March Tech Madness | Boston 2022

Photo by MontyLov on Unsplash

The Champion Technology

Congratulations to SQL (Kansas) for defeating GitHub (North Carolina) in the 2022 March Tech Madness Championship game.

The Final Four Technologies

The four surviving technologies in this year's competition are as follows:

• #3 SQL (Kansas) | 6,940 job postings
• #7 Azure (Villanova) | 4,131 job postings
• #8 SaaS (Duke) | 4,301 job postings
• #30 GitHub (North Carolina) | 904 job postings

The Sweet 16 Technologies

Three of the top four seeds in this year's tournament advanced to the Sweet 16 and one was eliminated:

1. Python (Gonzaga) | advanced
2. agile (Arizona) | advanced
3. SQL (Kansas) | advanced
4. AWS (Baylor) | eliminated

The Cinderalla technology in this year's tournament is the following:

60. Vue (St. Peter's)

Here is the updated bracket leading into the Sweet 16 competition (click to expand).

The 68 Technologies

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced the 68 teams invited to participate in the 2022 Men's basketball tournament, commonly referred to as March Madness. These teams are ranked from 1 to 68.

Beantown Web publishes the Boston Web Tech Job Market which analyzes the technology job market in the Boston metro area. This analysis ranks employer demand for technologies based on the number of times each technology appears in job postings on Indeed. These technologies are ranked from 1 to 68.

Beantown Web has replaced each ranked team with their correspondingly ranked technology and repurposed the March Madness bracket to create the March Tech Madness bracket.

The top four seeds in this year's tournament are as follows:

1. Python (Gonzaga) | 9,591 job postings
2. agile (Arizona) | 9,115 job postings
3. SQL (Kansas) | 7,095 job postings
4. AWS (Baylor) | 7,352 job postings

The Sweet 16 winners are being counted down as the tournament progresses and a champion is crowned. Follow along on Beantown Web's Twitter page @webapprentices.

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Boston Web Tech Job Market | February 2022

The Headlines

January 2022 Jobs Day Report: A Pleasant Surprise

Dice Tech Salary Report: Which Metro Areas Offer the Highest Salaries?

The Job Market in Boston

Despite continuing pandemic uncertainty and rising tensions in Eastern Europe, the U.S. economy continues to create jobs. As of mid-Feburary, job postings on Indeed.com were 60.4% above February 1, 2020, the pre-pandemic baseline.

The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated for February. This list is based on keyword searches in job postings at Indeed.com. The most in-demand keywords are listed more frequently than less in-demand keywords. This list reflects the change in the last 60 days.

The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston

Here are The Top 10 of the 20 most in-demand web technologies [UP or DOWN from mid-December, 2021] ranked by number of job postings on Indeed.

February 2022

1. Python | 9,591 (job postings) UP 11% (from December)
2. agile *** | 9,115 UP 8%
3. SQL | 7,095 UP 2%
4. AWS | 7,352 UP 13%
5. Java | 6,228 UP 8%
6. JavaScript | 5,125 UP 10%
7. Azure | 5,108 UP 15%
8. SaaS  | 3,780 UP 8%
9. C# | 3,373 UP 8%
10. Docker | 2,742 UP 7%

*** Note: While "agile" is not a technology, it is a methodology used in technology development. This keyword appears in many web development job descriptions. Knowledge of and experience with agile methodologies are common practice.

Web Apprentices

To learn more about these and other in-demand technologies, visit Web Apprentices, a technology skills development platform offered as a service to Boston PHP Meetup members.

Boston PHP is one Meetup group in a collaboration of six user groups called MergePHP. This mega group offers online vitrual events and services to more than 10,000 web developers in six metropolitan areas across the United States.

The learning opportunity for March and April will focus on job search strategies and is called The Working Group. Join us.

The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston are being counted down over the next 20 days on Beantown Web's Twitter page @webapprentices.

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Best Business Books | 2021

"The typical, or median, American adult read five books during 2021."

