IT jobs are out there - especially if you have web skills

But many IT experts are too scared to move, says research

Web professionals are among the most sought-after as businesses focus on the internet

Demand for IT professionals with web expertise is soaring as businesses place a greater focus on boosting online revenue, according to research.

Despite the grim economic climate, UK firms recruited more web professionals in 2008 than the year before, and the trend is set to continue this year, says the study by recruitment consultancy Robert Walters.

According to the survey, the most sought-after candidates are professionals with .Net and Java/J2EE skills, as well as web analytics experience.

“Overall retail revenues are down year on year but a higher percentage of this revenue is now coming from online. This shift has led to an increased demand for web professionals with exposure to large scale e-commerce platforms,” says the study.

Although unemployment continues to rise in the City, the survey claims that the banking sector is also hiring IT staff to implement long-term projects, aimed at increasing market share.

“Even within financial services there were no wholesale reductions of IT professionals, due to the sector’s increasing reliance on IT systems for business critical operations,” it says.

Another key area of staff demand is virtualisation – VMware systems in particular – as well as storage expertise, as businesses focus on their IT infrastructure to improve operational efficiency.

The financial services industry has also seen high demand for positions in risk management, compliance, web services and security.

IT experts are needed, but quality candidates are hesitant in moving jobs due to market uncertainty, according to Robert Walters. This has increased the competition to attract the best talent.

However, the nervousness sparked by the credit crunch may bring some good news to contractors.

Banks are cutting freelance pay and Robert Walters claims that rates have been reduced – for example, daily pay for a C# developer with credit derivatives experience dropped from £550 in 2007 to £500 in 2008 – but overall, contractor salaries reached the highest level in two years.

Hourly rates have gone up by 11 per cent in the six months to February, leading to pay of between £45 and £50 per hour, according to separate research by the Association of Technology Staffing Companies (Atsco).

“Employers do not necessarily want the commitment of permanent staff, so if things go downhill they will take advantage of the flexibility of hiring freelancers,” said Atsco chief executive Ann Swain.