6 hottest job profiles for IT pros in 2013

Analytics-:

Reason: Recent developments in hardware and networking technologies have made it cheap to not only gather large volumes of data, but also to store it and retrieve it with ease.

"The ability to analyse the data and make business sense out of it is a skill that is fast gaining prominence," says Ajit Isaac, MD and CEO at Ikya Human Capital Solutions, who projects 12,000-15,000 openings next year.

Sectors :Banks, consumer goods, retail, IT & IT consulting, business consulting, & e-commerce/online.

Skills: Training/experience in statistics or financial analysis; familiarity with statistical techniques, and software such as SAS and SPSS.

Salary

Entry level (Graduate/PG): Rs 4.5-8 lakh (p.a)

(Five years of experience): Rs 8-12 lakh

For IITs & Premier Schools: Rs 15 lakh


Chief operating officers

Reason: 2013 will be a year of greater competition, says E Balaji, MD & CEO, Randstad India. "So, as CEOs and business heads focus on increasing their market share, COOs would be focussing on cost control, cash flows and inventory management." The demand for COOs is expected to grow 30% in the next few years.

Sectors: IT and IT-enabled services, engineering, procurement and construction.

Skills: Ability to multitask, make decisions under stress, motivate pros.

Salary

Large organisations: Rs 1-2crore (p.a)

SMEs and start-ups: Rs 60-90 lakh


IT & Mobile product development

Reason: With the internet becoming an ubiquitous part of more and more lives, a lot of economic activity has moved online as well.

"A smooth, seamless user experience and a robust technical platform are key elements of a successful web presence," says Ikya's Isaac. "Firms recognise this, and, hence, people who can build such platforms are in great demand."

Sectors: IT product, e-commerce, IT consulting and mobile application.

Skills: Knowledge of the latest tech and an eye for consumer insights.

Salary

Entry level: Rs 12-18 lakh per annum

With 5 years of experience: Rs 35-40 lakh


R&D professionals

Reason: According to Mercer, India is being seen as an R&D hub; several organisations are investing in R&D centres across industries. The current requirement is for niche skills at the junior management level.

Sectors: Auto, chemical, consumer, pharma, healthcare and IT.

Skills: Ability to conduct research to create new products.

Salary

Entry level: Rs 5-6 lakh (p.a)

Mid level: Rs 12-15 lakh


Social media buffs

Reason: Brands are going social, and customers and stakeholders are taking their conversations online. "Consumers are taking peer reviews seriously and basing their purchase decisions on them," says Balaji of Randstad India.

Sectors: Technology, media, e-commerce, auto, FMCG and lifestyle product companies.

Skills: Tech-savvy; certifications from Google, Yahoo and MS ad platforms will help.

Salary

Mid-level (as it is still a nascent segment): Rs 4-6 lakh (p.a)


Junior engineers

Reason: Mercer's Anand says most organisations that employ engineers are planning to expand. Maximum openings are at the junior level, including IT engineers & process engineers, product and design engineers.

Sectors: IT, telecom, auto, manufacturing, engineering & chemical.

Skills: Engineering and project management.

Salary

Entry to mid-level: Rs 3.75-16 lakh (p.a)

Source- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/itslideshow/17924376.cms