Opinion: The technology industry is hiring - and inspiring

While jobs have become a scarce commodity in some sectors, this is not the case in technology. There is bullish growth in the technology industry in Europe, the Middle East and Africa as customers are investing in technology while they remain sensitive to spend elsewhere.

The technology industry in these regions is offering great opportunities for fresh talent at all levels, at a time when many businesses are scaling back in response to turbulence in the world economy.

The technology industry is buoyant because it is central to the operation of most businesses and key to emerging from the economic slowdown as leaner and more efficient companies.

Technologies such as cloud computing have been heralded as a way for businesses to remove management overheads, and applications such as customer relationship management and business intelligence are enabling businesses to better understand their customers. This allows them to improve supply chain management, mitigate risk and make smarter decisions. It also brings confidence to investors in technology companies, and offers security to employees within the sector.

However, technical courses at universities across EMEA, such as computer science and maths, have lost some ground to arts courses and humanities, leaving many talented graduates qualified but unemployed in recent years. Schools, colleges, parents and governments must encourage people to look at careers in technology from an early age to promote continued growth in an industry that is strong and getting stronger.

There are countless opportunities for talented people in the technology industry. For example, this autumn Oracle is looking to hire 1,700 staff as part of our largest EMEA recruitment campaign to date to help fuel continued growth across the business.

It is also worth noting the technology industry is not just about developers, coding and a need for highly technical individuals. There is also a major requirement for business consultants, support staff, marketing and sales staff who are able to understand customer needs and offer suitable solutions. Smart people who are keen to be trained and find a career path that can offer outstanding rewards have an opportunity right now in the IT industry - and those opportunities will stay fresh.

At the heart of the IT industry is a commitment to innovation and a desire to help customers strive for success. That passion for innovation means constant career development, learning and new opportunities.

There has never been a better time to work in the IT industry.

Alan Hartwell is VP technology solutions at Oracle