If you’re looking for a new job before the holidays, you still have time. There’s a common belief that the holiday season is not conducive for job hunting, however, there are solid reasons why it can actually be a great time to look for a new opportunity.
There is less competition this time of the year as many job seekers pause their searches in the run up to, and during, the holidays. So that can mean fewer people going for the same role, which can increase your chances of standing out to employers who are still hiring.
Additionally, companies often have hiring budgets that need to be spent before year end, which can lead to a surge in job postings as employers aim to fill roles before the new year starts.
Because of this, time to hire can be faster too — that urgency can curb the normal tech time to hire from a few months down to a few weeks.
5 jobs to discover this week
- Software Engineer II (AWS, Python), The Travelers Companies, Inc., Hartford ($117,200 – $193,400)
- Geospatial Software Engineer, Reinventing Geospatial, Inc. (RGi), Denver ($100,000 – $145,000)
- Full Stack Software Engineer, SciTec, Huntsville ($93,000 – $120,000)
- Senior Full Stack Software Developer (Remote), ICF, Reston ($84,533 – $143,706)
- Software Developer – Java, Uline, Pleasant Prairie
Jobs in demand
So what roles are worth looking at right now?
According to new data from LinkedIn’s Most In-Demand Jobs (Q3 2024) report, software engineer, full stack engineer and application developer are in the top 10 roles employers really want to hire for. So much so, these are the roles that see the highest number of paid job posts on the platform.
These jobs and more are in demand because in the U.S., critical skills gaps are emerging, and widening. Skills in AI, machine learning, blockchain and cybersecurity are scarce, with fewer qualified candidates.
McKinsey estimates that under 50% of quantum computing roles will be filled unless significant interventions occur. And Skillsoft’s 2023 IT Skills and Salary Report found that 66% of IT decision-makers are dealing with skills gaps on their teams.
Globally, reliance on technology has surged, especially as a result of the pandemic. Most people now use various tech solutions for daily activities such as communication, shopping, banking, healthcare and research.
That means that these days, it isn’t just large tech firms that are looking for tech talent. So are startups, and increasingly, software engineering isn’t confined to traditional tech companies.
Now, it spans multiple industries including healthcare, finance, retail and more of what would have been considered ‘traditional’ businesses such as supermarket chains and newspapers. These days, these businesses have extensive tech hiring requirements too.
Other factors such as the continuous software development lifecycle add to the bottleneck of available developers too, because as programming languages evolve and new technologies emerge, companies require engineers to adapt existing software or build new applications from scratch.
Software skills
That’s good news for talented and qualified software engineers, full stack engineers and application developers. Within software development however, there are a vast number of skills subsets and languages companies seek to hire for, and many of these are in particular demand.
Statista reports that as of this year, JavaScript and HTML/CSS are the most commonly used programming languages for 62% and 53% of developers. Python, SQL and TypeScript round out the top five most widely used programming languages globally.
When it comes to skills, SkillSoft identifies AL and ML, infrastructure as code, secure coding practices, data structures and algorithms and database and SQL knowledge as foundational.
But soft skills get a look too, with communication and collaboration, Agile practices, problem-solving and critical thinking flagged as key skills software professionals should seek to develop in order to improve their hireability.
Overall, the outlook remains bright for developers and engineers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is projecting a 26% increase in employment for software developers over the next decade; much faster than the average growth rate for all occupations.
This high demand translates into competitive salaries. The BLS reported median pay for software developers in 2023 at $130,160 per year. Additionally, high demand means software engineers are often able to push for more money, flexible work options, including remote positions and better health care and associated benefits.
Get hired fast
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Discover Robin today, or browse the VentureBeat Job Board for your next exciting role.
