Job satisfaction counts for more than the money

By ADAM GIFFORD

Job quality seems to be more important than the size of the pay cheque, according to recruitment firm Hudson's latest survey of the IT and telecommunications job market.

National practice manager Ben Pearson says that while there have been modest salary increases for project management, business analysis and testing jobs, salaries have dropped for legacy technology and senior management roles.

That is despite there being no glut of suitable applicants, and a lot of senior positions being open.

"Today's quality IT candidate takes on a role for different reasons than money," Pearson says. "In the late 1990s, it was not uncommon to see people change jobs three times in a year and get a $10,000 increase in salary each time, but many got burned when the market turned down.

"People are now seeking stability, interesting projects, and exposure to new technology. Now a candidate may have two or three offers, but they won't take the highest paying, they will take the job that appeals to those other requirements."

Pearson says there are some interesting big projects on the go, particularly in the government sector with e-government initiatives, restructuring and replacement or upgrading of legacy systems.

In the wider economy, increased confidence in the economy is leading to a willingness to invest in significant IT projects.

"There are some very interesting big projects out there people want to be involved in," he says.

The increasing project focus of IT work means people can advance quickly within an organisation, and many organisations are taking seriously the need to cross-skill their staff and give them additional training in new technologies.

"There are a lot of satisfied IT workers out there," says Pearson.

Market demand has picked up in recent months, particularly for leadership and sales roles and for contract staff, an area which has been stagnant for the past couple of years.

The predicted Linux wave isn't showing up in hiring. The demand is there for Microsoft.Net skills, which is being met by well-qualified students moving out of the polytechnics and private courses. However, Java skills are in short supply.

The Hudson report says 57.4 per cent of employers in the IT industry expect to increase staff over the next year.

"The most sought-after job-seekers are those with commercial acumen who recognise IT as business support, rather than an isolated function," it says.

However, private sector employers are flexible, and are prepared to hire individuals with fewer technical skills but strong personal attributes and attitudes.

Pearson says job-seekers are getting smarter about the way they go looking.

"Ad response is low, but we are getting a smaller group of better-qualified candidates rather than the "spray and pray" style which existed in the late 1990s, when my in-box every morning would be filled with 200 resumes from people obviously unsuited to the position," he says.

Pearson says the industry needs be more aware that the workforce is ageing.

"The New Zealand IT industry is acutely affected, because the skilled, mature-age workforce is far greater than the number of new people coming in. It is not uncommon to find a reasonably skilled technical person, 50-years-old or so, deciding it is time to leave.

"At the same time, enrolments in tertiary IT courses are at their lowest-ever levels."

So what can someone expect to earn?

A junior C++ developer with up to two years' experience can expect a salary of $35,000 to $45,000, a drop on last year, or up to $45 an hour on contract. After a few years' experience and some scoping and design ability they could get up to $80,000.

A Java developer starting out might get up to $55,000, rising to between $65,000 and $85,000 after three years, if they have commercial experience. A Java technical lead could take home between $85,000 and $110,000.

A C

developer is getting $65,000 to $85,000, the same as an experienced VB .Net developer, while a .Net architect wouldn't be shy about asking for up to $110,000.

On the networking side, wide area network engineers can expect $65,000 to $80,000, while senior WAN engineers can expect up to $110,000.

A junior business analyst would start at about $40,000, rising to $70,000 after five years or so.

The amount paid to security specialists has jumped sharply over the past year, with starting salaries for senior staff moving up from $65,000 to $90,000. Salaries for managers have stayed the same or come back slightly.

While the chief information officer of a large company could expect to earn $160,000 to $200,000, the CIO for a company with 50 to 100 employees could expect $120,000 to $160,000, and for a small company could start as low as $90,000.

A project director gets anywhere from $100,000 to $160,000, or $90 to $140 an hour, while project managers can expect $80 to $100 an hour, or $75,000 to $110,000 a year.

"We are really busy finding business analysts and project managers, which reflects the type of work out there," Pearson says.