Forbes

Of the five books you may have read in 2021, it is likely that not all were career-oriented. Of the few that were, some offered more value than others. Let me help you decide which business books are most likely to add value to your career. These are not my opinions. These are the opinions of business experts. These are the opinions of readers who have read these books.

For the 14th year in a row Beantown Web has conducted a quasi-scientific meta-search to identify the best business books published during the calendar year. This year's search began by identifying 16 "Best of" lists. This resource list is available upon request. The final results are presented here.

A total of 222 unique books were mentioned on at least one "Best of" list. Among the unique books, 175 were mentioned only once and 47 received multiple recommendations.

The Honorable Mention Shelf

Of the 47 multiple recommendations, 31 books were mentioned on two lists. These books comprise the Honorable Mention list.

The Must-Read Shelf

Of the 16 remaining book recommendations, nine books were mentioned on three lists. These books comprise the Must-Read list:

• A Shot to Save the World
• An Ugly Truth
• Four Thousand Weeks
• Impact Players
• Noise
• Remote Work Revolution
• This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends
• Unraveled
• Work Won't Love You Back

The Top Shelf

Of the seven remaining book recommendations, two books were recognized on four lists:

• The Key Man
• The World for Sale

Two books were recognized on five lists:

• My Life in Full
• The Cult of We

Two books were recognized on six lists:

• The Conversation
• Think Again

One book was recognized on seven lists:

• Empire of Pain

Personal Recommendations

If 16 books are too many to chose from, then check out the following Short List. The four highest rated books on Goodreads (of the 16 listed here) are as follows:

• Empire of Pain (4.58 rating out of 5.00)
• The Conversation (4.42)
• The World for Sale (4.40)
• This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends (4.35)

I have read none of the seven Top Shelf books and one of the nine on the Must-Read Shelf. As I work through this reading list, I will post my reviews at Goodreads and share links here.

• This is How They Tell Me the Word Ends ★★★★★

You can access more than 100 Leadership and Strategy books I have read at Pinterest.

Suggested Success Strategy

Regardless of your professional discipline, business is the engine that drives economic growth. The economy continues to improve and job growth continues to look promising in 2022. You can help enhance your personal economic prospects by learning more about the business of business.

Goal: Select one business book from the 16 mentioned above, read it, practice its principles and shift your career into a higher gear in 2022. Of course, you can select all 16 books, read one every three weeks, and receive a guaranteed seat in business class!

NOTE: The 31 Honorable Mention Books of 2021 — those recognized on two "Best of" lists — are being counted down on Twitter @genebabon. You can also follow Beantown Web on Facebook @beantownweb.

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Boston Web Tech Job Market | December 2021

The Headlines

Tech Unemployment Rate Hits 2.6 Percent, a Slight Increase

Millions of Workers Need to 'Unretire' to Ease Worker Shortage: Study

The Job Market in Boston

Despite concerns over the relentless Delta variant and uncertainty over the new Omicron variant, the U.S. economy continues to create jobs. According to LinkedIn, hiring in Boston was 8.4% higher in November 2021 compared to last month (October 2021), and was 18.8% higher in November 2021 compared to last year (November 2020).

The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated for December. This list is based on keyword searches in job postings at Indeed.com. The most in-demand keywords are listed more frequently than less in-demand keywords. This list reflects the change in the last 60 days.

The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston

Here are The Top 10 of the 20 most in-demand web technologies [UP or DOWN from mid-October, 2021] ranked by number of job postings on Indeed.

December 2021

1. Python | 8,668 (job postings) UP 34% (from October)
2. agile *** | 8,475 UP 41%
3. SQL | 6,932 UP 39%
4. AWS | 6,520 UP 53%
5. Java | 5,778 UP 40%
6. JavaScript | 4,669 UP 48%
7. Azure | 4,443 UP 80%
8. SaaS | 3,498 UP 12%
9. C# | 3,121 UP 18%
10. Docker | 2,559 UP 61%

*** Note: While "agile" is not a technology, it is a methodology used in technology development. Agile appears in many web development job descriptions. Knowledge of and experience with this methodology is common practice.

