Tech Jobs Increase in Houston - Your Career Intel

Tech Jobs Increase in Houston - Your Career Intel Despite Houston’s recent economic downturn, technology jobs have never been hotter. That’s good news for job seekers who have faced a challenging market in recent years as companies reduced headcounts to constrain costs. Now, many of these same companies are in the market for specialized IT talent. Looking for a new IT position in Houston? Understanding the factors driving IT job growth is essential to positioning yourself for professional success. Oil and gas embracing digital innovation to cut operating costs. While oil and gas companies are historically slow to adopt new technology, pressure to streamline performance and flatten out the boom/bust cycle is driving these companies to embrace digital innovations. Companies that invested heavily in mega-capital expenditure projects prior to 2014 have had to pivot, turning to new technologies to embrace operational efficiencies, increase productivity and empower smarter decision making. A 2016 report by McKinsey Company found that digital technologies reduced capital expenditures by up to 20 percent and cut upstream costs by 3 to 5 percent. According to the report, one company that adopted preemptive equipment maintenance reduced costs by up 27 percent. Another company that integrated digital applications decreased upstream and downstream capital expenditures by 20 percent while increasing reservoir limits. Job seekers with experience in cloud-enabled mobility, Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data-powered analytics are in top demand. Cyber security is a major concernâ€" and the current job market lacks cyber security experts. Increased digitization also means an increased need for cyber security experts. Since cyber security is a highly specialized field, I frequently work with companies that are struggling to find job candidates with their right qualifications and experience. Companies are seeking professionals who are experienced with secure software development, risk mitigation, cloud security and networking monitoring. Intrusion detection â€" identifying potentially harmful activity that could compromise network integrity â€" is one of the most in-demand job skills. Next Steps: Houston Tech Jobs in 2017 Right now in Houston, there are more available tech jobs than there are qualified candidates to fill these jobs. The majority of IT professionals who are qualified to fill these positions are well compensated by their current employers and are not actively seeking new opportunities. Conversely, some active job seekers simply do not have the right experience or skill sets that align with company needs. This is creating a mismatch between the available talent pool and job openings. As a recruiter, I work closely with companies to identify qualified talent that may be currently employed but could be open to considering alternative positions if approached correctly. If you are a hiring manager struggling to find qualified professional IT experts for an open position, contact me to learn more about how I can help: SMarks@lucasgroup.com.