such as management, finance and IT suggests continued momentum of U.S. economy amid increasingly tight labor market," according to a Monster press release.

Beantown Web monitors IT jobs (Web-related jobs to be specific) on a monthly basis via the "Boston Market" series of postings. Beginning this month, and continuing on a quarterly basis, Beantown Web will conduct a more thorough TACK analysis. Acronyms abound throughout the technology industry and TACK is Beantown Web's contribution to the naming confusion. TACK stands for Tools, Acronyms, Containers, and Knowledge.

  • Tools -- software programs used in Web design and development
  • Acronyms -- languages used in Web design and development
  • Containers -- database programs used to store information
  • Knowledge -- certifications that indicate proficiency in a specific technology area

One way to gauge the current job demand is through a keyword search on specific technology skills at selective online job sites. Beantown Web monitors two sites: BostonWorks and Monster. Keywords are then grouped into one of the four TACK categories.

A few of the common keywords associated with Web design and Web development jobs are included in the listings below.

Note: the numbers in parentheses indicate the number of job postings that list that keyword in the job description. [ First number: BostonWorks.com ][ Second number: Monster.com ]

Tools (software)

  • Photoshop [ 92 ][219]
  • Flash [ 44 ][ 38 ]
  • Dreamweaver [ 46 ][ 81 ]
  • Visual Studio [ 29 ][ 116 ]

Acronyms (languages)

Containers (databases)

Knowledge (certifications)

  • The demand for certified professionals varies by discipline. All things being equal certification helps to distinguish you from your competition. An appropriate certification entry point for Web design and Web development professionals is Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW). For a complete listing of all technology certifications, along with links to the appropriate certification Website, be sure to check out the Web Apprentices Career Center.

A few quick observations:

  • Monster.com consistently lists twice as many opportunities as BostonWorks.com
  • Acronym (language) skills are in greater demand than Tool (software) skills
  • Container (database) skills are in greater demand than Tool (software) skills

Web designers and developers who want to maneuver their careers (TACK through the winds of constant technology change) should focus on one Acronym (language) and one Container (database) and set a near-term goal to obtain additional training and experience.

Recommended training courses for July are as follows:

All three courses are available for FREE compliments of the HP Learning Center. Classes begin Thursday, July 13.
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