High-tech skills in high demand - Military Careers, Second Careers - Air Force Times

High-tech skills in high demand

Job forecasts for the coming decade all point to an increasing demand for technological skills — no matter what the industry. There are few career fields that don’t rely on technology in some part, and most rely on it to a greater extent than in the previous decade.

From toasters to televisions, the field of consumer electronics is moving up the technology ladder, and the same is true for engineering — an industry that encompasses everything from auto mechanics to architecture and aeronautics.

Paul Kostek has had his eyes on the ever-changing technological work force for some time. A senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-USA, he has spent the last year as chairman of the organization’s career and work force policy committee. In addition, Kostek is a senior systems engineer with Boeing and the principal of Air Direct Solutions, a systems engineering and project management consulting firm that helps companies define their system designs and requirements and software development standards.

Recently, Kostek spoke with Decision Times about the high-tech job market.

Q: Given the number of projected job openings and the industries offering these jobs, what would you say are the technical skills most in demand right now?

A: There are opportunities in hardware, software, systems engineering, test engineers and project management. The ability to integrate products is in demand, especially with companies outsourcing parts of projects around the world. Testing is also in demand in commercial and defense systems, along with software products.

To be more specific, game development is one of the hottest industries around. You’ll need software experience with C++, .NET, or Java EE for these jobs.

In the Silicon Valley, it’s hardware that’s in demand. Service members would need experience with ASIC design, and they would also do well with experience in analog and (radio frequency) engineering, as there is a real need here.

Project management is now a fast-growing field. Service members who have technical skills and also have held leadership roles or proven their ability to manage teams, set goals and follow through to the completion of a mission will be highly valued.

Q: What does the job market look like right now for service members leaving the military with technical and engineering skills?

A: The market for engineers has been improving over the past few years. But much like the housing market, certain areas are doing better than others. The West [Silicon Valley, Seattle, San Diego and Phoenix] continues to grow, while parts of Texas and the Midwest are slowing down. The East Coast is in varying stages, with [Washington,] D.C. continuing to grow while the New England states are slowing.

Targeting an industry, company or geographic area can make the job search much easier. For example, the Silicon Valley is coming back and actively looking for hardware and software engineers. Biomedical engineering is a growing industry in the Research Triangle of North Carolina. The growth in jobs in the defense industry may be slowing down somewhat, but anyone possessing a current security clearance will find himself in demand. Telecom is slowing while gaming — and I’m talking Xbox, Wii and PS3 software — is growing in demand. Power engineers are in increasing demand because of a number of expected retirements in the next five to 10 years. Even the auto industry is hiring, just not the traditional [U.S.] firms like Ford or GM. Instead, it’s companies like Kia, Hyundai and Toyota.

Just as with the power industry, the expectation is that in the next few years there will be an increasing number of engineers retiring from state agencies and federal agencies such as the Department of Energy, NASA and the [Federal Aviation Administration]. This will provide opportunities for hardware and software engineers.

Q: What specific credentials are employers looking for in the electronics and engineering fields?

A: During the dot-com boom, credentials were looked down on and not considered essential. Since the implosion, credentials have returned. Degrees are essential for consideration at most high-tech companies.

Certifications have lost some of the value they had a few years ago, and part of this is the reality of the marketplace and concerns about how to keep certifications up to date. The fact is, certification may get you in the door, but a degree will keep you there. If you’re a project manager, consider the Project Management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute. Many companies are requiring this for their project managers. The professional engineering license issued at the state level can also be valuable for engineers interested in working for a utility company or a consulting firm.

Q: For service members who are actively looking for jobs right now, what would you say are the hottest places to look?

A: Where you want to live will determine what kind of work you’ll find. If you’re open to living anywhere, there are growing opportunities in the Silicon Valley area. Seattle is hot for software. Washington, D.C., is hot for jobs in defense, security and homeland security. If you’re in Austin [Texas], the hot sector is in semiconductors and personal computers, like AMD and Dell. In Denver, it’s space, with companies like Lockheed Martin. If you have a certain part of the country you want to live in, I suggest you check out the local market through either the local IEEE section: www.ieee.org or www.aeanet.org.

(Tranette Ledford interviews a career expert each month for the Ask an Expert column.)