Trend Lines for 2021

Web Apprentices

To learn more about these and other in-demand technologies, visit Web Apprentices, a technology skills development platform offered as a service to Boston PHP Meetup members and four other PHP Meetup groups across the United States. In January we will announce new opportunities to learn these and other foundational web development skills in our virtual self-study groups. Join us.

The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston are being counted down over the next 20 days on Beantown Web's Twitter page @webapprentices.

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Boston Web Tech Job Market | October 2021

The Headlines

Americans Quit Their Jobs at a Record Pace in August

Job Openings Fell in August for the First Time This Year

The Job Market in Boston

The Delta variant continues to disrupt the U.S. economy. Still, job postings continue to expand. As of mid-October, job postings on Indeed.com were 46.1% above February 1, 2020, the pre-pandemic baseline.

The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated for October. This list is based on keyword searches in job postings at Indeed.com. The most in-demand keywords are listed more frequently than less in-demand keywords. This list reflects the change in the last 60 days.

The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston

Here are The Top 10 of the 20 most in-demand web technologies [UP or DOWN from mid-August, 2021] ranked by number of job postings on Indeed.

October 2021

1. Python | 6,477 (job postings) UP 20% (from August)
2. agile *** | 5,992 UP 16%
3. SQL | 4,999 UP 20%
4. AWS | 4,267 UP 18%
5. Java | 4,126 UP 11%
6. JavaScript | 3,156 UP 21%
7. SaaS | 3,119 UP 12%
8. C# | 2,656 UP 13%
9. Azure | 2,463 UP 20%
10. scrum *** | 2,041 UP 19%

*** Note: While "agile" and "scrum" are not technologies, they are methodologies used in technology development. These two keywords appear in many web development job descriptions. Knowledge of and experience with these methodologies are common practice.

Web Apprentices

To learn more about these and other in-demand technologies, visit Web Apprentices, a technology skills development platform offered as a service to Boston PHP Meetup members.

November's learning opportunity focuses on Web Development foundational training (including #1 Python and #6 JavaScript) and is called Post Pandemic Challenge. Join us.

The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston are being counted down over the next 20 days on Beantown Web's Twitter page @webapprentices.

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View all recent Boston Web Tech Job Market blog postings.

Boston Web Tech Job Market | August 2021

The Headlines

U.S. Hiring Surges in July, Unemployment Rate Drops to 5.4%

Consumer Sentiment Measures One of the Largest Drops on Record

The Job Market in Boston

Despite uncertainty over the relentless Delta variant, the U.S. economy continues to create jobs. As of mid-August, job postings on Indeed.com were 36.6% above February 1, 2020, the pre-pandemic baseline.

The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated for August. This list is based on keyword searches in job postings at Indeed.com. The most in-demand keywords are listed more frequently than less in-demand keywords. This list reflects the change in the last 60 days.

The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston

Here are The Top 10 of the 20 most in-demand web technologies [UP or DOWN from mid-June, 2021] ranked by number of job postings on Indeed.

August 2021

1. Python | 5,411 (job postings) UP 9% (from June)
2. agile *** | 5,169 UP 9%
3. SQL | 4,164 UP 11%
4. Java | 3,706 UP 13%
5. AWS | 3,604 UP 11%
6. SaaS | 2,775 UP 4%
7. JavaScript | 2,617 UP 11%
8. C# | 2,359 UP 63%
9. Azure | 2,059 UP 5%
10. scrum *** | 1,709 UP 2%

*** Note: While "agile" and "scrum" are not technologies, they are methodologies used in technology development. These two keywords appear in many web development job descriptions. Knowledge of and experience with these methodologies are common practice.

