Companies and Consultants
Refocusing for the New Millennium.

Strategic decisions are being made that will effect
resource needs and skills required.

   The information trail about where we go from here seems endless. Everywhere you turn, you find a prediction about the next new skill-intensive opportunity or a survey with statistics and bar graphs that shows a decline (or rise) in certain skill-specific job categories. It's all intensified too, with a turn-the-lights-off then turn-the-lights-on (presuming they work) new millenium just a few short months away.
For instance, many companies recently surveyed said they're simply not taking on any new projects until next year. One suggested this was kind of a "pause that refreshes", borrowing the slogan some may remember from Pepsi-Cola, circa pre-IT. It is a time when many Y2K contractors are taking a breather to do a little skills retooling, too.

  One trend analysis suggests companies have taken a turn towards beefing up their IT staff and relying less on contractors. It points out that companies are revisiting core IT functions and hiring employees for the long run. Who are they looking for? People with the IT skills the CIO wants along with the business acumen that almost every company looks for.

  "It's a trend, but we were prepared for it." commented an IT staffing manager. "We began to see a shift towards direct placement, or recruiting for our client's full time needs, in the first quarter. We've also got a number of contractors out at companies and have received inquiries about their availability for full time positions."

  This is likely a strategic move rather than a trend, commented one analyst. "I think it's a smart move that prepares companies for new challenges in the coming year. And it helps to have IT savvy individuals on board to manage new projects - staffed with outside contractors."

  While IT staffing and consulting firms are dealing with this shift in focus, surveys suggest that the contracting business will be strong for years to come. That's confirmed by UPDATA Capital, Inc. who recently released the findings from their Information Technology Professional Staffing survey that predicts continued outsourcing of projects and reliance on contractors.

  "The IT services industry remains a robust and growing sector of the overall IT industry," according to Barry Goldsmith, Updata's co-founder. "It is clear that as technologies evolve and outsourcing grows in prominence among large corporations, IT Professional Services will continue to play a critical and expanding role in meeting the development needs of their clients."

  Where's the needs - present and future? Database applications and management with Oracle leads the pack now. But that's going to change. E-commerce and web development, from infrastructure and integration to content and front-end experience will be needed.

  C++ programming skills were the hottest but, look out: Java-based development, which accounted for only 16% of services provided clients in 1997, is expected to reach over 50% by year's end.

  "Having the word "Web" on your resume is a real turn on with clients", said at technical recruiter in Boston. "Anything having to do with content and infrastructure is what it's all about."