Jobs and Zuckerberg are making IT "sexy"

Big personalities and Hollywood are changing society's perception of the IT industry

The high profiles of industry CEOs such as Apple's Steve Jobs and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg have made IT a more desirable career path, according to new research.

A survey conducted among 5,500 IT professionals by IT recruitment web site CWJobs found that almost half (46 per cent) feel that IT is a more sought-after industry to work in today than it was five years ago.

According to the research, the key factors that have changed the perception of IT are technologies such as the iPad and Facebook and the widespread media coverage of industry characters such as Jobs and Zuckerberg.

"Steve Jobs is seen as a visionary - the products that he's championed and the way he's turned Apple around - he's seen by a lot of people as the Thomas Edison of this century," said Richard Nott, web site director at CWJobs.

CWJobs' survey also revealed that 40 per cent of IT professionals believe that the iPad launch has encouraged people to enter the industry.

"Traditionally, a job in IT was perceived as very much a back-room role where you were sitting in a big server room. There wasn't much sexy about that," said Nott.

"People didn't see how IT touches their lives, but with products such as iPod, iPhone and iPad, along with Facebook, people are beginning to see the effect that IT has on their lives."

He added that young people are also now beginning to see that a job in IT will allow them to work on projects and products that will actually mean something to the man on the street. In addition, the decision by firms such as Tesco to promote their CIO to the role of CEO has made society recognise the growing role of IT in business.

Nott also said that Hollywood is contributing to the changing perception of IT, due to the success of The Social Network, a film about Facebook's founders, and new technologies that are being used in the movie industry.

"How many films were made about IT in the past? None. But The Social Network has taken IT into Hollywood. Coupled with films where CGI graphics and 3D technology are relied on heavily, which require knowledge of IT, jobs in IT are being seen as more sexy," he said.

According to CWJobs' survey, the top five most inspirational personalities in the IT community are from first to fifth: Steve Jobs from Apple; Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook; Michael Dell, Dell; Steve Balmer, Microsoft; Larry Page, Google.