Web Apprentices

To learn more about these and other in-demand technologies, visit Web Apprentices, a technology skills development platform offered as a service to Boston PHP Meetup members.

September's learning opportunity focuses on Web Development foundational training (including #1 Python and #7 JavaScript) and is called Post Pandemic Challenge. Join us.

The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston are being counted down over the next 20 days on Beantown Web's Twitter page @webapprentices.

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View all recent Boston Web Tech Job Market blog postings.

Best Business Books | 2020

"Reading taught Elon Musk to build a rocket,
and showed Tony Robbins how to build a better life.
How reading makes you a better leader too."

Inc. Magazine

While I won't promise results on the level of Elon Musk or Tony Robbins, the books that follow are most likely to add value to your career. So say the business experts. So say the readers.

For the 13th year in a row Beantown Web has conducted a quasi-scientific meta-search to identify the best business books published during the calendar year. This year's search began by identifying 15 "Best of" lists. This resource list is available upon request. The final results are presented here.

A total of 199 unique books were mentioned on at least one "Best of" list. Among the unique books, 161 were mentioned only once and 38 received multiple recommendations.

The Honorable Mention Shelf

Of the 38 multiple recommendations, 28 books were mentioned on two lists. These books comprise the Honorable Mention list.

The Must-Read Shelf

Of the 10 remaining book recommendations, four were mentioned on three lists. These books comprise the Must-Read list:

• A World Without Work
• Competing in the Age of AI
• Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire
• The Future is Faster Than You Think

The Top Shelf

Of the six remaining book recommendations, two were recognized on four lists:

• Leadership is Language
• When More is Not Better

One was recognized on five lists:

• Uncharted

Two were recognized on six lists:

• If Then
• No Filter

One was recognized on eight lists:

• No Rules Rules

Personal Recommendations

If 10 books are too many to chose from, then check out the following Short List. The four highest rated books on Goodreads (of the 10 pictured here) are as follows:

• No Rules Rules (4.34 rating out of 5.00)
• The Future Is Faster Than You Think (4.23)
• No Filter (4.13)
• Leadership Is Language (4.10)

I have read none of the six Top Shelf books and one from the four on the Must-Read Shelf. As I work through this reading list, I will post my reviews at Goodreads.com and share links here.

• The Future Is Faster Than You Think ★★★★

You can access more than 100 Leadership and Strategy books I have read at Pinterest.

Suggested Success Strategy

Regardless of your professional discipline, business is the engine that drives economic growth. The economy continues to improve and job growth continues to look promising in 2021. You can help enhance your personal economic prospects by learning more about the business of business.

Goal: Select one business book from the 10 pictured above, read it, practice its principles and shift your career into a higher gear in 2021. Of course, you can select all 10 books, read one per month, and receive a guaranteed seat in business class!

NOTE: The 28 Honorable Mention Books of 2020 -- those recognized on two "Best of" lists -- are being counted down on Twitter @genebabon. You can also follow Beantown Web on Facebook @beantownweb.

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View ALL annual Best Business Books blog postings.

Boston Web Tech Job Market | May 2021

The Headlines

LinkedIn Workforce Report May 2021 Boston

April's Expected Hiring Boom Goes Bust

The Job Market in Boston

What a difference a year makes. The following chart from LinkedIn graphically represents the current state of job postings vs. a year ago.

The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated for May. This list is based on keyword searches in job postings at Indeed.com. The most in-demand keywords are listed more frequently than less in-demand keywords. This list reflects the change in the last 30 days.

The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston

Here are The Top 10 of the 20 most in-demand web technologies [up or down from mid-April, 2021] ranked by number of job postings on Indeed.

May 2021

1. Python | 4,594 (job postings) up 10% (from April)
2. agile | 4,430 up 15%
3. SQL | 3,498 up 12%
4. Java | 3,118 up 14%
5. AWS | 2,975 up 14%
6. SaaS | 2.564 up 13%
7. JavaScript | 2,285 up 10%
8. Azure | 1,806 up 18%
9. scrum | 1,547 up 15%
10. C# | 1,380 up 14%

*** Note:  While "agile" and "scrum" are not technologies, they are methodologies used in technology development. These two keywords appear in many web development job descriptions.

