Outlook in IT related Jobs
By Richa Sabharwal Chaudhary
In 2015, the IT-BPM sector had about 1.2 million employees. Its largest sector, voice services, which encompasses call centers, accounted for 69% of the total IT-BPO industry, employing two-thirds or about 700,000 of its entirety. Upon closer scrutiny however, you will see that the more lucrative jobs in this industry is that of an IT professional.
According to JobStreet.com's Annual Salary Report for 2015 released March 1, 2016, IT specialists, especially employees in IT – Software and IT – Network, System, and Database Administration enjoy the best paying careers! It transcends all experience level as it offers the best pay be it at entry level, supervisorial, or assistant manager/manager position.
As per the report, fresh graduates who belong to IT related jobs enjoys the highest pay followed by actuarial/statistics and legal services. The average salaries for fresh graduates reportedly increased by 9% since 2014.
· IT-related – P22,567 (0.3% increase since 2014)
o Sample jobs: computer technician, web administration staff
· Actuarial/Statistics – P21,391 (7.4% increase since 2014)
o Sample jobs: workforce associate, operations review analyst
· Law/Legal services – P21,132 (0.8% decrease since 2014)
o Sample jobs: legal clerk, contract analyst
· Healthcare-related – P20,048 (1.8% increase since 2014)
o Sample jobs: medical technologist, nursing aide
· Journalist/Editor – P19,808 (12.3% increase since 2014)
o Sample jobs: multilingual content writer, foreign language translator
· Training and Development – P19,723 (28.4% increase since 2014)
o Sample jobs: content developer, communications coach
· Quality Control/Assurance – P19,337 (19.8% increase since 2014)
o Sample jobs: technical services assistant, quality assurance tester
· Public Relations/Communications – P19,242 (7.7% increase since 2014)
o Sample jobs: publicity associate, media assistant
· Merchandising – P19,095 (42.5% increase since 2014)
o Sample jobs: department store section officer, merchandise planning analyst
· Customer service-related – P19,036 (0.2% decrease since 2014)
o Sample jobs: junior technical support analyst, chat support representative
The top ten jobs for those on the supervisory level are also mostly in the same categories. Supervisors in jobs related to human resources, engineering, and marketing come with high salaries too.
The top 10 highest-paying jobs/industries for junior supervisors are:
· 1. IT
· 2. Law / Legal
· 3. Quality Control / Assurance
· 4. Finance
· 5. Customer Service
· 6. Banking / Financial Services
· 7. Human Resources
· 8. Training and Development
· 9. Engineering
· 10. Marketing / Business Development
The salary trend still continues for the junior executive positions where the IT related posts are still on top followed by Legal services and the industry of Actuarial and Statistics landed on the third spot.
The top 10 highest-paying jobs/industries for junior executives are:
1. IT
2. Law / Legal Services
3. Actuarial / Statistics
4. Customer Service
5. Training & Development
6. Public Relations / Communications
7. Banking / Financial Services
8. Arts / Creatives
9. Finance
10. Marketing / Business Development
Other IT Jobs with Future Demands
With the recent “ComeLeak” issue it's no surprise that the demand for cyber security professionals is highly on demand. With the proliferation of more security breaches and cyber threats and attacks, governments and organizations across the globe are realizing just how important security—and a qualified security staff—is to their business. This can potentially generate more job openings than in any other technology sector, security professionals can also demand higher salaries.
Also cloud computing continues to create new job opportunities for IT professionals, most recently pronounced in the SMB space. This includes job titles with the prefix “Cloud” such as Cloud Architect, Cloud Software Engineer, Cloud database etc.
Future Outlook
Another good news is that growth is not just confined to Manila but has spread to other cities around the country. Cebu already ranks eight in Tholon’s Top 100 Outsourcing Destinations and is joined by six other Filipino cities in the Top 100. The industry accounts for 6% of the GDP of the country and is expected to grow more, as more companies look toward the Philippines to take advantage of lower rents and the talented work pool. The IT and Business Processing Association of the Philippines projects that the industry will create 225,000 new jobs in 2016. The BPO sector is also projected to employ some 1.3 million Filipinos and generate up to US $27 million in annual revenues by 2016.
Final Analysis
Salary might be one of the biggest considerations in looking for a job, but most employers disliked applicants who were overly conscious of their salaries or had unreasonable demands when it come to their salaries. Hence it is wise to have a proper perspective on what the salary norms are for the job you have and always consider your long term career goals as oppose to just focusing on your next pay check.
Longevity in an IT career has a direct correlation with your level of interest in updating your technical skill and how passionate you are about your craft. Whatever technology or specialization you plan to focus on, it is best to heed the words of Confucius. For when you truly love what you do, the salary and all the perks of your job are just icing on the cake.