The job outlook for IT professionals is looking up, especially for those looking to work remotely.
LinkedIn says half of the top 10 remote jobs posted on its site are for developers and software engineers. In fact, tech jobs dominate the top of the list, holding four of the five spots. The only non-tech job among the top five is for account managers.
Even among all jobs – remote, in-person, onsite, etc. — posted to LinkedIn, tech is among the top 10 spots with jobs for software engineers and project managers, though the latter is not exclusively in IT.
Retail positions, jobs requiring an on-site presence, were the most commonly advertised positions on LinkedIn in July. That was to be expected as brick and mortar retailers continued to reopen. Many that had laid off workers months earlier, struggled to hire and train new workers. Training supervisor positions were ninth on the LinkedIn list.
Unlike retail’s customer facing business, the majority of tech jobs can be done remotely. All that’s needed are a computer, internet access and, of course, the right software and communication apps. Since not having these basics would be like a carpenter without a hammer, tech professionals are overwhelmingly confident they can effectively do their job remotely.
When LinkedIn surveyed workers in May, tech professionals were the most confident they and their industry would be effective working remotely. 85% said they personally can be effective working from home. Most (82%) also thought the entire tech industry could be effective working remotely.
The evidence shows their optimism was well-founded. Though some IT workers did lose their job – onsite support staff, for example – and hiring slowed as companies mothballed projects, unemployment among tech professionals is 4.4%, well below the national 10.2%. Job growth, however, will remain stunted by the COVID pandemic.
Photo by Patrick Amoy on Unsplash
