by Steve Earle | Mar 8, 2015 | Advice, Hiring
The average salary for technology professionals across the United States was $89,540 in 2014, a two percent increase from the previous year. Tech paychecks have been seeing a gradual increase each year as a result of the growing amount of technology implemented into our economy. More than half of the people in the industry reported wage increases usually due to merit, company-wide increases, or switching employers. This is a testament to the competitive nature of the technical talent market, where companies must give candidates incentive to stay with them. Technical recruiters saw a 19% average salary increase in 2014, which demonstrates how many candidates are actively seeking and finding better opportunities.
This slight jump in average salary was met with a decrease in satisfaction, with 52% of technical professionals reporting that they feel like they should be making more money. The demand for talent is increasing dramatically, and highly skilled individuals are becoming harder to find. This gap has given tech candidates the upper hand in the hiring process and companies are willing to write higher paychecks to secure the talent they need. An astounding 67% of tech professionals claim that they are sure they can find a more lucrative position than the one they are currently in.
Silicon Valley has the highest pay averages for the technology market, followed by Seattle, Washington D.C., Boston, and Sacramento. The West coast has seen more dramatic wage increases, but reports also show that people are less willing to relocate for jobs due to the high demand for technical talent across the board. Employees report being incentivized with raises, more interesting assignments, schedule flexibility, and title promotions by their employers.
Platform as a Service (PaaS) was the highest-grossing tech skill in 2014, followed closely by Cassandra, MapReduce, Cloudera, and HBase. IT management on the upper level (CEO, CIO, VP, and CTO) is the highest paid position in the industry, but Systems Architects, Data Architects, and Project Managers all pull in over 100k on average. Aerospace and defense, finance, professional services, utilities, and computer software are the top 5 industries where technology professionals earn the highest salaries.
The technology job market is extremely favorable to candidates right now. Companies are looking for ways to secure talent and sweeten up the deal for qualified individuals. Having the upper hand in the hiring process allows qualified candidates to choose the job and paycheck that are ideal for them, and it is important to know your worth when you are seeking new opportunities.
Want to learn more? Click here
by Steve Earle | Mar 8, 2015 | Advice, Career
The biggest issue that plagues candidates in a phone screening is lack of preparation. It is easy to assume that this is just an initial introduction before the real interview, but employers view it as a serious evaluation of a person’s communication skills and work ethic. Coming off unprofessional and careless in a phone screen will immediately show your prospective employer that further interviews are not worth their time.
It is vital that the interview occurs in a time and place where you can be fully devoted to the task. Set aside at least 40 minutes for the call and make sure you have full service or use a land line. Aside from choosing a suitable setting, you must also remember to bring the proper materials. Printing a job description and having a clear outline of why you fit their requirements will show the interviewer that you are well organized and serious about the position. Having this and a note pad to keep track of their questions will prevent you from getting lost and falling behind.
The most important aspect of all this, of course, is your ability to answer their questions clearly and professionally. Phone interviews will often include technical questions that evaluate your skills and it is important to speak slowly and articulate your knowledge properly. You may be the best programmer in the county, but if you cannot express your expertise, the employer will never know. Do not assume that years of experience will automatically prepare you for this. It is wise to write out some talking points and relevant facts in advance. In addition to knowing about your own profession, research your interviewer and their company before the screening. Look them up on LinkedIn and find out more about them so you can tie in your personal experience with their ideology.
Having all your ducks in a row makes a tremendously good impression on the interviewer, and when they are finished asking you questions it is a good idea to ask if they have any concerns with your qualifications. This gives you an opportunity to address it directly and reassure them of your suitability. Finally, end it by asking them what the next step of your hiring process will be. This strong “closer†shows that you are confident in your skill set and are ready to move forward with their company.
Want to learn more? Click here
by Steve Earle | Mar 2, 2015 | Marketing, Newsletters
According to a recently published report in Forbes Magazine, record high real-estate in silicone Valley is pushing tech startups to look for alternative locations.
Among the emerging Tech hubs, 5 including Miami stand out for a number of reasons, here’s a look at how real-estate prices might drive Miami’s Tech hub.
Miami’s Tech scene has been on the rise this decade. Companies are locating in Miami either to reach Latin America or to provide a U.S. foothold for Latin American Tech entrepreneurs, for example .CO Internet, which operates the top-level domain for Columbia.The key is the city’s potential. Miami startups brought in $49.4 million in VC funding in 2014, while existing VC-backed companies including health care IT provider CareCloud and mobile app developer KidoZen saw continued success. Meanwhile, infrastructure investments by firms aimed at helping grow the startup ecosystem in Miami have led to 19 Tech acquisitions since 2012.
If the Tech scene can be defined by potential, the best description of Miami’s real estate market is “resurgent.†Miami is one of the country’s key “hedge cities,†attracting foreign investors seeking U.S. bases of operations. This influx of outside capital was vital to the rapid recovery from the economic meltdown suffered by Miami late last decade.
While Miami’s population rose 4.8 percent from 2010 to 2013, and employment increased 2.9 percent in 2014 (and is expected to rise more than 10 percent by 2017), real estate prices have remained relatively low ($225K) even after an increase of 13.7 percent last year. These facts and a rise in construction led Miami to rank 19th in the ULI report, which also noted that continued improvements in Miami’s economy will create increased investor demand and a lot of real estate activity in 2015.
by Steve Earle | Mar 2, 2015 | Job Opportunities, Marketing, Newsletters
Our client is a strategic media company with an immediate need to hire – contract or direct hire – a Senior PHP/MySQL developer to power the back-end of their new mobile app.
This is a transformative and disruptive media app for Android and iOS that will maximize & monetize someone’s time on social media networks. This position will work directly with the CTO.
SherlockTalent loves to share $500 referral bonuses!
by Steve Earle | Mar 2, 2015 | Events, Marketing, Newsletters
Fun Fact:Â Nurturing relationships with existing customers often costs less and yields higher ROI than acquiring new customers.
Successful marketers must be innovative in their use of data, personalization and metrics to win loyal customers. If you’re like many marketing professionals, unsure of the best strategy and which move to make first, this session is for you.
Learn from Lars Birkholm Petersen, co-author of Connect: How to Use Data and Experience Marketing to Create Lifetime Customers. Petersen will discuss the new paradigm – Experience Marketing – and offer tips on how to connect with customers across their different touch points, using technology and data to personalize the experience so it becomes human, relevant and engaging.