Web Apprentices 

To learn more about these and other in-demand technologies, visit Web Apprentices, a technology skills development platform offered as a service to Boston PHP Meetup members. May's learning opportunity focuses on agile (#2 in this month's demand analysis) and is called Agile Appetizer, Season 5. Join us.

The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston are being counted down over the next 10 days on Beantown Web's Twitter page @webapprentices.

View recent Boston Web Tech Job Market blog postings.

Boston Web Tech Job Market | April 2021

The Headlines

U.S. Job Openings Jump to Two-Year High in Boost to Labor Market

Fed Chair Powell Says Economy About to Grow Much Quicker Due to Vaccinations and Fiscal Support

The Job Market in Boston

The job market continues to recover with job openings returning to pre-pandemic levels.

The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated for April. This list is based on keyword searches in job postings at Indeed.com. The most in-demand keywords are listed more frequently than less in-demand keywords. This list reflects the change in the last 30 days.

This month's report focuses on The Second Ten, those technical skills which are in demand and directly below the Top 10.

The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston

Here are The Second Ten of the 20 most in-demand web technologies [up or down from mid-June, 2020, the pandemic low for job postings] ranked by number of job postings on Indeed.

April 2021

11. API | 1,195 (job postings) up 146% (from June)
12. Web Services | 1,111 up 510%
13. Git | 1,023 up 102%
14. JIRA | 972 up 152%
15. Docker | 950 up 125%
16. Kubernetes | 896 up 132%
17. React | 799 up 422%
18. UI | 664 up 66%
19. Jenkins | 658 up 72%
20. social media | 610 up 362%
    

Web Apprentices 

To learn more about these and other in-demand technologies, visit  Web Apprentices, a technology skills development platform offered as a service to  Boston PHP Meetup  members. April's learning opportunity focuses on CSS (#35 in this month's demand analysis) and is called  HTML5 Brunch, Season 13. Join us.

The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston are being counted down over the next 10 days on Beantown Web's Twitter page @webapprentices.

View recent Boston Web Tech Job Market blog postings.

Boston Web Tech Job Market | March 2021

The Headlines

U.S. economy gains 379,000 jobs in February, in first full monthly employment report under Biden

Job postings tell two different stories of recovery so far

The Job Market in Boston

The job market continues to recover. However, we are still nearly 10 million jobs below pre-pandemic levels.

The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated for March. This list is based on keyword searches in job postings at Indeed.com. The most in-demand keywords are listed more frequently than less in-demand keywords. This list reflects the change in the last 30 days.

Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston

Here are 10 of the 20 most in-demand web technologies [up or down from mid-June, 2020, the pandemic low for job postings] ranked by number of job postings on Indeed.

March, 2021

1. Python | 3,979 (job postings) up 72% (from June, 2020)
2. agile *** | 3,759 up 93% 
3. SQL | 2,965 up 90%
4. Java | 2,661 up 58%
5. AWS | 2,411 up 90%
6. SaaS | 2,200 up 289%
7. JavaScript | 1,972 up 61%
8. Azure | 1,464 up 146%
9. scrum  *** | 1,359 up 79%
10. API | 1,149 up 136%

*** Note: While "agile" and "scrum" are not technologies, they are methodologies used in technology development. These two keywords appear in many web development job descriptions.

Web Apprentices

To learn more about these and other in-demand technologies, visit Web Apprentices, a technology skills development platform offered as a service to Boston PHP Meetup members. March's learning opportunity focuses on JavaScript (#7 in this month's demand analysis) and is called JavaScript Broth, Season 1. Join us.

The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston are being counted down over the next 20 days on Beantown Web's Twitter page @webapprentices.

View recent Boston Web Tech Job Market blog postings.